diff --git a/rust/lance-core/src/datatypes/schema.rs b/rust/lance-core/src/datatypes/schema.rs
index 176f7c82e79..19a03aa5043 100644
--- a/rust/lance-core/src/datatypes/schema.rs
+++ b/rust/lance-core/src/datatypes/schema.rs
@@ -1489,10 +1489,23 @@ pub fn escape_field_path_for_project(name: &str) -> String {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use arrow_schema::{DataType as ArrowDataType, Fields as ArrowFields};
-    use std::sync::Arc;
+    use std::{collections::HashMap, sync::Arc};
 
     use super::*;
 
+    #[test]
+    fn projection_from_schema_defaults_to_v1() {
+        let field = Field::try_from(&ArrowField::new("a", ArrowDataType::Int32, true)).unwrap();
+        let schema = Schema {
+            fields: vec![field],
+            metadata: HashMap::new(),
+        };
+
+        let projection = Projection::empty(Arc::new(schema));
+
+        assert_eq!(projection.blob_version, BlobVersion::V1);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_resolve_with_quoted_fields() {
         // Create a schema with fields containing dots
diff --git a/rust/lance-datafusion/src/projection.rs b/rust/lance-datafusion/src/projection.rs
index c7aa82daeff..86ca0b0707e 100644
--- a/rust/lance-datafusion/src/projection.rs
+++ b/rust/lance-datafusion/src/projection.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ use std::{
 };
 
 use lance_core::{
-    datatypes::{OnMissing, Projectable, Projection, Schema},
+    datatypes::{BlobVersion, OnMissing, Projectable, Projection, Schema},
     Error, Result, ROW_ADDR, ROW_CREATED_AT_VERSION, ROW_ID, ROW_LAST_UPDATED_AT_VERSION,
     ROW_OFFSET, WILDCARD,
 };
@@ -37,11 +37,16 @@ struct ProjectionBuilder {
     needs_row_created_at: bool,
     must_add_row_offset: bool,
     has_wildcard: bool,
+    blob_version: BlobVersion,
 }
 
 impl ProjectionBuilder {
-    fn new(base: Arc<dyn Projectable>) -> Self {
-        let full_schema = Arc::new(Projection::full(base.clone()).to_arrow_schema());
+    fn new(base: Arc<dyn Projectable>, blob_version: BlobVersion) -> Self {
+        let full_schema = Arc::new(
+            Projection::full(base.clone())
+                .with_blob_version(blob_version)
+                .to_arrow_schema(),
+        );
         let full_schema = Arc::new(ProjectionPlan::add_system_columns(&full_schema));
         let planner = Planner::new(full_schema);
 
@@ -58,6 +63,7 @@ impl ProjectionBuilder {
             needs_row_last_updated_at: false,
             must_add_row_offset: false,
             has_wildcard: false,
+            blob_version,
         }
     }
 
@@ -146,6 +152,8 @@ impl ProjectionBuilder {
                 .union_columns(&self.physical_cols, OnMissing::Ignore)?
         };
 
+        physical_projection = physical_projection.with_blob_version(self.blob_version);
+
         physical_projection.with_row_id = self.needs_row_id;
         physical_projection.with_row_addr = self.needs_row_addr || self.must_add_row_offset;
         physical_projection.with_row_last_updated_at_version = self.needs_row_last_updated_at;
@@ -202,8 +210,9 @@ impl ProjectionPlan {
     pub fn from_expressions(
         base: Arc<dyn Projectable>,
         columns: &[(impl AsRef<str>, impl AsRef<str>)],
+        blob_version: BlobVersion,
     ) -> Result<Self> {
-        let mut builder = ProjectionBuilder::new(base);
+        let mut builder = ProjectionBuilder::new(base, blob_version);
         builder.add_columns(columns)?;
         builder.build()
     }
@@ -242,7 +251,11 @@ impl ProjectionPlan {
     /// ```
     ///
     /// This is something that cannot be done easily using expressions.
-    pub fn from_schema(base: Arc<dyn Projectable>, projection: &Schema) -> Result<Self> {
+    pub fn from_schema(
+        base: Arc<dyn Projectable>,
+        projection: &Schema,
+        blob_version: BlobVersion,
+    ) -> Result<Self> {
         // Separate data columns from system columns
         // System columns (_rowid, _rowaddr, etc.) are handled via flags in Projection,
         // not as fields in the Schema
@@ -282,7 +295,9 @@ impl ProjectionPlan {
         };
 
         // Calculate the physical projection from data columns only
-        let mut physical_projection = Projection::empty(base).union_schema(&data_schema);
+        let mut physical_projection = Projection::empty(base)
+            .union_schema(&data_schema)
+            .with_blob_version(blob_version);
         physical_projection.with_row_id = with_row_id;
         physical_projection.with_row_addr = with_row_addr;
 
@@ -303,7 +318,7 @@ impl ProjectionPlan {
         })
     }
 
-    pub fn full(base: Arc<dyn Projectable>) -> Result<Self> {
+    pub fn full(base: Arc<dyn Projectable>, blob_version: BlobVersion) -> Result<Self> {
         let physical_cols: Vec<&str> = base
             .schema()
             .fields
@@ -311,8 +326,9 @@ impl ProjectionPlan {
             .map(|f| f.name.as_ref())
             .collect::<Vec<_>>();
 
-        let physical_projection =
-            Projection::empty(base.clone()).union_columns(&physical_cols, OnMissing::Ignore)?;
+        let physical_projection = Projection::empty(base.clone())
+            .union_columns(&physical_cols, OnMissing::Ignore)?
+            .with_blob_version(blob_version);
 
         let requested_output_expr = physical_cols
             .into_iter()
diff --git a/rust/lance/src/dataset.rs b/rust/lance/src/dataset.rs
index ebeeba4ad0e..525961d0696 100644
--- a/rust/lance/src/dataset.rs
+++ b/rust/lance/src/dataset.rs
@@ -395,6 +395,7 @@ impl ProjectionRequest {
     }
 
     pub fn into_projection_plan(self, dataset: Arc<Dataset>) -> Result<ProjectionPlan> {
+        let blob_version = dataset.blob_version();
         match self {
             Self::Schema(schema) => {
                 // The schema might contain system columns (_rowid, _rowaddr) which are not
@@ -407,7 +408,7 @@ impl ProjectionRequest {
                 if system_columns_present {
                     // If system columns are present, we can't use project_by_schema directly
                     // Just pass the schema to ProjectionPlan::from_schema which handles it
-                    ProjectionPlan::from_schema(dataset, schema.as_ref())
+                    ProjectionPlan::from_schema(dataset, schema.as_ref(), blob_version)
                 } else {
                     // No system columns, use normal path with validation
                     let projection = dataset.schema().project_by_schema(
@@ -415,10 +416,10 @@ impl ProjectionRequest {
                         OnMissing::Error,
                         OnTypeMismatch::Error,
                     )?;
-                    ProjectionPlan::from_schema(dataset, &projection)
+                    ProjectionPlan::from_schema(dataset, &projection, blob_version)
                 }
             }
-            Self::Sql(columns) => ProjectionPlan::from_expressions(dataset, &columns),
+            Self::Sql(columns) => ProjectionPlan::from_expressions(dataset, &columns, blob_version),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/rust/lance/src/dataset/scanner.rs b/rust/lance/src/dataset/scanner.rs
index ca88c7c1f05..beb25ac9300 100644
--- a/rust/lance/src/dataset/scanner.rs
+++ b/rust/lance/src/dataset/scanner.rs
@@ -599,7 +599,8 @@ impl TakeOperation {
 
 impl Scanner {
     pub fn new(dataset: Arc<Dataset>) -> Self {
-        let projection_plan = ProjectionPlan::full(dataset.clone()).unwrap();
+        let projection_plan =
+            ProjectionPlan::full(dataset.clone(), dataset.blob_version()).unwrap();
         let file_reader_options = dataset.file_reader_options.clone();
         let mut scanner = Self {
             dataset,
@@ -723,7 +724,11 @@ impl Scanner {
         columns: &[(impl AsRef<str>, impl AsRef<str>)],
     ) -> Result<&mut Self> {
         self.explicit_projection = true;
-        self.projection_plan = ProjectionPlan::from_expressions(self.dataset.clone(), columns)?;
+        self.projection_plan = ProjectionPlan::from_expressions(
+            self.dataset.clone(),
+            columns,
+            self.dataset.blob_version(),
+        )?;
         if self.legacy_with_row_id {
             self.projection_plan.include_row_id();
         }