diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdate.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdate.java
index 49fb1fe01c44..ba038c196e43 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdate.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdate.java
@@ -86,6 +86,16 @@ class AddSchema implements MetadataUpdate {
     private final Schema schema;
     private final int lastColumnId;
 
+    public AddSchema(Schema schema) {
+      this(schema, schema.highestFieldId());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Set the schema
+     *
+     * @deprecated since 1.8.0, will be removed 1.9.0 or 2.0.0, use AddSchema(schema).
+     */
+    @Deprecated
     public AddSchema(Schema schema, int lastColumnId) {
       this.schema = schema;
       this.lastColumnId = lastColumnId;
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdateParser.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdateParser.java
index 8cdfd3c72b6e..9c9dca4d8dd7 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdateParser.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdateParser.java
@@ -30,8 +30,11 @@
 import org.apache.iceberg.relocated.com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
 import org.apache.iceberg.util.JsonUtil;
 import org.apache.iceberg.view.ViewVersionParser;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 public class MetadataUpdateParser {
+  private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(MetadataUpdateParser.class);
 
   private MetadataUpdateParser() {}
 
@@ -462,6 +465,8 @@ private static MetadataUpdate readAddSchema(JsonNode node) {
     Schema schema = SchemaParser.fromJson(schemaNode);
     int lastColumnId;
     if (node.has(LAST_COLUMN_ID)) {
+      LOG.warn(
+          "Field last-column-id of MetadataUpdate.AddSchema is since 1.8.0, will be removed 1.9.0 or 2.0.0");
       lastColumnId = JsonUtil.getInt(LAST_COLUMN_ID, node);
     } else {
       lastColumnId = schema.highestFieldId();
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/SchemaUpdate.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/SchemaUpdate.java
index 069097778606..2b541080ac72 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/SchemaUpdate.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/SchemaUpdate.java
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ public Schema apply() {
 
   @Override
   public void commit() {
-    TableMetadata update = applyChangesToMetadata(base.updateSchema(apply(), lastColumnId));
+    TableMetadata update = applyChangesToMetadata(base.updateSchema(apply()));
     ops.commit(base, update);
   }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableMetadata.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableMetadata.java
index 3cdc53995dce..d9b5b4f93249 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableMetadata.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableMetadata.java
@@ -562,10 +562,23 @@ public TableMetadata withUUID() {
     return new Builder(this).assignUUID().build();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Updates the schema
+   *
+   * @deprecated since 1.8.0, will be removed 1.9.0 or 2.0.0, use updateSchema(schema).
+   */
+  @Deprecated
   public TableMetadata updateSchema(Schema newSchema, int newLastColumnId) {
     return new Builder(this).setCurrentSchema(newSchema, newLastColumnId).build();
   }
 
+  /** Updates the schema */
+  public TableMetadata updateSchema(Schema newSchema) {
+    return new Builder(this)
+        .setCurrentSchema(newSchema, Math.max(this.lastColumnId, newSchema.highestFieldId()))
+        .build();
+  }
+
   // The caller is responsible to pass a newPartitionSpec with correct partition field IDs
   public TableMetadata updatePartitionSpec(PartitionSpec newPartitionSpec) {
     return new Builder(this).setDefaultPartitionSpec(newPartitionSpec).build();
@@ -1081,8 +1094,18 @@ public Builder setCurrentSchema(int schemaId) {
       return this;
     }
 
+    public Builder addSchema(Schema schema) {
+      addSchemaInternal(schema, schema.highestFieldId());
+      return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Add a new schema.
+     *
+     * @deprecated since 1.8.0, will be removed 1.9.0 or 2.0.0, use AddSchema(schema).
+     */
+    @Deprecated
     public Builder addSchema(Schema schema, int newLastColumnId) {
-      // TODO: remove requirement for newLastColumnId
       addSchemaInternal(schema, newLastColumnId);
       return this;
     }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/view/ViewMetadata.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/view/ViewMetadata.java
index ae837ff96882..94f3a56ba931 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/view/ViewMetadata.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/view/ViewMetadata.java
@@ -372,20 +372,15 @@ private int addSchemaInternal(Schema schema) {
         newSchema = schema;
       }
 
-      int highestFieldId = Math.max(highestFieldId(), newSchema.highestFieldId());
       schemas.add(newSchema);
       schemasById.put(newSchema.schemaId(), newSchema);
-      changes.add(new MetadataUpdate.AddSchema(newSchema, highestFieldId));
+      changes.add(new MetadataUpdate.AddSchema(newSchema));
 
       this.lastAddedSchemaId = newSchemaId;
 
       return newSchemaId;
     }
 
-    private int highestFieldId() {
-      return schemas.stream().map(Schema::highestFieldId).max(Integer::compareTo).orElse(0);
-    }
-
     private int reuseOrCreateNewSchemaId(Schema newSchema) {
       // if the schema already exists, use its id; otherwise use the highest id + 1
       int newSchemaId = INITIAL_SCHEMA_ID;
diff --git a/open-api/rest-catalog-open-api.py b/open-api/rest-catalog-open-api.py
index c3372544ef95..1c6e05e49a0c 100644
--- a/open-api/rest-catalog-open-api.py
+++ b/open-api/rest-catalog-open-api.py
@@ -1149,11 +1149,6 @@ class ViewMetadata(BaseModel):
 class AddSchemaUpdate(BaseUpdate):
     action: Literal['add-schema']
     schema_: Schema = Field(..., alias='schema')
-    last_column_id: Optional[int] = Field(
-        None,
-        alias='last-column-id',
-        description='The highest assigned column ID for the table. This is used to ensure columns are always assigned an unused ID when evolving schemas. When omitted, it will be computed on the server side.',
-    )
 
 
 class TableUpdate(BaseModel):
diff --git a/open-api/rest-catalog-open-api.yaml b/open-api/rest-catalog-open-api.yaml
index 9635af96c1ca..3006b2aef86e 100644
--- a/open-api/rest-catalog-open-api.yaml
+++ b/open-api/rest-catalog-open-api.yaml
@@ -2690,9 +2690,6 @@ components:
           enum: ["add-schema"]
         schema:
           $ref: '#/components/schemas/Schema'
-        last-column-id:
-          type: integer
-          description: The highest assigned column ID for the table. This is used to ensure columns are always assigned an unused ID when evolving schemas. When omitted, it will be computed on the server side.
 
     SetCurrentSchemaUpdate:
       allOf: