diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestMetadataUpdateParser.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestMetadataUpdateParser.java
index c6baead8a747..aa7c120aebe8 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestMetadataUpdateParser.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestMetadataUpdateParser.java
@@ -123,6 +123,17 @@ public void testAddSchemaFromJson() {
     assertEquals(action, actualUpdate, MetadataUpdateParser.fromJson(json));
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testAddSchemaFromJsonWithoutLastColumnId() {
+    String action = MetadataUpdateParser.ADD_SCHEMA;
+    Schema schema = ID_DATA_SCHEMA;
+    int lastColumnId = schema.highestFieldId();
+    String json =
+        String.format("{\"action\":\"add-schema\",\"schema\":%s}", SchemaParser.toJson(schema));
+    MetadataUpdate actualUpdate = new MetadataUpdate.AddSchema(schema, lastColumnId);
+    assertEquals(action, actualUpdate, MetadataUpdateParser.fromJson(json));
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testAddSchemaToJson() {
     Schema schema = ID_DATA_SCHEMA;