diff --git a/src/iceberg/schema_field.cc b/src/iceberg/schema_field.cc
index 6c8d10d97..5d55bb507 100644
--- a/src/iceberg/schema_field.cc
+++ b/src/iceberg/schema_field.cc
@@ -19,9 +19,11 @@
 
 #include "iceberg/schema_field.h"
 
+#include <cmath>
 #include <format>
 #include <string_view>
 #include <utility>
+#include <variant>
 
 #include "iceberg/expression/literal.h"
 #include "iceberg/type.h"
@@ -124,6 +126,18 @@ Status ValidateDefault(const SchemaField& field, const Literal& value,
     return InvalidSchema("{} of field {} has type {} but expected {}", kind, field.name(),
                          *value.type(), *field.type());
   }
+  // A non-finite float/double default cannot be represented in JSON: the serializer emits
+  // it as `null`, which reads back as an absent default. Reject it so the default is not
+  // silently lost when the metadata round-trips.
+  const auto& literal_value = value.value();
+  const bool non_finite = (std::holds_alternative<float>(literal_value) &&
+                           !std::isfinite(std::get<float>(literal_value))) ||
+                          (std::holds_alternative<double>(literal_value) &&
+                           !std::isfinite(std::get<double>(literal_value)));
+  if (non_finite) {
+    return InvalidSchema("Invalid {} value for {}: value must be finite", kind,
+                         field.name());
+  }
   return {};
 }
 
diff --git a/src/iceberg/test/schema_field_test.cc b/src/iceberg/test/schema_field_test.cc
index c2cd6a758..48ac189cf 100644
--- a/src/iceberg/test/schema_field_test.cc
+++ b/src/iceberg/test/schema_field_test.cc
@@ -20,10 +20,13 @@
 #include "iceberg/schema_field.h"
 
 #include <format>
+#include <limits>
 #include <memory>
 
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
 
+#include "iceberg/expression/literal.h"
+#include "iceberg/test/matchers.h"
 #include "iceberg/type.h"
 #include "iceberg/util/formatter.h"  // IWYU pragma: keep
 
@@ -107,4 +110,34 @@ TEST(SchemaFieldTest, WithDoc) {
   }
 }
 
+TEST(SchemaFieldTest, ValidateRejectsNonFiniteFloatingDefault) {
+  // NaN / infinity cannot be represented in JSON (the serializer emits `null`, which
+  // reads back as an absent default), so a non-finite floating default must be rejected.
+  SchemaField nan_field(/*field_id=*/1, /*name=*/"f", float32(),
+                        /*optional=*/true, /*doc=*/"",
+                        std::make_shared<const Literal>(
+                            Literal::Float(std::numeric_limits<float>::quiet_NaN())));
+  EXPECT_THAT(nan_field.Validate(), IsError(ErrorKind::kInvalidSchema));
+  EXPECT_THAT(nan_field.Validate(), HasErrorMessage("must be finite"));
+
+  SchemaField inf_field(/*field_id=*/2, /*name=*/"d", float64(),
+                        /*optional=*/true, /*doc=*/"",
+                        std::make_shared<const Literal>(
+                            Literal::Double(std::numeric_limits<double>::infinity())));
+  EXPECT_THAT(inf_field.Validate(), IsError(ErrorKind::kInvalidSchema));
+
+  SchemaField neg_inf_field(/*field_id=*/3, /*name=*/"d2", float64(),
+                            /*optional=*/true, /*doc=*/"",
+                            std::make_shared<const Literal>(Literal::Double(
+                                -std::numeric_limits<double>::infinity())));
+  EXPECT_THAT(neg_inf_field.Validate(), IsError(ErrorKind::kInvalidSchema));
+}
+
+TEST(SchemaFieldTest, ValidateAcceptsFiniteFloatingDefault) {
+  SchemaField field(/*field_id=*/1, /*name=*/"f", float32(),
+                    /*optional=*/true, /*doc=*/"",
+                    std::make_shared<const Literal>(Literal::Float(1.5f)));
+  EXPECT_THAT(field.Validate(), IsOk());
+}
+
 }  // namespace iceberg