diff --git a/table/metadata.go b/table/metadata.go
index 35a2e3f68..e393214d6 100644
--- a/table/metadata.go
+++ b/table/metadata.go
@@ -902,13 +902,17 @@ func (b *MetadataBuilder) RemoveSnapshotRef(name string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (b *MetadataBuilder) SetUUID(uuid uuid.UUID) error {
-	if b.uuid == uuid {
+func (b *MetadataBuilder) SetUUID(newUUID uuid.UUID) error {
+	if newUUID == uuid.Nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w: cannot set uuid to nil", iceberg.ErrInvalidArgument)
+	}
+
+	if b.uuid == newUUID {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	b.updates = append(b.updates, NewAssignUUIDUpdate(uuid))
-	b.uuid = uuid
+	b.updates = append(b.updates, NewAssignUUIDUpdate(newUUID))
+	b.uuid = newUUID
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/table/metadata_builder_internal_test.go b/table/metadata_builder_internal_test.go
index 327d18077..a0ca6cda1 100644
--- a/table/metadata_builder_internal_test.go
+++ b/table/metadata_builder_internal_test.go
@@ -2317,6 +2317,30 @@ func TestSetFormatVersionPreservesExistingUUID(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, existingUUID, meta.TableUUID())
 }
 
+func TestSetUUIDRejectsNil(t *testing.T) {
+	builder := builderWithoutChanges(2)
+	originalUUID := builder.uuid
+
+	err := builder.SetUUID(uuid.Nil)
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, iceberg.ErrInvalidArgument)
+	require.False(t, builder.HasChanges())
+	require.Equal(t, originalUUID, builder.uuid)
+
+	meta, err := builder.Build()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, originalUUID, meta.TableUUID())
+}
+
+func TestNewMetadataWithUUIDGeneratesUUIDForNil(t *testing.T) {
+	tableSchema := schema()
+	partSpec := partitionSpec()
+	order := sortOrder()
+
+	meta, err := NewMetadataWithUUID(&tableSchema, &partSpec, order, "s3://bucket/test/location", nil, uuid.Nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotEqual(t, uuid.Nil, meta.TableUUID())
+}
+
 func TestSetFormatVersionDowngradeNotAllowed(t *testing.T) {
 	builder := builderWithoutChanges(2)
 	err := builder.SetFormatVersion(1)
diff --git a/table/updates_test.go b/table/updates_test.go
index 3273713b0..24a60e7e0 100644
--- a/table/updates_test.go
+++ b/table/updates_test.go
@@ -569,6 +569,19 @@ func buildFromBase(t *testing.T) *MetadataBuilder {
 	return b
 }
 
+func TestAssignUUIDUpdate_ApplyRejectsNilUUID(t *testing.T) {
+	b := buildFromBase(t)
+	originalUUID := b.uuid
+
+	err := NewAssignUUIDUpdate(uuid.Nil).Apply(b)
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, iceberg.ErrInvalidArgument)
+	require.False(t, b.HasChanges())
+
+	meta, err := b.Build()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, originalUUID, meta.TableUUID())
+}
+
 func TestSetStatisticsUpdate_Unmarshal(t *testing.T) {
 	data := []byte(`[{
 		"action": "set-statistics",