diff --git a/rust/lance/src/dataset.rs b/rust/lance/src/dataset.rs
index 72b13e903b5..2e107a8ff2e 100644
--- a/rust/lance/src/dataset.rs
+++ b/rust/lance/src/dataset.rs
@@ -738,16 +738,17 @@ impl Dataset {
             let message_len =
                 LittleEndian::read_u32(&last_block[offset_in_block..offset_in_block + 4]) as usize;
             let message_data = &last_block[offset_in_block + 4..offset_in_block + 4 + message_len];
-            let transaction: Transaction =
-                lance_table::format::pb::Transaction::decode(message_data)?.try_into()?;
-
-            let metadata_cache = session.metadata_cache.for_dataset(uri);
-            let metadata_key = TransactionKey {
-                version: manifest_location.version,
-            };
-            metadata_cache
-                .insert_with_key(&metadata_key, Arc::new(transaction))
-                .await;
+            if let Some(transaction) =
+                decode_inline_transaction(message_data, manifest_location.version)
+            {
+                let metadata_cache = session.metadata_cache.for_dataset(uri);
+                let metadata_key = TransactionKey {
+                    version: manifest_location.version,
+                };
+                metadata_cache
+                    .insert_with_key(&metadata_key, Arc::new(transaction))
+                    .await;
+            }
         }
 
         if manifest.should_use_legacy_format() {
@@ -3662,6 +3663,31 @@ impl ManifestWriteConfig {
     }
 }
 
+/// Decode an inline transaction section for opportunistic caching.
+///
+/// Returns `None` instead of failing when the transaction cannot be decoded:
+/// the section may have been written by a newer version of Lance with an
+/// operation type this version does not know, and that must not prevent
+/// opening the dataset. Paths that need the transaction contents surface the
+/// error at their call sites instead.
+fn decode_inline_transaction(message_data: &[u8], version: u64) -> Option<Transaction> {
+    match lance_table::format::pb::Transaction::decode(message_data)
+        .map_err(Error::from)
+        .and_then(Transaction::try_from)
+    {
+        Ok(transaction) => Some(transaction),
+        Err(err) => {
+            log::warn!(
+                "Failed to decode the inline transaction of version {}; \
+                 it may have been written by a newer version of Lance: {}",
+                version,
+                err
+            );
+            None
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Commit a manifest file and create a copy at the latest manifest path.
 #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
 pub(crate) async fn write_manifest_file(
diff --git a/rust/lance/src/dataset/tests/dataset_transactions.rs b/rust/lance/src/dataset/tests/dataset_transactions.rs
index 3e2a4caa3b3..548c6985cb3 100644
--- a/rust/lance/src/dataset/tests/dataset_transactions.rs
+++ b/rust/lance/src/dataset/tests/dataset_transactions.rs
@@ -208,6 +208,35 @@ async fn test_session_store_registry() {
     assert_eq!(registry.active_stores().len(), 0);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_decode_inline_transaction_tolerates_unknown_operations() {
+    use crate::dataset::decode_inline_transaction;
+    use lance_table::format::pb;
+    use prost::Message;
+
+    // A transaction written by a newer version of Lance may carry an operation
+    // this version cannot decode; prost surfaces it as a missing oneof. This
+    // must not fail (it would prevent opening the dataset), only skip caching.
+    let unknown_operation = pb::Transaction {
+        read_version: 1,
+        uuid: "test".to_string(),
+        ..Default::default()
+    };
+    assert!(decode_inline_transaction(&unknown_operation.encode_to_vec(), 42).is_none());
+
+    // Corrupt bytes are likewise tolerated.
+    assert!(decode_inline_transaction(&[0xff, 0xff, 0xff], 42).is_none());
+
+    // A decodable transaction is returned.
+    let known = pb::Transaction::from(&Transaction::new(
+        1,
+        Operation::Append { fragments: vec![] },
+        None,
+    ));
+    let decoded = decode_inline_transaction(&known.encode_to_vec(), 42).unwrap();
+    assert!(matches!(decoded.operation, Operation::Append { .. }));
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn test_migrate_v2_manifest_paths() {
     let test_uri = TempStrDir::default();