diff --git a/crates/core/src/kernel/arrow/mod.rs b/crates/core/src/kernel/arrow/mod.rs
index 7dbac2854d..d27bc6463b 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/kernel/arrow/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/kernel/arrow/mod.rs
@@ -451,7 +451,9 @@ pub(crate) fn delta_log_schema_for_table(
                 ],
                 protocol[
                     minReaderVersion:Int32,
-                    minWriterVersion:Int32
+                    minWriterVersion:Int32,
+                    writerFeatures[element]{Utf8},
+                    readerFeatures[element]{Utf8}
                 ],
                 txn[
                     appId:Utf8,
diff --git a/crates/core/src/protocol/checkpoints.rs b/crates/core/src/protocol/checkpoints.rs
index ae6d1debd8..4a2df18ee8 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/protocol/checkpoints.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/protocol/checkpoints.rs
@@ -18,9 +18,7 @@ use tracing::{debug, error};
 
 use super::{time_utils, ProtocolError};
 use crate::kernel::arrow::delta_log_schema_for_table;
-use crate::kernel::{
-    Action, Add as AddAction, DataType, PrimitiveType, Protocol, Remove, StructField, Txn,
-};
+use crate::kernel::{Action, Add as AddAction, DataType, PrimitiveType, Remove, StructField, Txn};
 use crate::logstore::LogStore;
 use crate::table::state::DeltaTableState;
 use crate::table::{get_partition_col_data_types, CheckPoint, CheckPointBuilder};
@@ -276,44 +274,39 @@ fn parquet_bytes_from_state(
     }
     let files = state.file_actions().unwrap();
     // protocol
-    let jsons = std::iter::once(Action::Protocol(Protocol {
-        min_reader_version: state.protocol().min_reader_version,
-        min_writer_version: state.protocol().min_writer_version,
-        writer_features: None,
-        reader_features: None,
-    }))
-    // metaData
-    .chain(std::iter::once(Action::Metadata(current_metadata.clone())))
-    // txns
-    .chain(
-        state
-            .app_transaction_version()
-            .iter()
-            .map(|(app_id, version)| {
-                Action::Txn(Txn {
-                    app_id: app_id.clone(),
-                    version: *version,
-                    last_updated: None,
-                })
-            }),
-    )
-    // removes
-    .chain(tombstones.iter().map(|r| {
-        let mut r = (*r).clone();
-
-        // As a "new writer", we should always set `extendedFileMetadata` when writing, and include/ignore the other three fields accordingly.
-        // https://github.com/delta-io/delta/blob/fb0452c2fb142310211c6d3604eefb767bb4a134/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/actions/actions.scala#L311-L314
-        if r.extended_file_metadata.is_none() {
-            r.extended_file_metadata = Some(false);
-        }
+    let jsons = std::iter::once(Action::Protocol(state.protocol().clone()))
+        // metaData
+        .chain(std::iter::once(Action::Metadata(current_metadata.clone())))
+        // txns
+        .chain(
+            state
+                .app_transaction_version()
+                .iter()
+                .map(|(app_id, version)| {
+                    Action::Txn(Txn {
+                        app_id: app_id.clone(),
+                        version: *version,
+                        last_updated: None,
+                    })
+                }),
+        )
+        // removes
+        .chain(tombstones.iter().map(|r| {
+            let mut r = (*r).clone();
+
+            // As a "new writer", we should always set `extendedFileMetadata` when writing, and include/ignore the other three fields accordingly.
+            // https://github.com/delta-io/delta/blob/fb0452c2fb142310211c6d3604eefb767bb4a134/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/actions/actions.scala#L311-L314
+            if r.extended_file_metadata.is_none() {
+                r.extended_file_metadata = Some(false);
+            }
 
-        Action::Remove(r)
-    }))
-    .map(|a| serde_json::to_value(a).map_err(ProtocolError::from))
-    // adds
-    .chain(files.iter().map(|f| {
-        checkpoint_add_from_state(f, partition_col_data_types.as_slice(), &stats_conversions)
-    }));
+            Action::Remove(r)
+        }))
+        .map(|a| serde_json::to_value(a).map_err(ProtocolError::from))
+        // adds
+        .chain(files.iter().map(|f| {
+            checkpoint_add_from_state(f, partition_col_data_types.as_slice(), &stats_conversions)
+        }));
 
     // Create the arrow schema that represents the Checkpoint parquet file.
     let arrow_schema = delta_log_schema_for_table(
diff --git a/python/tests/test_checkpoint.py b/python/tests/test_checkpoint.py
index fa1ae6a8ae..1cf4b45dd6 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_checkpoint.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_checkpoint.py
@@ -83,3 +83,25 @@ def test_cleanup_metadata_no_checkpoint(tmp_path: pathlib.Path, sample_data: pa.
     assert first_log_path.exists()
     assert second_log_path.exists()
     assert third_log_path.exists()
+
+
+def test_features_maintained_after_checkpoint(tmp_path: pathlib.Path):
+    from datetime import datetime
+
+    data = pa.table(
+        {
+            "timestamp": pa.array([datetime(2022, 1, 1)]),
+        }
+    )
+    write_deltalake(tmp_path, data)
+
+    dt = DeltaTable(tmp_path)
+    current_protocol = dt.protocol()
+
+    dt.create_checkpoint()
+
+    dt = DeltaTable(tmp_path)
+    protocol_after_checkpoint = dt.protocol()
+
+    assert protocol_after_checkpoint.reader_features == ["timestampNtz"]
+    assert current_protocol == protocol_after_checkpoint