diff --git a/src/v/iceberg/table_metadata_json.cc b/src/v/iceberg/table_metadata_json.cc
index 3216f0d53efef..990a8fb521130 100644
--- a/src/v/iceberg/table_metadata_json.cc
+++ b/src/v/iceberg/table_metadata_json.cc
@@ -73,18 +73,31 @@ null_order null_order_from_str(std::string_view s) {
       .match(null_order_to_str(null_order::nulls_last), null_order::nulls_last);
 }
 
+nested_field::id_t
+parse_source_id(const json::Value& v, std::string_view field_name) {
+    if (!v.IsInt()) {
+        throw std::invalid_argument(
+          fmt::format("Expected {} to be int: {}", field_name, v.GetType()));
+    }
+    return nested_field::id_t{v.GetInt()};
+}
+
 } // namespace
 
 sort_field parse_sort_field(const json::Value& v) {
     const auto& transform_str = parse_required_str(v, "transform");
     chunked_vector<nested_field::id_t> source_ids;
-    for (const auto& id_json : parse_required_array(v, "source-ids")) {
-        if (!id_json.IsInt()) {
-            throw std::invalid_argument(
-              fmt::format(
-                "Expected source-ids to be ints: {}", id_json.GetType()));
+    // The spec allows for either a single "source-id" or an array of
+    // "source-ids" for backwards compatibility with older spec versions. Handle
+    // both cases.
+    if (
+      const auto id_json = parse_optional(v, "source-id");
+      id_json.has_value()) {
+        source_ids.emplace_back(parse_source_id(id_json->get(), "source-id"));
+    } else {
+        for (const auto& id : parse_required_array(v, "source-ids")) {
+            source_ids.emplace_back(parse_source_id(id, "source-ids"));
         }
-        source_ids.emplace_back(nested_field::id_t{id_json.GetInt()});
     }
     auto direction = parse_required_str(v, "direction");
     auto null_order = parse_required_str(v, "null-order");
diff --git a/src/v/iceberg/tests/table_metadata_json_test.cc b/src/v/iceberg/tests/table_metadata_json_test.cc
index 588ebfdf86320..99168c7d5292a 100644
--- a/src/v/iceberg/tests/table_metadata_json_test.cc
+++ b/src/v/iceberg/tests/table_metadata_json_test.cc
@@ -238,6 +238,37 @@ TEST(TableMetadataJsonSerde, TestTableMetadataNoOptionals) {
     ASSERT_EQ(roundtrip, parsed);
 }
 
+// Regression test: the Iceberg spec defines a sort field's column reference as
+// a single "source-id" int. Some catalogs (and our own writer) emit the
+// "source-ids" array form; the parser must accept both.
+TEST(TableMetadataJsonSerde, TestParseSortFieldSourceIdSingular) {
+    const auto* const field_json = R"JSON({
+      "transform": "identity",
+      "source-id": 5,
+      "direction": "asc",
+      "null-order": "nulls-first"
+    })JSON";
+    json::Document doc;
+    doc.Parse(field_json);
+    const auto parsed = parse_sort_field(doc);
+    ASSERT_EQ(1, parsed.source_ids.size());
+    EXPECT_EQ(nested_field::id_t{5}, parsed.source_ids[0]);
+    EXPECT_EQ(sort_direction::asc, parsed.direction);
+    EXPECT_EQ(null_order::nulls_first, parsed.null_order);
+}
+
+TEST(TableMetadataJsonSerde, TestParseSortFieldSourceIdNotInt) {
+    const auto* const field_json = R"JSON({
+      "transform": "identity",
+      "source-id": "five",
+      "direction": "asc",
+      "null-order": "nulls-first"
+    })JSON";
+    json::Document doc;
+    doc.Parse(field_json);
+    EXPECT_THROW(parse_sort_field(doc), std::invalid_argument);
+}
+
 TEST(TableMetadataJsonSerde, TestSchemaLookup) {
     const auto test_str = test_table_meta_json;
     json::Document parsed_orig_json;