diff --git a/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/mod.rs b/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/mod.rs
index 6145df65032e..d1a5235c7523 100644
--- a/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/mod.rs
+++ b/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/mod.rs
@@ -716,18 +716,21 @@ impl protobuf::PhysicalPlanNode {
             })?;
 
         let filter_selectivity = filter.default_filter_selectivity.try_into();
-        let projection = if !filter.projection.is_empty() {
-            Some(
-                filter
-                    .projection
-                    .iter()
-                    .map(|i| *i as usize)
-                    .collect::<Vec<_>>(),
-            )
-        } else {
+        // Determine if the projection is full to optimize used memory,
+        // storing `None` in this case.
+        let num_fields = input.schema().fields().len();
+        let mut is_full_projection = filter.projection.len() == num_fields;
+        let mut projection_vec: Vec<usize> = Vec::with_capacity(filter.projection.len());
+        for (i, idx) in filter.projection.iter().enumerate() {
+            let idx = *idx as usize;
+            is_full_projection &= idx == i;
+            projection_vec.push(idx);
+        }
+        let projection = if is_full_projection {
             None
+        } else {
+            Some(projection_vec)
         };
-
         let filter = FilterExecBuilder::new(predicate, input)
             .apply_projection(projection)?
             .with_batch_size(filter.batch_size as usize)
@@ -2339,9 +2342,12 @@ impl protobuf::PhysicalPlanNode {
                             .physical_expr_to_proto(exec.predicate(), codec)?,
                     ),
                     default_filter_selectivity: exec.default_selectivity() as u32,
-                    projection: exec.projection().as_ref().map_or_else(Vec::new, |v| {
-                        v.iter().map(|x| *x as u32).collect::<Vec<u32>>()
-                    }),
+                    projection: match exec.projection() {
+                        None => (0..exec.input().schema().fields().len())
+                            .map(|i| i as u32)
+                            .collect(),
+                        Some(v) => v.iter().map(|x| *x as u32).collect(),
+                    },
                     batch_size: exec.batch_size() as u32,
                     fetch: exec.fetch().map(|f| f as u32),
                 },
diff --git a/datafusion/proto/tests/cases/roundtrip_physical_plan.rs b/datafusion/proto/tests/cases/roundtrip_physical_plan.rs
index e7d38b57a152..65b16079c9e6 100644
--- a/datafusion/proto/tests/cases/roundtrip_physical_plan.rs
+++ b/datafusion/proto/tests/cases/roundtrip_physical_plan.rs
@@ -3681,3 +3681,63 @@ async fn roundtrip_issue_18602_complex_filter_decode_recursion() -> Result<()> {
 
     roundtrip_test_sql_with_context(sql, &ctx).await
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn test_filter_exec_projection_serde_roundtrip() -> Result<()> {
+    let ctx = SessionContext::new();
+    let codec = DefaultPhysicalExtensionCodec {};
+
+    let schema = Arc::new(Schema::new(vec![
+        Field::new("a", DataType::Int32, false),
+        Field::new("b", DataType::Int32, false),
+        Field::new("c", DataType::Int32, false),
+    ]));
+
+    let input: Arc<dyn ExecutionPlan> = Arc::new(EmptyExec::new(Arc::clone(&schema)));
+
+    let predicate: Arc<dyn PhysicalExpr> = Arc::new(BinaryExpr::new(
+        Arc::new(Column::new("a", 0)),
+        Operator::Gt,
+        Arc::new(Literal::new(ScalarValue::Int32(Some(0)))),
+    ));
+
+    // Case 1: None -> should round-trip as None (return all columns)
+    let filter =
+        FilterExecBuilder::new(Arc::clone(&predicate), Arc::clone(&input)).build()?;
+    let proto = PhysicalPlanNode::try_from_physical_plan(Arc::new(filter) as _, &codec)?;
+    let roundtripped = proto.try_into_physical_plan(ctx.task_ctx().as_ref(), &codec)?;
+    let rt = roundtripped.as_ref().downcast_ref::<FilterExec>().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        rt.projection().as_deref(),
+        None,
+        "None projection must stay None after roundtrip"
+    );
+
+    // Case 2: Some(vec![]) -> must survive as Some([]), NOT silently become None
+    let filter = FilterExecBuilder::new(Arc::clone(&predicate), Arc::clone(&input))
+        .apply_projection(Some(vec![]))?
+        .build()?;
+    let proto = PhysicalPlanNode::try_from_physical_plan(Arc::new(filter) as _, &codec)?;
+    let roundtripped = proto.try_into_physical_plan(ctx.task_ctx().as_ref(), &codec)?;
+    let rt = roundtripped.as_ref().downcast_ref::<FilterExec>().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        rt.projection().as_deref(),
+        Some(&[][..]),
+        "Empty projection Some([]) must survive roundtrip, not become None"
+    );
+
+    // Case 3: Some(vec![2, 0]) -> partial projection must survive
+    let filter = FilterExecBuilder::new(Arc::clone(&predicate), Arc::clone(&input))
+        .apply_projection(Some(vec![2, 0]))?
+        .build()?;
+    let proto = PhysicalPlanNode::try_from_physical_plan(Arc::new(filter) as _, &codec)?;
+    let roundtripped = proto.try_into_physical_plan(ctx.task_ctx().as_ref(), &codec)?;
+    let rt = roundtripped.as_ref().downcast_ref::<FilterExec>().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        rt.projection().as_deref(),
+        Some(&[2_usize, 0_usize][..]),
+        "Partial projection must survive roundtrip"
+    );
+
+    Ok(())
+}