diff --git a/phoenix-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/phoenix/index/IndexMaintainer.java b/phoenix-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/phoenix/index/IndexMaintainer.java
index ec7fc73b676..b3ea9856e97 100644
--- a/phoenix-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/phoenix/index/IndexMaintainer.java
+++ b/phoenix-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/phoenix/index/IndexMaintainer.java
@@ -397,6 +397,7 @@ public static IndexMaintainer getIndexMaintainer(List<IndexMaintainer> maintaine
     private RowKeyMetaData rowKeyMetaData;
     private byte[] indexTableName;
     private int nIndexSaltBuckets;
+    private int nDataTableSaltBuckets;
     private byte[] dataEmptyKeyValueCF;
     private ImmutableBytesPtr emptyKeyValueCFPtr;
     private int nDataCFs;
@@ -470,6 +471,7 @@ private IndexMaintainer(final PTable dataTable, final PTable cdcTable, final PTa
         this.immutableStorageScheme = index.getImmutableStorageScheme() == null ? ImmutableStorageScheme.ONE_CELL_PER_COLUMN : index.getImmutableStorageScheme();
         this.dataEncodingScheme = dataTable.getEncodingScheme() == null ? QualifierEncodingScheme.NON_ENCODED_QUALIFIERS : dataTable.getEncodingScheme();
         this.dataImmutableStorageScheme = dataTable.getImmutableStorageScheme() == null ? ImmutableStorageScheme.ONE_CELL_PER_COLUMN : dataTable.getImmutableStorageScheme();
+        this.nDataTableSaltBuckets = isDataTableSalted ? dataTable.getBucketNum() : PTable.NO_SALTING;
 
         byte[] indexTableName = index.getPhysicalName().getBytes();
         // Use this for the nDataSaltBuckets as we need this for local indexes
@@ -538,7 +540,7 @@ private IndexMaintainer(final PTable dataTable, final PTable cdcTable, final PTa
         this.indexedColumnTypes = Lists.<PDataType>newArrayListWithExpectedSize(nIndexPKColumns-nDataPKColumns);
         this.indexedExpressions = Lists.newArrayListWithExpectedSize(nIndexPKColumns-nDataPKColumns);
         this.coveredColumnsMap = Maps.newHashMapWithExpectedSize(nIndexColumns - nIndexPKColumns);
-        this.nIndexSaltBuckets  = nIndexSaltBuckets == null ? 0 : nIndexSaltBuckets;
+        this.nIndexSaltBuckets  = nIndexSaltBuckets == null ? PTable.NO_SALTING : nIndexSaltBuckets;
         this.dataEmptyKeyValueCF = SchemaUtil.getEmptyColumnFamily(dataTable);
         this.emptyKeyValueCFPtr = SchemaUtil.getEmptyColumnFamilyPtr(index);
         this.nDataCFs = dataTable.getColumnFamilies().size();
@@ -918,14 +920,11 @@ public byte[] buildDataRowKey(ImmutableBytesWritable indexRowKeyPtr, byte[][] vi
                 length--;
                 trailingVariableWidthColumnNum--;
             }
-            // TODO: need to capture nDataSaltBuckets instead of just a boolean. For now,
-            // we store this in nIndexSaltBuckets, as we only use this function for local indexes
-            // in which case nIndexSaltBuckets would never be used. Note that when we do add this
-            // to be serialized, we have to add it at the end and allow for the value not being
-            // there to maintain compatibility between an old client and a new server.
             if (isDataTableSalted) {
                 // Set salt byte
-                byte saltByte = SaltingUtil.getSaltingByte(dataRowKey, SaltingUtil.NUM_SALTING_BYTES, length-SaltingUtil.NUM_SALTING_BYTES, nIndexSaltBuckets);
+                byte saltByte = SaltingUtil.getSaltingByte(dataRowKey,
+                        SaltingUtil.NUM_SALTING_BYTES, length-SaltingUtil.NUM_SALTING_BYTES,
+                        nDataTableSaltBuckets);
                 dataRowKey[0] = saltByte;
             }
             return dataRowKey.length == length ? dataRowKey : Arrays.copyOf(dataRowKey, length);
@@ -1789,6 +1788,8 @@ public static IndexMaintainer fromProto(ServerCachingProtos.IndexMaintainer prot
         } else {
             maintainer.isCDCIndex = false;
         }
+        maintainer.nDataTableSaltBuckets = proto.hasDataTableSaltBuckets() ?
+                proto.getDataTableSaltBuckets() : -1;
         maintainer.initCachedState();
         return maintainer;
     }
@@ -1933,6 +1934,9 @@ public static ServerCachingProtos.IndexMaintainer toProto(IndexMaintainer mainta
             }
         }
         builder.setIsCDCIndex(maintainer.isCDCIndex);
+        if (maintainer.isDataTableSalted) {
+            builder.setDataTableSaltBuckets(maintainer.nDataTableSaltBuckets);
+        }
         return builder.build();
     }
 
diff --git a/phoenix-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/phoenix/schema/PTable.java b/phoenix-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/phoenix/schema/PTable.java
index d1d7d5227f4..c51292a8ae8 100644
--- a/phoenix-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/phoenix/schema/PTable.java
+++ b/phoenix-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/phoenix/schema/PTable.java
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ public interface PTable extends PMetaDataEntity {
     public static final String IS_IMMUTABLE_ROWS_PROP_NAME = "IMMUTABLE_ROWS";
     public static final boolean DEFAULT_DISABLE_WAL = false;
     public static final boolean DEFAULT_IMMUTABLE_ROWS = false;
+    static final Integer NO_SALTING = -1;
 
     public enum ViewType {
         MAPPED((byte)1),
diff --git a/phoenix-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/phoenix/schema/PTableImpl.java b/phoenix-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/phoenix/schema/PTableImpl.java
index b056db84f97..a94b7d3d33b 100644
--- a/phoenix-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/phoenix/schema/PTableImpl.java
+++ b/phoenix-core-client/src/main/java/org/apache/phoenix/schema/PTableImpl.java
@@ -142,7 +142,6 @@
  * @since 0.1
  */
 public class PTableImpl implements PTable {
-    private static final Integer NO_SALTING = -1;
     private static final int VIEW_MODIFIED_UPDATE_CACHE_FREQUENCY_BIT_SET_POS = 0;
     private static final int VIEW_MODIFIED_USE_STATS_FOR_PARALLELIZATION_BIT_SET_POS = 1;
     private static final int VIEW_MODIFIED_PHOENIX_TTL_BIT_SET_POS = 2;
diff --git a/phoenix-core-client/src/main/protobuf/ServerCachingService.proto b/phoenix-core-client/src/main/protobuf/ServerCachingService.proto
index c28695ff7dd..d8e19455273 100644
--- a/phoenix-core-client/src/main/protobuf/ServerCachingService.proto
+++ b/phoenix-core-client/src/main/protobuf/ServerCachingService.proto
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ message IndexMaintainer {
   optional bytes indexWhere = 29;
   repeated ColumnReference indexWhereColumns = 30;
   optional bool isCDCIndex = 31;
+  optional int32 dataTableSaltBuckets = 32;
 }
 
 message TransformMaintainer {