diff --git a/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/table/HoodieTable.java b/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/table/HoodieTable.java
index aa521fcc3e551..b37fa0302a051 100644
--- a/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/table/HoodieTable.java
+++ b/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/table/HoodieTable.java
@@ -837,8 +837,12 @@ private void validateSchema() throws HoodieUpsertException, HoodieInsertExceptio
 
     try {
       TableSchemaResolver schemaResolver = new TableSchemaResolver(getMetaClient());
+      Option<Schema> existingTableSchema = schemaResolver.getTableAvroSchemaIfPresent(false);
+      if (!existingTableSchema.isPresent()) {
+        return;
+      }
       Schema writerSchema = HoodieAvroUtils.createHoodieWriteSchema(config.getSchema());
-      Schema tableSchema = HoodieAvroUtils.createHoodieWriteSchema(schemaResolver.getTableAvroSchema(false));
+      Schema tableSchema = HoodieAvroUtils.createHoodieWriteSchema(existingTableSchema.get());
       AvroSchemaUtils.checkSchemaCompatible(tableSchema, writerSchema, shouldValidate, allowProjection, getDropPartitionColNames());
     } catch (Exception e) {
       throw new HoodieException("Failed to read schema/check compatibility for base path " + metaClient.getBasePath(), e);
diff --git a/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/TableSchemaResolver.java b/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/TableSchemaResolver.java
index 9b31a51d92504..02b1ef352515b 100644
--- a/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/TableSchemaResolver.java
+++ b/hudi-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/common/table/TableSchemaResolver.java
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
+import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
 import static org.apache.hudi.avro.AvroSchemaUtils.appendFieldsToSchema;
 import static org.apache.hudi.avro.AvroSchemaUtils.containsFieldInSchema;
@@ -113,8 +114,12 @@ public TableSchemaResolver(HoodieTableMetaClient metaClient) {
     this.hasOperationField = Lazy.lazily(this::hasOperationField);
   }
 
-  public Schema getTableAvroSchemaFromDataFile() {
-    return convertParquetSchemaToAvro(getTableParquetSchemaFromDataFile());
+  public Schema getTableAvroSchemaFromDataFile() throws Exception {
+    return getTableAvroSchemaFromDataFileInternal().orElseThrow(schemaNotFoundError());
+  }
+
+  private Option<Schema> getTableAvroSchemaFromDataFileInternal() {
+    return getTableParquetSchemaFromDataFile().map(this::convertParquetSchemaToAvro);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -135,7 +140,7 @@ public Schema getTableAvroSchema() throws Exception {
    * @throws Exception
    */
   public Schema getTableAvroSchema(boolean includeMetadataFields) throws Exception {
-    return getTableAvroSchemaInternal(includeMetadataFields, Option.empty());
+    return getTableAvroSchemaInternal(includeMetadataFields, Option.empty()).orElseThrow(schemaNotFoundError());
   }
 
   /**
@@ -148,7 +153,8 @@ public Schema getTableAvroSchema(String timestamp) throws Exception {
         .filterCompletedInstants()
         .findInstantsBeforeOrEquals(timestamp)
         .lastInstant();
-    return getTableAvroSchemaInternal(metaClient.getTableConfig().populateMetaFields(), instant);
+    return getTableAvroSchemaInternal(metaClient.getTableConfig().populateMetaFields(), instant)
+        .orElseThrow(schemaNotFoundError());
   }
 
   /**
@@ -157,7 +163,7 @@ public Schema getTableAvroSchema(String timestamp) throws Exception {
    * @param instant as of which table's schema will be fetched
    */
   public Schema getTableAvroSchema(HoodieInstant instant, boolean includeMetadataFields) throws Exception {
-    return getTableAvroSchemaInternal(includeMetadataFields, Option.of(instant));
+    return getTableAvroSchemaInternal(includeMetadataFields, Option.of(instant)).orElseThrow(schemaNotFoundError());
   }
 
   /**
@@ -188,11 +194,15 @@ public MessageType getTableParquetSchema(boolean includeMetadataField) throws Ex
    */
   @Deprecated
   public Schema getTableAvroSchemaWithoutMetadataFields() throws Exception {
-    return getTableAvroSchema(false);
+    return getTableAvroSchemaInternal(false, Option.empty()).orElseThrow(schemaNotFoundError());
+  }
+
+  public Option<Schema> getTableAvroSchemaIfPresent(boolean includeMetadataFields) {
+    return getTableAvroSchemaInternal(includeMetadataFields, Option.empty());
   }
 
-  private Schema getTableAvroSchemaInternal(boolean includeMetadataFields, Option<HoodieInstant> instantOpt) {
-    Schema schema =
+  private Option<Schema> getTableAvroSchemaInternal(boolean includeMetadataFields, Option<HoodieInstant> instantOpt) {
+    Option<Schema> schema =
         (instantOpt.isPresent()
             ? getTableSchemaFromCommitMetadata(instantOpt.get(), includeMetadataFields)
             : getTableSchemaFromLatestCommitMetadata(includeMetadataFields))
@@ -203,18 +213,18 @@ private Schema getTableAvroSchemaInternal(boolean includeMetadataFields, Option<
                             ? HoodieAvroUtils.addMetadataFields(tableSchema, hasOperationField.get())
                             : tableSchema)
             )
-            .orElseGet(() -> {
-              Schema schemaFromDataFile = getTableAvroSchemaFromDataFile();
+            .or(() -> {
+              Option<Schema> schemaFromDataFile = getTableAvroSchemaFromDataFileInternal();
               return includeMetadataFields
                   ? schemaFromDataFile
-                  : HoodieAvroUtils.removeMetadataFields(schemaFromDataFile);
+                  : schemaFromDataFile.map(HoodieAvroUtils::removeMetadataFields);
             });
 
     // TODO partition columns have to be appended in all read-paths
-    if (metaClient.getTableConfig().shouldDropPartitionColumns()) {
+    if (metaClient.getTableConfig().shouldDropPartitionColumns() && schema.isPresent()) {
       return metaClient.getTableConfig().getPartitionFields()
-          .map(partitionFields -> appendPartitionColumns(schema, Option.ofNullable(partitionFields)))
-          .orElse(schema);
+          .map(partitionFields -> appendPartitionColumns(schema.get(), Option.ofNullable(partitionFields)))
+          .or(() -> schema);
     }
 
     return schema;
@@ -257,7 +267,7 @@ private Option<Schema> getTableSchemaFromCommitMetadata(HoodieInstant instant, b
   /**
    * Fetches the schema for a table from any the table's data files
    */
-  private MessageType getTableParquetSchemaFromDataFile() {
+  private Option<MessageType> getTableParquetSchemaFromDataFile() {
     Option<Pair<HoodieInstant, HoodieCommitMetadata>> instantAndCommitMetadata = getLatestCommitMetadataWithValidData();
     try {
       switch (metaClient.getTableType()) {
@@ -270,10 +280,11 @@ private MessageType getTableParquetSchemaFromDataFile() {
           if (instantAndCommitMetadata.isPresent()) {
             HoodieCommitMetadata commitMetadata = instantAndCommitMetadata.get().getRight();
             Iterator<String> filePaths = commitMetadata.getFileIdAndFullPaths(metaClient.getBasePathV2()).values().iterator();
-            return fetchSchemaFromFiles(filePaths);
+            return Option.of(fetchSchemaFromFiles(filePaths));
           } else {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Could not find any data file written for commit, "
+            LOG.warn("Could not find any data file written for commit, "
                 + "so could not get schema for table " + metaClient.getBasePath());
+            return Option.empty();
           }
         default:
           LOG.error("Unknown table type " + metaClient.getTableType());
@@ -308,7 +319,7 @@ private MessageType convertAvroSchemaToParquet(Schema schema) {
    */
   public Option<Schema> getTableAvroSchemaFromLatestCommit(boolean includeMetadataFields) throws Exception {
     if (metaClient.isTimelineNonEmpty()) {
-      return Option.of(getTableAvroSchemaInternal(includeMetadataFields, Option.empty()));
+      return getTableAvroSchemaInternal(includeMetadataFields, Option.empty());
     }
 
     return Option.empty();
@@ -569,4 +580,8 @@ public static Schema appendPartitionColumns(Schema dataSchema, Option<String[]>
 
     return dataSchema;
   }
+
+  private Supplier<Exception> schemaNotFoundError() {
+    return () -> new IllegalArgumentException("No schema found for table at " + metaClient.getBasePathV2().toString());
+  }
 }
diff --git a/hudi-flink-datasource/hudi-flink/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/util/CompactionUtil.java b/hudi-flink-datasource/hudi-flink/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/util/CompactionUtil.java
index 7780204ae3d24..13b93d4c11fa9 100644
--- a/hudi-flink-datasource/hudi-flink/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/util/CompactionUtil.java
+++ b/hudi-flink-datasource/hudi-flink/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/util/CompactionUtil.java
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ public static void setPreCombineField(Configuration conf, HoodieTableMetaClient
    * @param conf The configuration
    * @param metaClient The meta client
    */
-  public static void inferChangelogMode(Configuration conf, HoodieTableMetaClient metaClient) {
+  public static void inferChangelogMode(Configuration conf, HoodieTableMetaClient metaClient) throws Exception {
     TableSchemaResolver tableSchemaResolver = new TableSchemaResolver(metaClient);
     Schema tableAvroSchema = tableSchemaResolver.getTableAvroSchemaFromDataFile();
     if (tableAvroSchema.getField(HoodieRecord.OPERATION_METADATA_FIELD) != null) {
diff --git a/hudi-utilities/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/utilities/streamer/StreamSync.java b/hudi-utilities/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/utilities/streamer/StreamSync.java
index 6626084aa2bdf..2adfbc1c1022d 100644
--- a/hudi-utilities/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/utilities/streamer/StreamSync.java
+++ b/hudi-utilities/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/utilities/streamer/StreamSync.java
@@ -1141,10 +1141,11 @@ private Schema getSchemaForWriteConfig(Schema targetSchema) {
               .build();
           int totalCompleted = meta.getActiveTimeline().getCommitsTimeline().filterCompletedInstants().countInstants();
           if (totalCompleted > 0) {
-            try {
-              TableSchemaResolver schemaResolver = new TableSchemaResolver(meta);
-              newWriteSchema = schemaResolver.getTableAvroSchema(false);
-            } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            TableSchemaResolver schemaResolver = new TableSchemaResolver(meta);
+            Option<Schema> tableSchema = schemaResolver.getTableAvroSchemaIfPresent(false);
+            if (tableSchema.isPresent()) {
+              newWriteSchema = tableSchema.get();
+            } else {
               LOG.warn("Could not fetch schema from table. Falling back to using target schema from schema provider");
             }
           }