diff --git a/test/s3tables/catalog/iceberg_catalog_test.go b/test/s3tables/catalog/iceberg_catalog_test.go
index 42efff29f..025a8bac7 100644
--- a/test/s3tables/catalog/iceberg_catalog_test.go
+++ b/test/s3tables/catalog/iceberg_catalog_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 package catalog
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
@@ -340,6 +341,163 @@ func TestStageCreateMissingNameReturnsBadRequest(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestStageCreateAndFinalizeFlow verifies staged create remains invisible until assert-create commit finalizes table creation.
+func TestStageCreateAndFinalizeFlow(t *testing.T) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		t.Skip("Skipping integration test in short mode")
+	}
+
+	env := NewTestEnvironment(t)
+	defer env.Cleanup(t)
+
+	env.StartSeaweedFS(t)
+	createTableBucket(t, env, "warehouse")
+
+	namespace := "stage_ns"
+	tableName := "orders"
+
+	status, _, err := doIcebergJSONRequest(env, http.MethodPost, "/v1/namespaces", map[string]any{
+		"namespace": []string{namespace},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Create namespace request failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if status != http.StatusOK && status != http.StatusConflict {
+		t.Fatalf("Create namespace status = %d, want 200 or 409", status)
+	}
+
+	status, stageResp, err := doIcebergJSONRequest(env, http.MethodPost, fmt.Sprintf("/v1/namespaces/%s/tables", namespace), map[string]any{
+		"name":         tableName,
+		"stage-create": true,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Stage create request failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if status != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("Stage create status = %d, want 200", status)
+	}
+	stageLocation, _ := stageResp["metadata-location"].(string)
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(stageLocation, "/metadata/v1.metadata.json") {
+		t.Fatalf("stage metadata-location = %q, want suffix /metadata/v1.metadata.json", stageLocation)
+	}
+
+	status, _, err = doIcebergJSONRequest(env, http.MethodGet, fmt.Sprintf("/v1/namespaces/%s/tables/%s", namespace, tableName), nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Load staged table request failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if status != http.StatusNotFound {
+		t.Fatalf("Load staged table status = %d, want 404", status)
+	}
+
+	status, commitResp, err := doIcebergJSONRequest(env, http.MethodPost, fmt.Sprintf("/v1/namespaces/%s/tables/%s", namespace, tableName), map[string]any{
+		"requirements": []map[string]any{
+			{"type": "assert-create"},
+		},
+		"updates": []any{},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Finalize commit request failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if status != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("Finalize commit status = %d, want 200", status)
+	}
+	commitLocation, _ := commitResp["metadata-location"].(string)
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(commitLocation, "/metadata/v2.metadata.json") {
+		t.Fatalf("final metadata-location = %q, want suffix /metadata/v2.metadata.json", commitLocation)
+	}
+
+	status, loadResp, err := doIcebergJSONRequest(env, http.MethodGet, fmt.Sprintf("/v1/namespaces/%s/tables/%s", namespace, tableName), nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Load finalized table request failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if status != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("Load finalized table status = %d, want 200", status)
+	}
+	loadLocation, _ := loadResp["metadata-location"].(string)
+	if loadLocation != commitLocation {
+		t.Fatalf("loaded metadata-location = %q, want %q", loadLocation, commitLocation)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCommitMissingTableWithoutAssertCreate ensures missing-table commits still require assert-create for creation.
+func TestCommitMissingTableWithoutAssertCreate(t *testing.T) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		t.Skip("Skipping integration test in short mode")
+	}
+
+	env := NewTestEnvironment(t)
+	defer env.Cleanup(t)
+
+	env.StartSeaweedFS(t)
+	createTableBucket(t, env, "warehouse")
+
+	namespace := "stage_missing_assert_ns"
+	tableName := "missing_table"
+
+	status, _, err := doIcebergJSONRequest(env, http.MethodPost, "/v1/namespaces", map[string]any{
+		"namespace": []string{namespace},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Create namespace request failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if status != http.StatusOK && status != http.StatusConflict {
+		t.Fatalf("Create namespace status = %d, want 200 or 409", status)
+	}
+
+	status, _, err = doIcebergJSONRequest(env, http.MethodPost, fmt.Sprintf("/v1/namespaces/%s/tables/%s", namespace, tableName), map[string]any{
+		"requirements": []any{},
+		"updates":      []any{},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Commit missing table request failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if status != http.StatusNotFound {
+		t.Fatalf("Commit missing table status = %d, want 404", status)
+	}
+}
+
+func doIcebergJSONRequest(env *TestEnvironment, method, path string, payload any) (int, map[string]any, error) {
+	url := env.IcebergURL() + path
+
+	var bodyReader io.Reader
+	if payload != nil {
+		data, err := json.Marshal(payload)
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0, nil, err
+		}
+		bodyReader = bytes.NewReader(data)
+	}
+
+	req, err := http.NewRequest(method, url, bodyReader)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, nil, err
+	}
+	if payload != nil {
+		req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	}
+
+	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, nil, err
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+	data, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return resp.StatusCode, nil, err
+	}
+
+	if len(data) == 0 {
+		return resp.StatusCode, nil, nil
+	}
+
+	var decoded map[string]any
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &decoded); err != nil {
+		return resp.StatusCode, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to decode %s %s response: %w body=%s", method, path, err, string(data))
+	}
+	return resp.StatusCode, decoded, nil
+}
+
 // createTableBucket creates a table bucket via the S3Tables REST API
 func createTableBucket(t *testing.T, env *TestEnvironment, bucketName string) {
 	t.Helper()