diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 02da8661eedea..2b8af8f12371a 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1883,6 +1883,7 @@ version = "53.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "arrow",
  "async-trait",
+ "chrono",
  "datafusion-catalog",
  "datafusion-common",
  "datafusion-datasource",
diff --git a/datafusion/catalog-listing/Cargo.toml b/datafusion/catalog-listing/Cargo.toml
index be1374b371485..61b55397137df 100644
--- a/datafusion/catalog-listing/Cargo.toml
+++ b/datafusion/catalog-listing/Cargo.toml
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ log = { workspace = true }
 object_store = { workspace = true }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
+chrono = { workspace = true }
 datafusion-datasource-parquet = { workspace = true }
 
 # Note: add additional linter rules in lib.rs.
diff --git a/datafusion/catalog-listing/src/helpers.rs b/datafusion/catalog-listing/src/helpers.rs
index 9c30028ddd547..62257ec027c6f 100644
--- a/datafusion/catalog-listing/src/helpers.rs
+++ b/datafusion/catalog-listing/src/helpers.rs
@@ -340,17 +340,25 @@ fn filter_partitions(
     Ok(None)
 }
 
+/// Returns `Ok(None)` when the file is not inside a valid partition path
+/// (e.g. a stale file in the table root directory). Such files are skipped
+/// because hive-style partition values are never null and there is no valid
+/// value to assign for non-partitioned files.
 fn try_into_partitioned_file(
     object_meta: ObjectMeta,
     partition_cols: &[(String, DataType)],
     table_path: &ListingTableUrl,
-) -> Result<PartitionedFile> {
+) -> Result<Option<PartitionedFile>> {
     let cols = partition_cols.iter().map(|(name, _)| name.as_str());
     let parsed = parse_partitions_for_path(table_path, &object_meta.location, cols);
 
+    let Some(parsed) = parsed else {
+        // parse_partitions_for_path already logs a debug message
+        return Ok(None);
+    };
+
     let partition_values = parsed
         .into_iter()
-        .flatten()
         .zip(partition_cols)
         .map(|(parsed, (_, datatype))| {
             ScalarValue::try_from_string(parsed.to_string(), datatype)
@@ -360,7 +368,7 @@ fn try_into_partitioned_file(
     let mut pf: PartitionedFile = object_meta.into();
     pf.partition_values = partition_values;
 
-    Ok(pf)
+    Ok(Some(pf))
 }
 
 /// Discover the partitions on the given path and prune out files
@@ -405,13 +413,15 @@ pub async fn pruned_partition_list<'a>(
         )?;
 
         Ok(objects
-            .map_ok(|object_meta| {
-                try_into_partitioned_file(object_meta, partition_cols, table_path)
+            .try_filter_map(|object_meta| {
+                futures::future::ready(try_into_partitioned_file(
+                    object_meta,
+                    partition_cols,
+                    table_path,
+                ))
             })
             .try_filter_map(move |pf| {
-                futures::future::ready(
-                    pf.and_then(|pf| filter_partitions(pf, filters, &df_schema)),
-                )
+                futures::future::ready(filter_partitions(pf, filters, &df_schema))
             })
             .boxed())
     }
@@ -574,6 +584,130 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_try_into_partitioned_file_valid_partition() {
+        let table_path = ListingTableUrl::parse("file:///bucket/mytable").unwrap();
+        let partition_cols = vec![("year_month".to_string(), DataType::Utf8)];
+        let meta = ObjectMeta {
+            location: Path::from("bucket/mytable/year_month=2024-01/data.parquet"),
+            last_modified: chrono::Utc::now(),
+            size: 100,
+            e_tag: None,
+            version: None,
+        };
+
+        let result =
+            try_into_partitioned_file(meta, &partition_cols, &table_path).unwrap();
+        assert!(result.is_some());
+        let pf = result.unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(pf.partition_values.len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(
+            pf.partition_values[0],
+            ScalarValue::Utf8(Some("2024-01".to_string()))
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_try_into_partitioned_file_root_file_skipped() {
+        // File in root directory (not inside any partition path) should be
+        // skipped — this is the case where a stale file exists from before
+        // hive partitioning was added.
+        let table_path = ListingTableUrl::parse("file:///bucket/mytable").unwrap();
+        let partition_cols = vec![("year_month".to_string(), DataType::Utf8)];
+        let meta = ObjectMeta {
+            location: Path::from("bucket/mytable/data.parquet"),
+            last_modified: chrono::Utc::now(),
+            size: 100,
+            e_tag: None,
+            version: None,
+        };
+
+        let result =
+            try_into_partitioned_file(meta, &partition_cols, &table_path).unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            result.is_none(),
+            "Files outside partition structure should be skipped"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_try_into_partitioned_file_wrong_partition_name() {
+        // File in a directory that doesn't match the expected partition column
+        let table_path = ListingTableUrl::parse("file:///bucket/mytable").unwrap();
+        let partition_cols = vec![("year_month".to_string(), DataType::Utf8)];
+        let meta = ObjectMeta {
+            location: Path::from("bucket/mytable/wrong_col=2024-01/data.parquet"),
+            last_modified: chrono::Utc::now(),
+            size: 100,
+            e_tag: None,
+            version: None,
+        };
+
+        let result =
+            try_into_partitioned_file(meta, &partition_cols, &table_path).unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            result.is_none(),
+            "Files with wrong partition column name should be skipped"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_try_into_partitioned_file_multiple_partitions() {
+        let table_path = ListingTableUrl::parse("file:///bucket/mytable").unwrap();
+        let partition_cols = vec![
+            ("year".to_string(), DataType::Utf8),
+            ("month".to_string(), DataType::Utf8),
+        ];
+        let meta = ObjectMeta {
+            location: Path::from("bucket/mytable/year=2024/month=01/data.parquet"),
+            last_modified: chrono::Utc::now(),
+            size: 100,
+            e_tag: None,
+            version: None,
+        };
+
+        let result =
+            try_into_partitioned_file(meta, &partition_cols, &table_path).unwrap();
+        assert!(result.is_some());
+        let pf = result.unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(pf.partition_values.len(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(
+            pf.partition_values[0],
+            ScalarValue::Utf8(Some("2024".to_string()))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            pf.partition_values[1],
+            ScalarValue::Utf8(Some("01".to_string()))
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_try_into_partitioned_file_partial_partition_skipped() {
+        // File has first partition but not second — should be skipped
+        let table_path = ListingTableUrl::parse("file:///bucket/mytable").unwrap();
+        let partition_cols = vec![
+            ("year".to_string(), DataType::Utf8),
+            ("month".to_string(), DataType::Utf8),
+        ];
+        let meta = ObjectMeta {
+            location: Path::from("bucket/mytable/year=2024/data.parquet"),
+            last_modified: chrono::Utc::now(),
+            size: 100,
+            e_tag: None,
+            version: None,
+        };
+
+        let result =
+            try_into_partitioned_file(meta, &partition_cols, &table_path).unwrap();
+        // File has year=2024 but no month= directory — parse_partitions_for_path
+        // returns None because the path component "data.parquet" doesn't match
+        // the expected "month=..." pattern.
+        assert!(
+            result.is_none(),
+            "Files with incomplete partition structure should be skipped"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_expr_applicable_for_cols() {
         assert!(expr_applicable_for_cols(
diff --git a/datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/listing_table_partitions.slt b/datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/listing_table_partitions.slt
index 52433429cfe80..5df78b674fe8d 100644
--- a/datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/listing_table_partitions.slt
+++ b/datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/listing_table_partitions.slt
@@ -73,3 +73,70 @@ foo
 
 statement count 0
 set datafusion.execution.listing_table_factory_infer_partitions = true;
+
+# Test: files outside partition structure are skipped
+# This simulates a table that transitioned from non-partitioned to
+# hive-partitioned storage, leaving a stale file in the root directory.
+
+# Create partitioned files first
+query I
+copy (values(1, 'alice'), (2, 'bob'))
+to 'test_files/scratch/listing_table_partitions/root_file_skipped/year=2024/data.parquet';
+----
+2
+
+query I
+copy (values(3, 'charlie'))
+to 'test_files/scratch/listing_table_partitions/root_file_skipped/year=2025/data.parquet';
+----
+1
+
+# Create the table before adding the stale root file, so partition
+# inference succeeds (it only runs at CREATE TABLE time).
+statement count 0
+create external table root_file_test
+stored as parquet
+location 'test_files/scratch/listing_table_partitions/root_file_skipped/';
+
+# Now add a stale root-level file (outside any partition directory).
+# This simulates a file left over from before partitioning was added.
+query I
+copy (values(99, 'stale'))
+to 'test_files/scratch/listing_table_partitions/root_file_skipped/stale.parquet';
+----
+1
+
+# The root file should be skipped — only partitioned files are included
+query IT
+select column1, column2 from root_file_test order by column1;
+----
+1 alice
+2 bob
+3 charlie
+
+# Partition column should be accessible
+query ITT
+select column1, column2, year from root_file_test order by column1;
+----
+1 alice 2024
+2 bob 2024
+3 charlie 2025
+
+# Partition filter should work
+query ITT
+select column1, column2, year from root_file_test where year = '2025';
+----
+3 charlie 2025
+
+# COUNT should not include the root file's rows
+query I
+select count(*) from root_file_test;
+----
+3
+
+# GROUP BY partition column should work
+query TI
+select year, count(*) from root_file_test group by year order by year;
+----
+2024 2
+2025 1