diff --git a/sql/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/sql/calcite/schema/SegmentMetadataCache.java b/sql/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/sql/calcite/schema/SegmentMetadataCache.java
index 381f0ff4afd..cd52fc7e577 100644
--- a/sql/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/sql/calcite/schema/SegmentMetadataCache.java
+++ b/sql/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/sql/calcite/schema/SegmentMetadataCache.java
@@ -961,6 +961,9 @@ public class SegmentMetadataCache
         // likelyhood of upgrading from some version lower than 0.23 is low
         try {
           valueType = ColumnType.fromString(entry.getValue().getType());
+          if (valueType == null) {
+            valueType = ColumnType.ofComplex(entry.getValue().getType());
+          }
         }
         catch (IllegalArgumentException ignored) {
           valueType = ColumnType.UNKNOWN_COMPLEX;
diff --git a/sql/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/sql/calcite/schema/SegmentMetadataCacheTest.java b/sql/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/sql/calcite/schema/SegmentMetadataCacheTest.java
index b5414905489..5a52ab67387 100644
--- a/sql/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/sql/calcite/schema/SegmentMetadataCacheTest.java
+++ b/sql/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/sql/calcite/schema/SegmentMetadataCacheTest.java
@@ -1417,9 +1417,21 @@ public class SegmentMetadataCacheTest extends SegmentMetadataCacheCommon
                         false,
                         true,
                         1234,
-                        26,
-                        "a",
-                        "z",
+                        null,
+                        null,
+                        null,
+                        null
+                    ),
+                    "distinct",
+                    new ColumnAnalysis(
+                        null,
+                        "hyperUnique",
+                        false,
+                        true,
+                        1234,
+                        null,
+                        null,
+                        null,
                         null
                     )
                 )
@@ -1433,7 +1445,7 @@ public class SegmentMetadataCacheTest extends SegmentMetadataCacheCommon
         )
     );
     Assert.assertEquals(
-        RowSignature.builder().add("a", ColumnType.STRING).add("count", ColumnType.LONG).build(),
+        RowSignature.builder().add("a", ColumnType.STRING).add("count", ColumnType.LONG).add("distinct", ColumnType.ofComplex("hyperUnique")).build(),
         signature
     );
   }