diff --git a/weed/s3api/s3tables/iceberg_layout.go b/weed/s3api/s3tables/iceberg_layout.go
index 00c2030285..1e21f8c41f 100644
--- a/weed/s3api/s3tables/iceberg_layout.go
+++ b/weed/s3api/s3tables/iceberg_layout.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 // - metadata/v*.metadata.json (table metadata)
 // - metadata/snap-*.avro (snapshot manifest lists)
 // - metadata/*.avro (manifest files)
+// - metadata/*.stats, metadata/*.puffin (statistics files)
 // - data/*.parquet, *.orc, *.avro, *.puffin (data files)
 
 const uuidPattern = `[a-f0-9]{8}-[a-f0-9]{4}-[a-f0-9]{4}-[a-f0-9]{4}-[a-f0-9]{12}`
@@ -68,6 +69,9 @@ var (
 		// whose naming we can't anticipate across engines and versions.
 		regexp.MustCompile(`^[A-Za-z0-9._-]+\.avro$`),
 		regexp.MustCompile(`^[A-Za-z0-9._-]+\.metadata\.json$`),
+		// Table and partition statistics files listed in the table metadata
+		// are Puffin files; engines name them *.stats or *.puffin.
+		regexp.MustCompile(`^[A-Za-z0-9._-]+\.puffin$`),
 	}
 
 	// Patterns for valid data files
diff --git a/weed/s3api/s3tables/iceberg_layout_test.go b/weed/s3api/s3tables/iceberg_layout_test.go
index 855361297f..88d97ee8a6 100644
--- a/weed/s3api/s3tables/iceberg_layout_test.go
+++ b/weed/s3api/s3tables/iceberg_layout_test.go
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ func TestIcebergLayoutValidator_AcceptsRealWorldManifestNames(t *testing.T) {
 			"trino/iceberg stats file",
 			"metadata/table.stats",
 		},
+		{
+			"puffin statistics file",
+			"metadata/20260928-1-0199a3c2-7d1e-7c55-9a0e-3b1f2c4d5e6f.puffin",
+		},
 	}
 
 	v := NewIcebergLayoutValidator()
@@ -70,6 +74,8 @@ func TestIcebergLayoutValidator_RejectsClearlyBadMetadataNames(t *testing.T) {
 		{"subdirectory under metadata is not allowed", "metadata/sub/file.avro"},
 		{"top-level dir other than metadata or data", "garbage/file.avro"},
 		{"catch-all anchors must reject trailing extension", "metadata/file.avro.txt"},
+		{"puffin with a trailing extension", "metadata/stats.puffin.txt"},
+		{"puffin in a subdirectory under metadata", "metadata/sub/stats.puffin"},
 	}
 
 	v := NewIcebergLayoutValidator()
@@ -137,3 +143,31 @@ func TestValidateFilePathAcceptsLanceLayout(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// Statistics files are referenced from the table metadata and kept by orphan
+// cleanup; the upload door has to admit them in the table's metadata/, and
+// only there.
+func TestTableBucketFileValidator_PuffinStatisticsOnlyInTableMetadata(t *testing.T) {
+	v := NewTableBucketFileValidator()
+	accepted := []string{
+		TablesPath + "/cat/ns/t/metadata/stats-1.puffin",
+		TablesPath + "/cat/ns/t/metadata/table.stats",
+		TablesPath + "/cat/ns/t/data/0199a3c2-deletes.puffin",
+	}
+	for _, p := range accepted {
+		if err := v.ValidateTableBucketUpload(p); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("ValidateTableBucketUpload(%q) = %v, want nil", p, err)
+		}
+	}
+	rejected := []string{
+		TablesPath + "/cat/ns/t/stats-1.puffin",
+		TablesPath + "/cat/ns/t/other/stats-1.puffin",
+		TablesPath + "/cat/ns/t/metadata/sub/stats-1.puffin",
+		TablesPath + "/cat/ns/t/metadata/notes.txt",
+	}
+	for _, p := range rejected {
+		if err := v.ValidateTableBucketUpload(p); err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("ValidateTableBucketUpload(%q) = nil, want an error", p)
+		}
+	}
+}