diff --git a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/plan_gist_test.go b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/plan_gist_test.go
index 9b841fc325aa..a77828ec096c 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/plan_gist_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/plan_gist_test.go
@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@ func TestPlanGistBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	// RFC: should I move this to opt_tester?
 	datadriven.RunTest(t, datapathutils.TestDataPath(t, "gists"), testGists)
+	// Reset the catalog for the next test.
+	catalog = testcat.New()
 	datadriven.RunTest(t, datapathutils.TestDataPath(t, "gists_tpce"), testGists)
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/result_columns.go b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/result_columns.go
index 495ed57dcb3d..a1d19c5bd0f6 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/result_columns.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/result_columns.go
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 package explain
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/catalog/colinfo"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/catalog/descpb"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/opt/cat"
@@ -255,6 +257,12 @@ func tableColumns(table cat.Table, ordinals exec.TableColumnOrdinalSet) colinfo.
 				Name: string(col.ColName()),
 				Typ:  col.DatumType(),
 			})
+		} else {
+			// Give downstream operators something to chew on so that they don't panic.
+			cols = append(cols, colinfo.ResultColumn{
+				Name: fmt.Sprintf("unknownCol-%d", i),
+				Typ:  types.Unknown,
+			})
 		}
 	}
 	return cols
diff --git a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/testdata/gists b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/testdata/gists
index 441bda114816..a9ee4557554d 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/testdata/gists
+++ b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/testdata/gists
@@ -1122,3 +1122,47 @@ explain(shape):
   syntax: "select 123"
 explain(gist):
 • show completions
+
+exec-ddl
+CREATE TABLE ts (a int, b STRING)
+----
+
+gist-explain-roundtrip
+SELECT max(a), b FROM ts WHERE a = 1 AND b LIKE '$ internal%' GROUP BY b
+----
+hash: 6959966538333657501
+plan-gist: AgF0AgADAAAAAwsCBgQ=
+explain(shape):
+• group (hash)
+│ group by: b
+│
+└── • filter
+    │ filter: (a = _) AND (b LIKE _)
+    │
+    └── • scan
+          table: ts@ts_pkey
+          spans: FULL SCAN
+explain(gist):
+• group (hash)
+│ group by: a
+│
+└── • filter
+    │
+    └── • scan
+          table: ts@ts_pkey
+          spans: FULL SCAN
+
+# The above query produces this gist when run via EXPLAIN (GIST) in a real DB and when
+# run in a DB w/o that table panics, this tests that the panic is fixed.  Essentially we're
+# exercising the "unknown" table code.
+explain-plan-gist
+AgHQAQIAAwAAAAMLAgYE
+----
+• group (hash)
+│ group by: unknownCol-0
+│
+└── • filter
+    │
+    └── • scan
+          table: ?@?
+          spans: FULL SCAN
diff --git a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/testdata/gists_tpce b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/testdata/gists_tpce
index 056d8e969109..ba0fe225ef9f 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/testdata/gists_tpce
+++ b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/testdata/gists_tpce
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ GROUP BY b_name
 ORDER BY 2 DESC
 ----
 hash: 14732118561700026222
-plan-gist: AgGUAQQAPAAAAAGqAQQAAwIAABQAogEEAgAUAJgBBAIAFACsAQQCAAkAAgIAARQAhgECAgEHBAsCBwQRBgQ=
+plan-gist: AgGKAQQAPAAAAAGgAQQAAwIAABQAmAEEAgAUAI4BBAIAFACiAQQCAAkAAgIAARQAfAICAQcECwIHBBEGBA==
 explain(shape):
 • sort
 │ order: -sum
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ LEFT JOIN last_trade      ON lt_s_symb = hs_s_symb
     LIMIT 10;
 ----
 hash: 10378570089558454947
-plan-gist: AgF4BAAFAgAAE3gCFAGAAQICABQBpAECAgEHBgsCBwYYBgY=
+plan-gist: AgFuBAAFAgAAE24CFAF2AgIAFAGaAQICAQcGCwIHBhgGBg==
 explain(shape):
 • top-k
 │ order: +"coalesce"
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ update_trade_submitted AS (
 SELECT * FROM request_list;
 ----
 hash: 7096273538769246907
-plan-gist: AgGkAQIAHwIAAAcQBRAhpAEAAAcCMAGUAQIAHwAAAAMHCDAxBQIUAJQBAgIBBQgHCAUII5QBAAcCMDEFAgcGBQYwH5IBADEFAhQFkAECAgEqMQUCFAWwAQICASoHAjAxBQIUAJABAgIBBRwHIAUgMCGQAQAAMQUCFAWwAQICASoHAjAxBQgGCA==
+plan-gist: AgGaAQIAHwIAAAcQBRAhmgEAAAcCMAGKAQIAHwAAAAMHCDAxBQIUAIoBAgIBBQgHCAUII4oBAAcCMDEFAgcGBQYwH4gBADEFAhQFhgECAgEqMQUCFAWmAQICASoHAjAxBQIUAIYBAgIBBRwHIAUgMCGGAQAAMQUCFAWmAQICASoHAjAxBQgGCA==
 explain(shape):
 • root
 │