diff --git a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/execbuilder/testdata/explain_gist b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/execbuilder/testdata/explain_gist
index 1b6f5422d8b8..7cf69d0e3145 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/execbuilder/testdata/explain_gist
+++ b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/execbuilder/testdata/explain_gist
@@ -62,3 +62,25 @@ query T
 SELECT crdb_internal.decode_plan_gist('$gist')
 ----
 • <unknown>
+
+# Regression test for #76800
+statement ok
+CREATE TABLE t2 (a int, b int, c int, d int, e int)
+
+let $gist
+EXPLAIN (GIST) SELECT * FROM t2
+
+# To hit bug requires deleting lots of columns because of hidden columns.
+statement ok
+ALTER TABLE t2 DROP COLUMN b;
+ALTER TABLE t2 DROP COLUMN c;
+ALTER TABLE t2 DROP COLUMN a;
+ALTER TABLE t2 DROP COLUMN d;
+ALTER TABLE t2 DROP COLUMN e
+
+query T
+SELECT crdb_internal.decode_plan_gist('$gist')
+----
+• scan
+  table: t2@t2_pkey
+  spans: FULL SCAN
diff --git a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/result_columns.go b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/result_columns.go
index 5c2a15104d3a..8840e0e59969 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/result_columns.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/explain/result_columns.go
@@ -201,11 +201,15 @@ func getResultColumns(
 func tableColumns(table cat.Table, ordinals exec.TableColumnOrdinalSet) colinfo.ResultColumns {
 	cols := make(colinfo.ResultColumns, 0, ordinals.Len())
 	for i, ok := ordinals.Next(0); ok; i, ok = ordinals.Next(i + 1) {
-		col := table.Column(i)
-		cols = append(cols, colinfo.ResultColumn{
-			Name: string(col.ColName()),
-			Typ:  col.DatumType(),
-		})
+		// Be defensive about bitset values because they may come from cached
+		// gists and the columns they refer to could have been removed.
+		if i < table.ColumnCount() {
+			col := table.Column(i)
+			cols = append(cols, colinfo.ResultColumn{
+				Name: string(col.ColName()),
+				Typ:  col.DatumType(),
+			})
+		}
 	}
 	return cols
 }
diff --git a/pkg/sql/plan_opt.go b/pkg/sql/plan_opt.go
index f4f92af94671..a6afc4da3c4b 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/plan_opt.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/plan_opt.go
@@ -655,8 +655,7 @@ func (opc *optPlanningCtx) runExecBuilder(
 	return nil
 }
 
-// DecodeGist Avoid an import cycle by keeping the cat out of the tree, RFC: is
-// there a better way?
+// DecodeGist Avoid an import cycle by keeping the cat out of the tree.
 func (p *planner) DecodeGist(gist string) ([]string, error) {
 	return explain.DecodePlanGistToRows(gist, &p.optPlanningCtx.catalog)
 }