diff --git a/pkg/ccl/backupccl/backup_test.go b/pkg/ccl/backupccl/backup_test.go
index 66cba7e3db66..4affe116c349 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/backupccl/backup_test.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/backupccl/backup_test.go
@@ -9005,3 +9005,70 @@ insert into A (a) VALUES ('foo');
 		checkRows()
 	})
 }
+
+// Verify that upon restoring a database, there is a namespace entry for its
+// public schema.
+func TestRestoreSyntheticPublicSchemaNamespaceEntry(t *testing.T) {
+	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
+	defer log.Scope(t).Close(t)
+	const numAccounts = 100
+	params := base.TestClusterArgs{}
+
+	_, _, sqlDB, _, cleanup := backupRestoreTestSetupWithParams(t, singleNode, numAccounts,
+		InitManualReplication, params)
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	sqlDB.Exec(t, "CREATE DATABASE d")
+	sqlDB.Exec(t, "BACKUP DATABASE d TO $1", LocalFoo)
+	sqlDB.Exec(t, "DROP DATABASE d")
+
+	sqlDB.Exec(t, fmt.Sprintf("RESTORE DATABASE d FROM '%s'", LocalFoo))
+
+	var dbID int
+	row := sqlDB.QueryRow(t, `SELECT id FROM system.namespace WHERE name = 'd'`)
+	row.Scan(&dbID)
+
+	sqlDB.CheckQueryResults(t, fmt.Sprintf(`SELECT id FROM system.namespace WHERE name = 'public' AND "parentID"=%d`, dbID), [][]string{{"29"}})
+}
+
+// Verify that if a database restore fails, the cleanup removes the database's
+// public namespace entry.
+func TestRestoreSyntheticPublicSchemaNamespaceEntryCleanupOnFail(t *testing.T) {
+	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
+	defer log.Scope(t).Close(t)
+	const numAccounts = 100
+	params := base.TestClusterArgs{}
+	_, _, _, dataDir, cleanupFn := BackupRestoreTestSetup(t, singleNode, numAccounts, InitManualReplication)
+	defer cleanupFn()
+	_, tc, sqlDB, cleanup := backupRestoreTestSetupEmpty(t, singleNode, dataDir,
+		InitManualReplication, params)
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	for _, server := range tc.Servers {
+		registry := server.JobRegistry().(*jobs.Registry)
+		registry.TestingResumerCreationKnobs = map[jobspb.Type]func(raw jobs.Resumer) jobs.Resumer{
+			jobspb.TypeRestore: func(raw jobs.Resumer) jobs.Resumer {
+				r := raw.(*restoreResumer)
+				r.testingKnobs.beforePublishingDescriptors = func() error {
+					return errors.New("boom")
+				}
+				return r
+			},
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Drop the default databases so only the system database remains.
+	sqlDB.Exec(t, "DROP DATABASE defaultdb")
+	sqlDB.Exec(t, "DROP DATABASE postgres")
+
+	sqlDB.Exec(t, "CREATE DATABASE d")
+	sqlDB.Exec(t, "BACKUP DATABASE d TO $1", LocalFoo)
+	sqlDB.Exec(t, "DROP DATABASE d")
+
+	restoreQuery := fmt.Sprintf("RESTORE DATABASE d FROM '%s'", LocalFoo)
+	sqlDB.ExpectErr(t, "boom", restoreQuery)
+
+	// We should have no non-system database with a public schema name space
+	// entry with id 29.
+	sqlDB.CheckQueryResults(t, `SELECT id FROM system.namespace WHERE name = 'public' AND id=29 AND "parentID"!=1`, [][]string{})
+}
diff --git a/pkg/ccl/backupccl/restore_job.go b/pkg/ccl/backupccl/restore_job.go
index 9006d7811463..fb352e33aefa 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/backupccl/restore_job.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/backupccl/restore_job.go
@@ -139,6 +139,9 @@ func WriteDescriptors(
 				return err
 			}
 			b.CPut(catalogkeys.EncodeNameKey(codec, desc), desc.GetID(), nil)
+
+			// We also have to put a system.namespace entry for the public schema.
+			b.CPut(catalogkeys.MakeSchemaNameKey(codec, desc.GetID(), tree.PublicSchema), keys.PublicSchemaID, nil)
 		}
 
 		// Write namespace and descriptor entries for each schema.
@@ -2169,6 +2172,9 @@ func (r *restoreResumer) dropDescriptors(
 
 		descKey := catalogkeys.MakeDescMetadataKey(codec, db.GetID())
 		b.Del(descKey)
+
+		b.Del(catalogkeys.MakeSchemaNameKey(codec, db.GetID(), tree.PublicSchema))
+
 		nameKey := catalogkeys.MakeDatabaseNameKey(codec, db.GetName())
 		b.Del(nameKey)
 		descsCol.AddDeletedDescriptor(db)