diff --git a/src/daft-plan/src/physical_ops/explode.rs b/src/daft-plan/src/physical_ops/explode.rs
index 9d3a6275b0..bf755843ac 100644
--- a/src/daft-plan/src/physical_ops/explode.rs
+++ b/src/daft-plan/src/physical_ops/explode.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::{collections::HashSet, sync::Arc};
 
-use daft_dsl::Expr;
+use common_error::DaftResult;
+use daft_dsl::{optimization::get_required_columns, Expr};
 
-use crate::physical_plan::PhysicalPlan;
+use crate::{physical_plan::PhysicalPlan, PartitionScheme, PartitionSpec};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
@@ -10,10 +11,123 @@ pub struct Explode {
     // Upstream node.
     pub input: Arc<PhysicalPlan>,
     pub to_explode: Vec<Expr>,
+    pub partition_spec: Arc<PartitionSpec>,
 }
 
 impl Explode {
-    pub(crate) fn new(input: Arc<PhysicalPlan>, to_explode: Vec<Expr>) -> Self {
-        Self { input, to_explode }
+    pub(crate) fn try_new(input: Arc<PhysicalPlan>, to_explode: Vec<Expr>) -> DaftResult<Self> {
+        let partition_spec = Self::translate_partition_spec(input.partition_spec(), &to_explode);
+        Ok(Self {
+            input,
+            to_explode,
+            partition_spec,
+        })
+    }
+
+    fn translate_partition_spec(
+        input_pspec: Arc<PartitionSpec>,
+        to_explode: &Vec<Expr>,
+    ) -> Arc<PartitionSpec> {
+        use crate::PartitionScheme::*;
+        match input_pspec.scheme {
+            // If the scheme is vacuous, the result partiiton spec is the same.
+            Random | Unknown => input_pspec.clone(),
+            // Otherwise, need to reevaluate the partition scheme for each expression.
+            Range | Hash => {
+                let required_cols_for_pspec = input_pspec
+                    .by
+                    .as_ref()
+                    .map(|b| {
+                        b.iter()
+                            .flat_map(get_required_columns)
+                            .collect::<HashSet<String>>()
+                    })
+                    .expect("Range or Hash partitioned PSpec should be partitioned by something");
+                for expr in to_explode {
+                    let newname = expr.name().unwrap().to_string();
+                    // if we clobber one of the required columns for the pspec, invalidate it.
+                    if required_cols_for_pspec.contains(&newname) {
+                        return PartitionSpec::new_internal(
+                            PartitionScheme::Unknown,
+                            input_pspec.num_partitions,
+                            None,
+                        )
+                        .into();
+                    }
+                }
+                input_pspec
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use common_daft_config::DaftExecutionConfig;
+    use common_error::DaftResult;
+    use daft_core::{datatypes::Field, DataType};
+    use daft_dsl::{col, Expr};
+
+    use crate::{planner::plan, test::dummy_scan_node, PartitionScheme, PartitionSpec};
+
+    /// do not destroy the partition spec.
+    #[test]
+    fn test_partition_spec_preserving() -> DaftResult<()> {
+        let cfg = DaftExecutionConfig::default().into();
+
+        let logical_plan = dummy_scan_node(vec![
+            Field::new("a", DataType::Int64),
+            Field::new("b", DataType::List(Box::new(DataType::Int64))),
+            Field::new("c", DataType::Int64),
+        ])
+        .repartition(
+            Some(3),
+            vec![Expr::Column("a".into())],
+            PartitionScheme::Hash,
+        )?
+        .explode(vec![col("b")])?
+        .build();
+
+        let physical_plan = plan(&logical_plan, cfg)?;
+
+        let expected_pspec =
+            PartitionSpec::new_internal(PartitionScheme::Hash, 3, Some(vec![col("a")]));
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            expected_pspec,
+            physical_plan.partition_spec().as_ref().clone()
+        );
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    /// do not destroy the partition spec.
+    #[test]
+    fn test_partition_spec_destroying() -> DaftResult<()> {
+        let cfg = DaftExecutionConfig::default().into();
+
+        let logical_plan = dummy_scan_node(vec![
+            Field::new("a", DataType::Int64),
+            Field::new("b", DataType::List(Box::new(DataType::Int64))),
+            Field::new("c", DataType::Int64),
+        ])
+        .repartition(
+            Some(3),
+            vec![Expr::Column("a".into()), Expr::Column("b".into())],
+            PartitionScheme::Hash,
+        )?
+        .explode(vec![col("b")])?
+        .build();
+
+        let physical_plan = plan(&logical_plan, cfg)?;
+
+        let expected_pspec = PartitionSpec::new_internal(PartitionScheme::Unknown, 3, None);
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            expected_pspec,
+            physical_plan.partition_spec().as_ref().clone()
+        );
+
+        Ok(())
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/daft-plan/src/physical_plan.rs b/src/daft-plan/src/physical_plan.rs
index 010b9d4bc7..f38e634f3e 100644
--- a/src/daft-plan/src/physical_plan.rs
+++ b/src/daft-plan/src/physical_plan.rs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ impl PhysicalPlan {
             Self::Project(Project { partition_spec, .. }) => partition_spec.clone(),
             Self::Filter(Filter { input, .. }) => input.partition_spec(),
             Self::Limit(Limit { input, .. }) => input.partition_spec(),
-            Self::Explode(Explode { input, .. }) => input.partition_spec(),
+            Self::Explode(Explode { partition_spec, .. }) => partition_spec.clone(),
             Self::Sort(Sort { input, sort_by, .. }) => PartitionSpec::new_internal(
                 PartitionScheme::Range,
                 input.partition_spec().num_partitions,
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@ pub struct PhysicalPlanScheduler {
 #[pymethods]
 impl PhysicalPlanScheduler {
     pub fn num_partitions(&self) -> PyResult<i64> {
+        println!("{:?}", self.plan.partition_spec());
         self.plan.partition_spec().get_num_partitions()
     }
     /// Converts the contained physical plan into an iterator of executable partition tasks.
@@ -533,7 +534,9 @@ impl PhysicalPlan {
                     .call1((upstream_iter, *limit, *eager, *num_partitions))?;
                 Ok(global_limit_iter.into())
             }
-            PhysicalPlan::Explode(Explode { input, to_explode }) => {
+            PhysicalPlan::Explode(Explode {
+                input, to_explode, ..
+            }) => {
                 let upstream_iter = input.to_partition_tasks(py, psets, is_ray_runner)?;
                 let explode_pyexprs: Vec<PyExpr> = to_explode
                     .iter()
diff --git a/src/daft-plan/src/planner.rs b/src/daft-plan/src/planner.rs
index d1ddda0ee8..88c66d4477 100644
--- a/src/daft-plan/src/planner.rs
+++ b/src/daft-plan/src/planner.rs
@@ -162,10 +162,10 @@ pub fn plan(logical_plan: &LogicalPlan, cfg: Arc<DaftExecutionConfig>) -> DaftRe
             input, to_explode, ..
         }) => {
             let input_physical = plan(input, cfg)?;
-            Ok(PhysicalPlan::Explode(Explode::new(
+            Ok(PhysicalPlan::Explode(Explode::try_new(
                 input_physical.into(),
                 to_explode.clone(),
-            )))
+            )?))
         }
         LogicalPlan::Sort(LogicalSort {
             input,