diff --git a/paimon-core/src/main/java/org/apache/paimon/rest/RESTCatalog.java b/paimon-core/src/main/java/org/apache/paimon/rest/RESTCatalog.java
index f691fc06f5b7..61ad72db0d8e 100644
--- a/paimon-core/src/main/java/org/apache/paimon/rest/RESTCatalog.java
+++ b/paimon-core/src/main/java/org/apache/paimon/rest/RESTCatalog.java
@@ -692,6 +692,10 @@ public void alterTable(
                 } else if (StringUtils.equals(
                         e.resourceType(), ErrorResponse.RESOURCE_TYPE_COLUMN)) {
                     throw new ColumnNotExistException(identifier, e.resourceName());
+                } else {
+                    // rethrow other typed 404s, for example a DATABASE dropped
+                    // concurrently; swallowing would report success for a failed ALTER
+                    throw e;
                 }
             }
         } catch (AlreadyExistsException e) {
diff --git a/paimon-core/src/test/java/org/apache/paimon/rest/MockRESTCatalogTest.java b/paimon-core/src/test/java/org/apache/paimon/rest/MockRESTCatalogTest.java
index 0054af3d1652..4725248f9ae6 100644
--- a/paimon-core/src/test/java/org/apache/paimon/rest/MockRESTCatalogTest.java
+++ b/paimon-core/src/test/java/org/apache/paimon/rest/MockRESTCatalogTest.java
@@ -53,10 +53,12 @@
 import org.apache.paimon.rest.auth.RESTAuthParameter;
 import org.apache.paimon.rest.exceptions.AlreadyExistsException;
 import org.apache.paimon.rest.exceptions.BadRequestException;
+import org.apache.paimon.rest.exceptions.NoSuchResourceException;
 import org.apache.paimon.rest.exceptions.NotAuthorizedException;
 import org.apache.paimon.rest.exceptions.NotImplementedException;
 import org.apache.paimon.rest.requests.CreatePartitionsRequest;
 import org.apache.paimon.rest.responses.ConfigResponse;
+import org.apache.paimon.rest.responses.ErrorResponse;
 import org.apache.paimon.schema.FileSystemSchemaManager;
 import org.apache.paimon.schema.Schema;
 import org.apache.paimon.schema.SchemaChange;
@@ -79,6 +81,7 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.ValueSource;
+import org.mockito.Mockito;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.net.URI;
@@ -146,6 +149,37 @@ public void tearDown() throws Exception {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testAlterTableRethrowsForeignTypedNotFound() throws Exception {
+        // a 404 typed other than TABLE/COLUMN must not be swallowed into reported success
+        Identifier identifier = Identifier.create("test_alter_404", "t");
+        RESTApi mockApi = Mockito.mock(RESTApi.class);
+        Mockito.doThrow(
+                        new NoSuchResourceException(
+                                ErrorResponse.RESOURCE_TYPE_DATABASE,
+                                "test_alter_404",
+                                "database missing"))
+                .when(mockApi)
+                .alterTable(Mockito.any(), Mockito.anyList());
+
+        java.lang.reflect.Field field = RESTCatalog.class.getDeclaredField("api");
+        field.setAccessible(true);
+        Object original = field.get(restCatalog);
+        field.set(restCatalog, mockApi);
+        try {
+            assertThatThrownBy(
+                            () ->
+                                    catalog.alterTable(
+                                            identifier,
+                                            Collections.singletonList(
+                                                    SchemaChange.setOption("k", "v")),
+                                            false))
+                    .isInstanceOf(org.apache.paimon.rest.exceptions.NoSuchResourceException.class);
+        } finally {
+            field.set(restCatalog, original);
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testCompatibilityWithServerWithoutSchemaEndpoints() throws Exception {
         restCatalogServer.setSchemaEndpointsSupported(false);