diff --git a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/coordinator.cc b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/coordinator.cc
index 6087f6cf6a286..edf6bbfc24e1c 100644
--- a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/coordinator.cc
+++ b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/coordinator.cc
@@ -747,12 +747,17 @@ coordinator::update_lifecycle_state(
           model::topic_namespace_view{model::kafka_namespace, t});
         if (tombstone_it != topic_table_.get_iceberg_tombstones().end()) {
             auto tombstone_rev = tombstone_it->second.last_deleted_revision;
+            // The Glue REST catalog doesn't support purging data; explicitly
+            // pass that down to the drop operations.
+            auto should_purge = using_glue_catalog()
+                                  ? file_committer::purge_data::no
+                                  : file_committer::purge_data::yes;
             if (tombstone_rev >= topic.revision) {
                 // Drop the main table if it exists.
                 {
                     auto table_id = table_id_provider::table_id(t);
                     auto drop_res = co_await file_committer_.drop_table(
-                      table_id);
+                      table_id, should_purge);
                     if (drop_res.has_error()) {
                         switch (drop_res.error()) {
                         case file_committer::errc::shutting_down:
@@ -771,7 +776,7 @@ coordinator::update_lifecycle_state(
                 {
                     auto dlq_table_id = table_id_provider::dlq_table_id(t);
                     auto drop_res = co_await file_committer_.drop_table(
-                      dlq_table_id);
+                      dlq_table_id, should_purge);
                     if (drop_res.has_error()) {
                         switch (drop_res.error()) {
                         case file_committer::errc::shutting_down:
@@ -856,14 +861,8 @@ ss::sstring coordinator::get_effective_default_partition_spec(
   const std::optional<ss::sstring>& partition_spec) const {
     const auto& cfg = config::shard_local_cfg();
     auto current_spec = partition_spec.value_or(default_partition_spec_());
-
-    bool is_glue = cfg.iceberg_catalog_type()
-                     == config::datalake_catalog_type::rest
-                   && cfg.iceberg_rest_catalog_authentication_mode()
-                        == config::datalake_catalog_auth_mode::aws_sigv4
-                   && cfg.iceberg_rest_catalog_aws_service_name() == "glue";
     if (
-      is_glue
+      using_glue_catalog()
       && current_spec == cfg.iceberg_default_partition_spec.default_value()) {
         // Glue can't partition on nested fields like redpanda.timestamp.
         vlog(
@@ -875,4 +874,13 @@ ss::sstring coordinator::get_effective_default_partition_spec(
 
     return current_spec;
 }
+
+bool coordinator::using_glue_catalog() const {
+    const auto& cfg = config::shard_local_cfg();
+    return cfg.iceberg_catalog_type() == config::datalake_catalog_type::rest
+           && cfg.iceberg_rest_catalog_authentication_mode()
+                == config::datalake_catalog_auth_mode::aws_sigv4
+           && cfg.iceberg_rest_catalog_aws_service_name() == "glue";
+}
+
 } // namespace datalake::coordinator
diff --git a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/coordinator.h b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/coordinator.h
index a76d928c56af9..10bd75d53044b 100644
--- a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/coordinator.h
+++ b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/coordinator.h
@@ -148,6 +148,11 @@ class coordinator {
     ss::sstring get_effective_default_partition_spec(
       const std::optional<ss::sstring>& partition_spec) const;
 
+    // Return whether the underlying catalog is the Glue REST catalog.
+    // TODO: if the kludges start piling up, we should abstract some "catalog
+    // capabilities" out.
+    bool using_glue_catalog() const;
+
     ss::shared_ptr<coordinator_stm> stm_;
     cluster::topic_table& topic_table_;
     type_resolver& type_resolver_;
diff --git a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/file_committer.h b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/file_committer.h
index 1e948b09da18f..34a0da0cb60d7 100644
--- a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/file_committer.h
+++ b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/file_committer.h
@@ -28,8 +28,9 @@ class file_committer {
       checked<chunked_vector<mark_files_committed_update>, errc>>
     commit_topic_files_to_catalog(model::topic, const topics_state&) const = 0;
 
+    using purge_data = ss::bool_class<struct purge_data_tag>;
     virtual ss::future<checked<std::nullopt_t, errc>>
-    drop_table(const iceberg::table_identifier&) const = 0;
+    drop_table(const iceberg::table_identifier&, purge_data) const = 0;
 
     virtual ~file_committer() = default;
 };
diff --git a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/iceberg_file_committer.cc b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/iceberg_file_committer.cc
index 04f31062377ed..a16cc136794ed 100644
--- a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/iceberg_file_committer.cc
+++ b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/iceberg_file_committer.cc
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ iceberg_file_committer::commit_topic_files_to_catalog(
 
 ss::future<checked<std::nullopt_t, file_committer::errc>>
 iceberg_file_committer::drop_table(
-  const iceberg::table_identifier& table_id) const {
+  const iceberg::table_identifier& table_id, purge_data should_purge) const {
     auto load_res = co_await catalog_.load_table(table_id);
     if (load_res.has_error()) {
         if (load_res.error() == iceberg::catalog::errc::not_found) {
@@ -609,7 +609,8 @@ iceberg_file_committer::drop_table(
             "anyway",
             table_id));
     }
-    auto drop_res = co_await catalog_.drop_table(table_id, true);
+    auto drop_res = co_await catalog_.drop_table(
+      table_id, should_purge == purge_data::yes);
     if (
       drop_res.has_error()
       && drop_res.error() != iceberg::catalog::errc::not_found) {
diff --git a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/iceberg_file_committer.h b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/iceberg_file_committer.h
index 8ad59cb65b1c2..b576292916504 100644
--- a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/iceberg_file_committer.h
+++ b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/iceberg_file_committer.h
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class iceberg_file_committer : public file_committer {
       model::topic, const topics_state&) const final;
 
     ss::future<checked<std::nullopt_t, errc>>
-    drop_table(const iceberg::table_identifier&) const final;
+    drop_table(const iceberg::table_identifier&, purge_data) const final;
 
 private:
     // Must outlive this committer.
diff --git a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/tests/coordinator_test.cc b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/tests/coordinator_test.cc
index 67ab1cbce9ff6..8a52bcc1e7fa2 100644
--- a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/tests/coordinator_test.cc
+++ b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/tests/coordinator_test.cc
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class noop_file_committer : public file_committer {
     }
 
     ss::future<checked<std::nullopt_t, errc>>
-    drop_table(const iceberg::table_identifier&) const final {
+    drop_table(const iceberg::table_identifier&, purge_data) const final {
         co_return std::nullopt;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/tests/state_test_utils.h b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/tests/state_test_utils.h
index 056cbfa7fad46..bdb22ba00c6bb 100644
--- a/src/v/datalake/coordinator/tests/state_test_utils.h
+++ b/src/v/datalake/coordinator/tests/state_test_utils.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class simple_file_committer : public file_committer {
     }
 
     ss::future<checked<std::nullopt_t, errc>>
-    drop_table(const iceberg::table_identifier&) const final {
+    drop_table(const iceberg::table_identifier&, purge_data) const final {
         co_return std::nullopt;
     }