diff --git a/src/datachain/catalog/catalog.py b/src/datachain/catalog/catalog.py
index 9716d6e08..0164365e7 100644
--- a/src/datachain/catalog/catalog.py
+++ b/src/datachain/catalog/catalog.py
@@ -784,6 +784,7 @@ def create_dataset(
         *,
         columns: Sequence[Column],
         feature_schema: dict | None = None,
+        flat_schema: dict | None = None,
         query_script: str = "",
         create_rows: bool | None = True,
         validate_version: bool | None = True,
@@ -831,15 +832,17 @@ def create_dataset(
                 )
 
         except DatasetNotFoundError:
+            """
             schema = {
                 c.name: c.type.to_dict() for c in columns if isinstance(c.type, SQLType)
             }
+            """
             dataset = self.metastore.create_dataset(
                 name,
                 project.id if project else None,
                 feature_schema=feature_schema,
                 query_script=query_script,
-                schema=schema,
+                schema=flat_schema,
                 ignore_if_exists=True,
                 description=description,
                 attrs=attrs,
diff --git a/src/datachain/lib/dc/datachain.py b/src/datachain/lib/dc/datachain.py
index 6aec4e63e..4d95a48cb 100644
--- a/src/datachain/lib/dc/datachain.py
+++ b/src/datachain/lib/dc/datachain.py
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 from datachain.query.dataset import DatasetQuery, PartitionByType
 from datachain.query.schema import DEFAULT_DELIMITER, Column
 from datachain.sql.functions import path as pathfunc
+from datachain.sql.types import SQLType
 from datachain.utils import batched_it, env2bool, inside_notebook, row_to_nested_dict
 
 from .database import DEFAULT_DATABASE_BATCH_SIZE
@@ -639,6 +640,13 @@ def save(  # type: ignore[override]
 
         # Schema preparation
         schema = self.signals_schema.clone_without_sys_signals().serialize()
+        flat_schema = {
+            c.name: c.type.to_dict()  # type: ignore[union-attr]
+            for c in self.signals_schema.clone_with_sys_signals().db_signals(
+                as_columns=True
+            )
+            if isinstance(c.type, SQLType)  # type: ignore[union-attr]
+        }
 
         # Handle retry and delta functionality
         if not result:
@@ -654,6 +662,7 @@ def save(  # type: ignore[override]
                     description=description,
                     attrs=attrs,
                     feature_schema=schema,
+                    flat_schema=flat_schema,
                     update_version=update_version,
                     **kwargs,
                 )
diff --git a/src/datachain/lib/signal_schema.py b/src/datachain/lib/signal_schema.py
index 250c22028..39c26229e 100644
--- a/src/datachain/lib/signal_schema.py
+++ b/src/datachain/lib/signal_schema.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 from sqlalchemy import ColumnElement
 from typing_extensions import Literal as LiteralEx
 
+from datachain.data_storage.schema import DataTable
 from datachain.func import literal
 from datachain.func.func import Func
 from datachain.lib.convert.python_to_sql import python_to_sql
@@ -769,6 +770,11 @@ def clone_without_sys_signals(self) -> "SignalSchema":
         schema.pop("sys", None)
         return SignalSchema(schema)
 
+    def clone_with_sys_signals(self) -> "SignalSchema":
+        sys_cols = {c.name: c.type for c in DataTable.sys_columns()}
+        sys_schema = SignalSchema.from_column_types(sys_cols)
+        return sys_schema.merge(self.clone_without_sys_signals(), "")
+
     def merge(
         self,
         right_schema: "SignalSchema",
diff --git a/src/datachain/query/dataset.py b/src/datachain/query/dataset.py
index 0779e60f4..925ea6271 100644
--- a/src/datachain/query/dataset.py
+++ b/src/datachain/query/dataset.py
@@ -1875,6 +1875,7 @@ def save(
         version: str | None = None,
         project: Project | None = None,
         feature_schema: dict | None = None,
+        flat_schema: dict | None = None,
         dependencies: list[DatasetDependency] | None = None,
         description: str | None = None,
         attrs: list[str] | None = None,
@@ -1920,6 +1921,7 @@ def save(
                 project,
                 version=version,
                 feature_schema=feature_schema,
+                flat_schema=flat_schema,
                 columns=columns,
                 description=description,
                 attrs=attrs,