diff --git a/tests/rptest/tests/datalake/datalake_e2e_test.py b/tests/rptest/tests/datalake/datalake_e2e_test.py
index f41f78092e92..6ef294829a99 100644
--- a/tests/rptest/tests/datalake/datalake_e2e_test.py
+++ b/tests/rptest/tests/datalake/datalake_e2e_test.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from typing import Optional
 from rptest.clients.serde_client_utils import SchemaType, SerdeClientType
 from rptest.clients.types import TopicSpec
+from rptest.clients.rpk import RpkTool
 from rptest.services.cluster import cluster
 
 from rptest.services.redpanda import PandaproxyConfig, SchemaRegistryConfig, SISettings
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@
 from rptest.tests.datalake.query_engine_base import QueryEngineType
 from rptest.tests.datalake.utils import supported_storage_types
 from ducktape.mark import matrix
+from ducktape.utils.util import wait_until
 
 
 class DatalakeE2ETests(RedpandaTest):
@@ -129,3 +131,54 @@ def test_avro_schema(self, cloud_storage_type, query_engine):
                     f"describe {table_name}")
                 assert spark_describe_out == spark_expected_out, str(
                     spark_describe_out)
+
+    @cluster(num_nodes=4)
+    @matrix(cloud_storage_type=supported_storage_types(),
+            filesystem_catalog_mode=[False])
+    def test_topic_lifecycle(self, cloud_storage_type,
+                             filesystem_catalog_mode):
+        count = 100
+        with DatalakeServices(self.test_ctx,
+                              redpanda=self.redpanda,
+                              filesystem_catalog_mode=filesystem_catalog_mode,
+                              include_query_engines=[QueryEngineType.SPARK
+                                                     ]) as dl:
+            rpk = RpkTool(self.redpanda)
+
+            # produce some data then delete the topic
+            dl.create_iceberg_enabled_topic(self.topic_name, partitions=10)
+            dl.produce_to_topic(self.topic_name, 1024, count)
+            dl.wait_for_translation(self.topic_name, msg_count=count)
+
+            rpk.alter_topic_config(self.topic_name, "redpanda.iceberg.delete",
+                                   "false")
+            rpk.delete_topic(self.topic_name)
+
+            # table is not deleted, it will contain messages from both topic instances
+            dl.create_iceberg_enabled_topic(self.topic_name, partitions=15)
+            dl.produce_to_topic(self.topic_name, 1024, count)
+            dl.wait_for_translation(self.topic_name, msg_count=2 * count)
+
+            # now table should be deleted
+            rpk.delete_topic(self.topic_name)
+
+            catalog_client = dl.catalog_client()
+
+            def table_deleted():
+                return not dl.table_exists(self.topic_name,
+                                           client=catalog_client)
+
+            wait_until(table_deleted,
+                       timeout_sec=30,
+                       backoff_sec=5,
+                       err_msg="table was not deleted")
+
+            # recreate an empty topic a few times
+            for _ in range(3):
+                dl.create_iceberg_enabled_topic(self.topic_name, partitions=10)
+                rpk.delete_topic(self.topic_name)
+
+            # check that the table is recreated after we start producing again
+            dl.create_iceberg_enabled_topic(self.topic_name, partitions=5)
+            dl.produce_to_topic(self.topic_name, 1024, count)
+            dl.wait_for_translation(self.topic_name, msg_count=count)
diff --git a/tests/rptest/tests/datalake/datalake_services.py b/tests/rptest/tests/datalake/datalake_services.py
index e2376d452cdf..09a09b234fc7 100644
--- a/tests/rptest/tests/datalake/datalake_services.py
+++ b/tests/rptest/tests/datalake/datalake_services.py
@@ -117,14 +117,23 @@ def set_iceberg_mode_on_topic(self, topic: str, mode: str):
         rpk = RpkTool(self.redpanda)
         rpk.alter_topic_config(topic, "redpanda.iceberg.mode", mode)
 
+    def catalog_client(self):
+        return self.catalog_service.client("redpanda-iceberg-catalog")
+
+    def table_exists(self, table, namespace="redpanda", client=None):
+        if client is None:
+            client = self.catalog_client()
+
+        namespaces = client.list_namespaces()
+        self.redpanda.logger.debug(f"namespaces: {namespaces}")
+        return (namespace, ) in namespaces and (
+            namespace, table) in client.list_tables(namespace)
+
     def wait_for_iceberg_table(self, namespace, table, timeout, backoff_sec):
-        client = self.catalog_service.client("redpanda-iceberg-catalog")
+        client = self.catalog_client()
 
         def table_created():
-            namespaces = client.list_namespaces()
-            self.redpanda.logger.debug(f"namespaces: {namespaces}")
-            return (namespace, ) in namespaces and (
-                namespace, table) in client.list_tables(namespace)
+            return self.table_exists(table, namespace=namespace, client=client)
 
         wait_until(
             table_created,