diff --git a/client-gui2 b/client-gui2
index aa345299..140708f7 160000
--- a/client-gui2
+++ b/client-gui2
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit aa345299911882a251cd5628087f1243a28ac194
+Subproject commit 140708f7574f9f1a1efae229dd031699485290b0
diff --git a/common/proto/table_definition.proto b/common/proto/table_definition.proto
index 68513738..cb3b3264 100644
--- a/common/proto/table_definition.proto
+++ b/common/proto/table_definition.proto
@@ -387,6 +387,31 @@ message PutTableDefinitionRequest {
 
   // Required physical/catalog name. Use table_name to keep the current name.
   string new_table_name = 8;
+
+  // Complete desired definition of an empty table, in catalog ordinal order.
+  // Aliases remain attached to their column IDs. Retained physical columns
+  // are not rebuilt or renamed; new columns use the existing append operation.
+  // Cannot be combined with remove_column_ids or add_columns. add_indexes and
+  // generated_aliases apply to the new columns in this definition.
+  optional EmptyTableDefinition replacement = 9;
+}
+
+message EmptyTableDefinition {
+  // Omitted existing columns are removed, subject to dependency checks.
+  // Retained generated companions follow their parent automatically.
+  repeated EmptyTableColumn columns = 1;
+}
+
+message EmptyTableColumn {
+  oneof column {
+    // Retains identity, configuration and dependencies. Generated companions
+    // must be retained through their parent, not listed separately.
+    int64 existing_column_id = 1;
+
+    // Same input as table creation. To change an existing column's type,
+    // omit its ID and supply a new definition; removal guards still apply.
+    ColumnDefinition new_column = 2;
+  }
 }
 
 message PutTableDefinitionResponse {
diff --git a/common/src/proto/descriptor.bin b/common/src/proto/descriptor.bin
index d9a24ec1..d8e28487 100644
Binary files a/common/src/proto/descriptor.bin and b/common/src/proto/descriptor.bin differ
diff --git a/common/src/proto/komp_ac.table_definition.rs b/common/src/proto/komp_ac.table_definition.rs
index 68076449..c76ba5c6 100644
--- a/common/src/proto/komp_ac.table_definition.rs
+++ b/common/src/proto/komp_ac.table_definition.rs
@@ -352,6 +352,42 @@ pub struct PutTableDefinitionRequest {
     /// Required physical/catalog name. Use table_name to keep the current name.
     #[prost(string, tag = "8")]
     pub new_table_name: ::prost::alloc::string::String,
+    /// Complete desired definition of an empty table, in catalog ordinal order.
+    /// Aliases remain attached to their column IDs. Retained physical columns
+    /// are not rebuilt or renamed; new columns use the existing append operation.
+    /// Cannot be combined with remove_column_ids or add_columns. add_indexes and
+    /// generated_aliases apply to the new columns in this definition.
+    #[prost(message, optional, tag = "9")]
+    pub replacement: ::core::option::Option<EmptyTableDefinition>,
+}
+#[derive(serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Clone, PartialEq, ::prost::Message)]
+pub struct EmptyTableDefinition {
+    /// Omitted existing columns are removed, subject to dependency checks.
+    /// Retained generated companions follow their parent automatically.
+    #[prost(message, repeated, tag = "1")]
+    pub columns: ::prost::alloc::vec::Vec<EmptyTableColumn>,
+}
+#[derive(serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, ::prost::Message)]
+pub struct EmptyTableColumn {
+    #[prost(oneof = "empty_table_column::Column", tags = "1, 2")]
+    pub column: ::core::option::Option<empty_table_column::Column>,
+}
+/// Nested message and enum types in `EmptyTableColumn`.
+pub mod empty_table_column {
+    #[derive(serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
+    #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, ::prost::Oneof)]
+    pub enum Column {
+        /// Retains identity, configuration and dependencies. Generated companions
+        /// must be retained through their parent, not listed separately.
+        #[prost(int64, tag = "1")]
+        ExistingColumnId(i64),
+        /// Same input as table creation. To change an existing column's type,
+        /// omit its ID and supply a new definition; removal guards still apply.
+        #[prost(message, tag = "2")]
+        NewColumn(super::ColumnDefinition),
+    }
 }
 #[derive(serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, ::prost::Message)]
diff --git a/server b/server
index 5f677fb3..cc11a00a 160000
--- a/server
+++ b/server
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 5f677fb39281688ac0617cd41d08b2e46a6f5d3b
+Subproject commit cc11a00a69975c6e505a0349c882c61ea327394c
diff --git a/web/src/pages/admin/table_definition/logic.rs b/web/src/pages/admin/table_definition/logic.rs
index 4c5746ef..7b9db2bb 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/admin/table_definition/logic.rs
+++ b/web/src/pages/admin/table_definition/logic.rs
@@ -331,6 +331,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn add_columns(
         generated_aliases: Vec::new(),
         expected_row_version: form.expected_row_version,
         new_table_name: requested_table_name.clone(),
+        replacement: None,
     };
     let Ok(request) = authenticated_request(&headers, request) else {
         return Redirect::to("/login").into_response();