diff --git a/ovsdb/storage.c b/ovsdb/storage.c
index e8f95ce64..6c395106c 100644
--- a/ovsdb/storage.c
+++ b/ovsdb/storage.c
@@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ ovsdb_storage_store_snapshot(struct ovsdb_storage *storage,
 
 struct ovsdb_write * OVS_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT
 ovsdb_storage_write_schema_change(struct ovsdb_storage *storage,
-                                  const struct json *schema,
+                                  const struct ovsdb_schema *schema,
                                   const struct json *data,
                                   const struct uuid *prereq,
                                   struct uuid *resultp)
@@ -633,13 +633,23 @@ ovsdb_storage_write_schema_change(struct ovsdb_storage *storage,
     if (storage->error) {
         w->error = ovsdb_error_clone(storage->error);
     } else if (storage->raft) {
-        struct json *txn_json = json_array_create_2(json_clone(schema),
-                                                    json_clone(data));
-        w->command = raft_command_execute(storage->raft, txn_json,
-                                          prereq, &result);
-        json_destroy(txn_json);
+        /* Clustered storage doesn't support ephemeral columns. */
+        w->error = ovsdb_schema_check_for_ephemeral_columns(schema);
+        if (!w->error) {
+            struct json *schema_json, *txn_json;
+
+            schema_json = ovsdb_schema_to_json(schema);
+            txn_json = json_array_create_2(schema_json, json_clone(data));
+            w->command = raft_command_execute(storage->raft, txn_json,
+                                              prereq, &result);
+            json_destroy(txn_json);
+        }
     } else if (storage->log) {
-        w->error = ovsdb_storage_store_snapshot__(storage, schema, data, 0);
+        struct json *schema_json = ovsdb_schema_to_json(schema);
+
+        w->error = ovsdb_storage_store_snapshot__(storage, schema_json,
+                                                  data, 0);
+        json_destroy(schema_json);
     } else {
         /* When 'error' and 'command' are both null, it indicates that the
          * command is complete.  This is fine since this unbacked storage drops
diff --git a/ovsdb/storage.h b/ovsdb/storage.h
index a1fdaa564..05f40ce93 100644
--- a/ovsdb/storage.h
+++ b/ovsdb/storage.h
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ struct ovsdb_error *ovsdb_storage_store_snapshot(struct ovsdb_storage *storage,
 
 struct ovsdb_write *ovsdb_storage_write_schema_change(
     struct ovsdb_storage *,
-    const struct json *schema, const struct json *data,
+    const struct ovsdb_schema *, const struct json *data,
     const struct uuid *prereq, struct uuid *result)
     OVS_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
 
diff --git a/ovsdb/transaction.c b/ovsdb/transaction.c
index 03541af85..f01de2a34 100644
--- a/ovsdb/transaction.c
+++ b/ovsdb/transaction.c
@@ -1251,7 +1251,7 @@ ovsdb_txn_precheck_prereq(const struct ovsdb *db)
 
 struct ovsdb_txn_progress *
 ovsdb_txn_propose_schema_change(struct ovsdb *db,
-                                const struct json *schema,
+                                const struct ovsdb_schema *schema,
                                 const struct json *data)
 {
     struct ovsdb_txn_progress *progress = xzalloc(sizeof *progress);
diff --git a/ovsdb/transaction.h b/ovsdb/transaction.h
index 6b5bb7f24..9991f34d2 100644
--- a/ovsdb/transaction.h
+++ b/ovsdb/transaction.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 struct json;
 struct ovsdb;
+struct ovsdb_schema;
 struct ovsdb_table;
 struct uuid;
 
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ struct ovsdb_error *ovsdb_txn_propose_commit_block(struct ovsdb_txn *,
 void ovsdb_txn_complete(struct ovsdb_txn *);
 
 struct ovsdb_txn_progress *ovsdb_txn_propose_schema_change(
-    struct ovsdb *, const struct json *schema, const struct json *data);
+    struct ovsdb *, const struct ovsdb_schema *, const struct json *data);
 
 bool ovsdb_txn_progress_is_complete(const struct ovsdb_txn_progress *);
 const struct ovsdb_error *ovsdb_txn_progress_get_error(
diff --git a/ovsdb/trigger.c b/ovsdb/trigger.c
index 01bb80e28..3c93ae580 100644
--- a/ovsdb/trigger.c
+++ b/ovsdb/trigger.c
@@ -274,8 +274,8 @@ ovsdb_trigger_try(struct ovsdb_trigger *t, long long int now)
             if (!error) {
                 error = ovsdb_convert(t->db, new_schema, &newdb);
             }
-            ovsdb_schema_destroy(new_schema);
             if (error) {
+                ovsdb_schema_destroy(new_schema);
                 trigger_convert_error(t, error);
                 return false;
             }
@@ -286,7 +286,8 @@ ovsdb_trigger_try(struct ovsdb_trigger *t, long long int now)
 
             /* Propose the change. */
             t->progress = ovsdb_txn_propose_schema_change(
-                t->db, new_schema_json, txn_json);
+                t->db, new_schema, txn_json);
+            ovsdb_schema_destroy(new_schema);
             json_destroy(txn_json);
             t->reply = jsonrpc_create_reply(json_object_create(),
                                             t->request->id);