diff --git a/superset-frontend/plugins/plugin-chart-table/src/controlPanel.tsx b/superset-frontend/plugins/plugin-chart-table/src/controlPanel.tsx
index 2148904e537..814d82f9d45 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/plugins/plugin-chart-table/src/controlPanel.tsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/plugins/plugin-chart-table/src/controlPanel.tsx
@@ -796,45 +796,63 @@ const config: ControlPanelConfig = {
                     },
                   );
                 }
-                const { colnames, coltypes } =
+                const { colnames: queryColnames, coltypes: queryColtypes } =
                   chart?.queriesResponse?.[0] ?? {};
-                const allColumns =
-                  Array.isArray(colnames) && Array.isArray(coltypes)
-                    ? [
-                        {
-                          value: ObjectFormattingEnum.ENTIRE_ROW,
-                          label: t('entire row'),
-                          dataType: GenericDataType.String,
-                        },
-                        ...colnames.map((colname: string, index: number) => ({
+                const hasQueryColumns =
+                  Array.isArray(queryColnames) &&
+                  Array.isArray(queryColtypes) &&
+                  queryColnames.length > 0;
+
+                // Fall back to datasource columns when query results are empty
+                const datasourceColumns = ensureIsArray(
+                  (explore?.datasource as Dataset)?.columns,
+                );
+                const colnames = hasQueryColumns
+                  ? queryColnames
+                  : datasourceColumns.map((col: ColumnMeta) => col.column_name);
+                const coltypes = hasQueryColumns
+                  ? queryColtypes
+                  : datasourceColumns.map(
+                      (col: ColumnMeta) =>
+                        col.type_generic ?? GenericDataType.String,
+                    );
+
+                const hasColumns = colnames.length > 0;
+                const allColumns = hasColumns
+                  ? [
+                      {
+                        value: ObjectFormattingEnum.ENTIRE_ROW,
+                        label: t('entire row'),
+                        dataType: GenericDataType.String,
+                      },
+                      ...colnames.map((colname: string, index: number) => ({
+                        value: colname,
+                        label: Array.isArray(verboseMap)
+                          ? colname
+                          : (verboseMap[colname] ?? colname),
+                        dataType: coltypes[index],
+                      })),
+                    ]
+                  : [];
+                const numericColumns = hasColumns
+                  ? colnames.reduce((acc, colname, index) => {
+                      if (
+                        coltypes[index] === GenericDataType.Numeric ||
+                        (!hasTimeComparison &&
+                          (coltypes[index] === GenericDataType.String ||
+                            coltypes[index] === GenericDataType.Boolean))
+                      ) {
+                        acc.push({
                           value: colname,
                           label: Array.isArray(verboseMap)
                             ? colname
                             : (verboseMap[colname] ?? colname),
                           dataType: coltypes[index],
-                        })),
-                      ]
-                    : [];
-                const numericColumns =
-                  Array.isArray(colnames) && Array.isArray(coltypes)
-                    ? colnames.reduce((acc, colname, index) => {
-                        if (
-                          coltypes[index] === GenericDataType.Numeric ||
-                          (!hasTimeComparison &&
-                            (coltypes[index] === GenericDataType.String ||
-                              coltypes[index] === GenericDataType.Boolean))
-                        ) {
-                          acc.push({
-                            value: colname,
-                            label: Array.isArray(verboseMap)
-                              ? colname
-                              : (verboseMap[colname] ?? colname),
-                            dataType: coltypes[index],
-                          });
-                        }
-                        return acc;
-                      }, [])
-                    : [];
+                        });
+                      }
+                      return acc;
+                    }, [])
+                  : [];
                 const columnOptions = hasTimeComparison
                   ? processComparisonColumns(
                       numericColumns || [],
diff --git a/superset-frontend/plugins/plugin-chart-table/test/controlPanel.test.tsx b/superset-frontend/plugins/plugin-chart-table/test/controlPanel.test.tsx
index b85535d5340..9a35494e78a 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/plugins/plugin-chart-table/test/controlPanel.test.tsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/plugins/plugin-chart-table/test/controlPanel.test.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import {
   ControlPanelState,
   ControlState,
   ColorSchemeEnum,
+  ObjectFormattingEnum,
 } from '@superset-ui/chart-controls';
 import config from '../src/controlPanel';
 
@@ -55,11 +56,12 @@ const createMockControlState = (value: string[] | undefined): ControlState => ({
 
 const createMockExplore = (
   timeCompareValue: string[] | undefined,
+  datasourceColumns: Partial<Dataset>['columns'] = [],
 ): ControlPanelState => ({
   slice: { slice_id: 123 },
   datasource: {
     verbose_map: { col1: 'Column 1', col2: 'Column 2' },
-    columns: [],
+    columns: datasourceColumns,
   } as Partial<Dataset> as Dataset,
   controls: {
     time_compare: createMockControlState(timeCompareValue),
@@ -206,3 +208,144 @@ test('static extraColorChoices removed from config', () => {
 
   expect(controlConfig?.extraColorChoices).toBeUndefined();
 });
+
+test('columnOptions falls back to datasource columns when queriesResponse is empty', () => {
+  const controlConfig = findConditionalFormattingControl();
+  expect(controlConfig).toBeTruthy();
+
+  const datasourceColumns = [
+    { column_name: 'revenue', type_generic: GenericDataType.Numeric },
+    { column_name: 'name', type_generic: GenericDataType.String },
+  ];
+  const explore = createMockExplore(undefined, datasourceColumns);
+  const chart = { chartStatus: 'success' as const, queriesResponse: null };
+  const result = controlConfig!.mapStateToProps!(
+    explore,
+    createMockControlStateForConditionalFormatting(),
+    chart,
+  );
+
+  expect(result.columnOptions).toEqual(
+    expect.arrayContaining([
+      expect.objectContaining({ value: 'revenue' }),
+      expect.objectContaining({ value: 'name' }),
+    ]),
+  );
+  expect(result.allColumns).toEqual(
+    expect.arrayContaining([
+      expect.objectContaining({ value: 'revenue' }),
+      expect.objectContaining({ value: 'name' }),
+    ]),
+  );
+});
+
+test('columnOptions prefers queriesResponse over datasource columns', () => {
+  const controlConfig = findConditionalFormattingControl();
+  expect(controlConfig).toBeTruthy();
+
+  const datasourceColumns = [
+    { column_name: 'revenue', type_generic: GenericDataType.Numeric },
+    { column_name: 'extra_col', type_generic: GenericDataType.String },
+  ];
+  const explore = createMockExplore(undefined, datasourceColumns);
+  const chart = createMockChart();
+  const result = controlConfig!.mapStateToProps!(
+    explore,
+    createMockControlStateForConditionalFormatting(),
+    chart,
+  );
+
+  expect(result.columnOptions).toEqual(
+    expect.arrayContaining([
+      expect.objectContaining({ value: 'col1' }),
+      expect.objectContaining({ value: 'col2' }),
+    ]),
+  );
+  expect(result.columnOptions).not.toEqual(
+    expect.arrayContaining([expect.objectContaining({ value: 'extra_col' })]),
+  );
+});
+
+test('columnOptions falls back to datasource when queriesResponse has empty colnames', () => {
+  const controlConfig = findConditionalFormattingControl();
+  expect(controlConfig).toBeTruthy();
+
+  const datasourceColumns = [
+    { column_name: 'revenue', type_generic: GenericDataType.Numeric },
+  ];
+  const explore = createMockExplore(undefined, datasourceColumns);
+  const chart = {
+    chartStatus: 'success' as const,
+    queriesResponse: [{ colnames: [], coltypes: [] }],
+  };
+  const result = controlConfig!.mapStateToProps!(
+    explore,
+    createMockControlStateForConditionalFormatting(),
+    chart,
+  );
+
+  expect(result.columnOptions).toEqual(
+    expect.arrayContaining([expect.objectContaining({ value: 'revenue' })]),
+  );
+});
+
+test('columnOptions returns empty when both queriesResponse and datasource have no columns', () => {
+  const controlConfig = findConditionalFormattingControl();
+  expect(controlConfig).toBeTruthy();
+
+  const explore = createMockExplore(undefined, []);
+  const chart = { chartStatus: 'success' as const, queriesResponse: null };
+  const result = controlConfig!.mapStateToProps!(
+    explore,
+    createMockControlStateForConditionalFormatting(),
+    chart,
+  );
+
+  expect(result.columnOptions).toEqual([]);
+  expect(result.allColumns).toEqual([]);
+});
+
+test('allColumns includes ENTIRE_ROW when falling back to datasource columns', () => {
+  const controlConfig = findConditionalFormattingControl();
+  expect(controlConfig).toBeTruthy();
+
+  const datasourceColumns = [
+    { column_name: 'revenue', type_generic: GenericDataType.Numeric },
+  ];
+  const explore = createMockExplore(undefined, datasourceColumns);
+  const chart = { chartStatus: 'success' as const, queriesResponse: null };
+  const result = controlConfig!.mapStateToProps!(
+    explore,
+    createMockControlStateForConditionalFormatting(),
+    chart,
+  );
+
+  expect(result.allColumns).toEqual(
+    expect.arrayContaining([
+      expect.objectContaining({ value: ObjectFormattingEnum.ENTIRE_ROW }),
+    ]),
+  );
+});
+
+test('columnOptions defaults type_generic to String when missing from datasource columns', () => {
+  const controlConfig = findConditionalFormattingControl();
+  expect(controlConfig).toBeTruthy();
+
+  const datasourceColumns = [{ column_name: 'untyped_col' }];
+  const explore = createMockExplore(undefined, datasourceColumns);
+  const chart = { chartStatus: 'success' as const, queriesResponse: null };
+  const result = controlConfig!.mapStateToProps!(
+    explore,
+    createMockControlStateForConditionalFormatting(),
+    chart,
+  );
+
+  expect(result.columnOptions).toEqual(
+    expect.arrayContaining([
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        value: 'untyped_col',
+        dataType: GenericDataType.String,
+      }),
+    ]),
+  );
+});