diff --git a/.nextchanges/bundles/7036.md b/.nextchanges/bundles/7036.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b07601212bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.nextchanges/bundles/7036.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+* Fix bundle plan reporting an Update on every deploy for schemas and catalogs with properties the config never declared. ([#7036](https://github.com/databricks/cli/pull/7036))
diff --git a/bundle/direct/bundle_plan_test.go b/bundle/direct/bundle_plan_test.go
index 025ef91df6e..a23a8cbab49 100644
--- a/bundle/direct/bundle_plan_test.go
+++ b/bundle/direct/bundle_plan_test.go
@@ -175,6 +175,38 @@ func TestShouldSkipBackendDefault_ManagedPropertiesOnly(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestSchemaCatalogRemoteOnlyPropertiesSkipped(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, resource := range []string{"schemas", "catalogs"} {
+		t.Run(resource, func(t *testing.T) {
+			cfg := dresources.GetResourceConfig(resource)
+			path, err := structpath.ParsePath("properties")
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			_, ok := shouldSkipBackendDefault(cfg, path, &deployplan.ChangeDesc{
+				Old:    nil,
+				New:    nil,
+				Remote: map[string]string{"owner": "root"},
+			})
+			assert.True(t, ok)
+
+			_, ok = shouldSkipBackendDefault(cfg, path, &deployplan.ChangeDesc{
+				Old:    map[string]string{"owner": "root"},
+				New:    map[string]string{"owner": "root"},
+				Remote: map[string]string{"owner": "other"},
+			})
+			assert.False(t, ok)
+
+			child, err := structpath.ParsePath("properties['owner']")
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			_, ok = shouldSkipBackendDefault(cfg, child, &deployplan.ChangeDesc{
+				Old:    "root",
+				New:    "root",
+				Remote: "other",
+			})
+			assert.False(t, ok)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 // A field present in StateType but absent from RemoteType (input-only, e.g. external
 // locations' skip_validation) reads back nil, so a coincidental new == remote must NOT
 // trip RemoteAlreadySet — that would skip a real local change. A field present in RemoteType
diff --git a/bundle/direct/dresources/configs/catalogs.yml b/bundle/direct/dresources/configs/catalogs.yml
index 143a74c447d..538304a8a66 100644
--- a/bundle/direct/dresources/configs/catalogs.yml
+++ b/bundle/direct/dresources/configs/catalogs.yml
@@ -17,5 +17,8 @@ updatable_id_fields:
   - field: name
     reason: id_changes
 backend_defaults:
-  # UC auto-populates unity.catalog.managed.<format>.defaults.* keys after create.
-  - field: properties['unity.catalog.managed.*.defaults.*']
+  # Skip properties present only on the remote when the config declares none,
+  # including unity.catalog.managed.*.defaults.* keys UC sets after create.
+  # The SDK cannot send an empty map to clear them. Declared properties
+  # still take part in drift detection.
+  - field: properties
diff --git a/bundle/direct/dresources/configs/schemas.yml b/bundle/direct/dresources/configs/schemas.yml
index 8ef27e71d15..80d2c1e6e87 100644
--- a/bundle/direct/dresources/configs/schemas.yml
+++ b/bundle/direct/dresources/configs/schemas.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ normalize_slash:
   - field: storage_root
     reason: uc_strips_trailing_slash
 backend_defaults:
-  # UC auto-populates unity.catalog.managed.<format>.defaults.* keys after create.
-  # Without this, every subsequent plan produces an Update whose payload is empty,
-  # and UC rejects it with "UpdateSchema Nothing to update".
-  - field: properties['unity.catalog.managed.*.defaults.*']
+  # Skip properties present only on the remote when the config declares none,
+  # including unity.catalog.managed.*.defaults.* keys UC sets after create.
+  # The SDK cannot send an empty map to clear them. Declared properties
+  # still take part in drift detection.
+  - field: properties