diff --git a/parquet_file/src/metadata.rs b/parquet_file/src/metadata.rs
index 95ed09ce26..fd89c55d37 100644
--- a/parquet_file/src/metadata.rs
+++ b/parquet_file/src/metadata.rs
@@ -243,6 +243,9 @@ pub enum Error {
     CannotDecodeChunkId {
         source: data_types::chunk_metadata::ChunkIdConversionError,
     },
+
+    #[snafu(display("Cannot parse UUID: {}", source))]
+    UuidParse { source: uuid::Error },
 }
 pub type Result<T, E = Error> = std::result::Result<T, E>;
 
@@ -532,12 +535,72 @@ impl IoxMetadata {
         Ok(buf)
     }
 
+    /// Read from protobuf message
+    #[allow(dead_code)]
+    fn from_protobuf(data: &[u8]) -> Result<Self> {
+        // extract protobuf message from bytes
+        let proto_msg = proto::IoxMetadata::decode(data)
+            .map_err(|err| Box::new(err) as _)
+            .context(IoxMetadataBrokenSnafu)?;
+
+        // extract creation timestamp
+        let creation_timestamp =
+            decode_timestamp_from_field(proto_msg.creation_timestamp, "creation_timestamp")?;
+        // extract time of first write
+        let time_of_first_write =
+            decode_timestamp_from_field(proto_msg.time_of_first_write, "time_of_first_write")?;
+        // extract time of last write
+        let time_of_last_write =
+            decode_timestamp_from_field(proto_msg.time_of_last_write, "time_of_last_write")?;
+
+        // extract strings
+        let namespace_name = Arc::from(proto_msg.namespace_name.as_ref());
+        let table_name = Arc::from(proto_msg.table_name.as_ref());
+        let partition_key = Arc::from(proto_msg.partition_key.as_ref());
+
+        Ok(Self {
+            object_store_id: parse_uuid(&proto_msg.object_store_id)?.ok_or_else(|| {
+                Error::IoxMetadataFieldMissing {
+                    field: "object_store_id".to_string(),
+                }
+            })?,
+            creation_timestamp,
+            namespace_id: NamespaceId::new(proto_msg.namespace_id),
+            namespace_name,
+            sequencer_id: SequencerId::new(
+                proto_msg
+                    .sequencer_id
+                    .try_into()
+                    .map_err(|err| Box::new(err) as _)
+                    .context(IoxMetadataBrokenSnafu)?,
+            ),
+            table_id: TableId::new(proto_msg.table_id),
+            table_name,
+            partition_id: PartitionId::new(proto_msg.partition_id),
+            partition_key,
+            time_of_first_write,
+            time_of_last_write,
+            min_sequence_number: SequenceNumber::new(proto_msg.min_sequence_number),
+            max_sequence_number: SequenceNumber::new(proto_msg.max_sequence_number),
+        })
+    }
+
     /// verify uuid
     pub fn match_object_store_id(&self, uuid: Uuid) -> bool {
         uuid == self.object_store_id
     }
 }
 
+/// Parse big-endian UUID from protobuf.
+pub fn parse_uuid(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<Option<Uuid>> {
+    if bytes.is_empty() {
+        Ok(None)
+    } else {
+        let uuid = Uuid::from_slice(bytes).context(UuidParseSnafu {})?;
+        Ok(Some(uuid))
+    }
+}
+
 fn decode_timestamp_from_field(
     value: Option<pbjson_types::Timestamp>,
     field: &'static str,
@@ -1111,4 +1174,30 @@ mod tests {
         let parquet_metadata = chunk.parquet_metadata();
         assert_eq!(parquet_metadata.size(), 3719);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn iox_metadata_protobuf_round_trip() {
+        let object_store_id = Uuid::new_v4();
+        let iox_metadata = IoxMetadata {
+            object_store_id,
+            creation_timestamp: Time::from_timestamp(3234, 0),
+            namespace_id: NamespaceId::new(2),
+            namespace_name: Arc::from("hi"),
+            sequencer_id: SequencerId::new(1),
+            table_id: TableId::new(3),
+            table_name: Arc::from("weather"),
+            partition_id: PartitionId::new(4),
+            partition_key: Arc::from("part"),
+            time_of_first_write: Time::from_timestamp(3234, 0),
+            time_of_last_write: Time::from_timestamp(3234, 3456),
+            min_sequence_number: SequenceNumber::new(5),
+            max_sequence_number: SequenceNumber::new(6),
+        };
+
+        let proto = iox_metadata.to_protobuf().unwrap();
+
+        let iox_metadata_again = IoxMetadata::from_protobuf(&proto).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(iox_metadata, iox_metadata_again);
+    }
 }