diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 95405bf..3627cda 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -902,7 +902,6 @@ bun-mariadb/
 │   │       ├── create-db-schema.ts
 │   │       ├── create-table.ts
 │   │       ├── update-table.ts
-│   │       ├── recreate-table.ts
 │   │       ├── sync-indexes.ts
 │   │       └── ...
 │   ├── types/
diff --git a/dist/lib/schema/recreate-table.d.ts b/dist/lib/schema/recreate-table.d.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index c7cedf3..0000000
--- a/dist/lib/schema/recreate-table.d.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-import type { BUN_MARIADB_TableSchemaType, BunMariaDBConfig } from "../../types";
-/**
- * Full table rebuild using a temp-table swap (preserving rows when possible).
- */
-export default function recreateTable({ table, config, }: {
-    table: BUN_MARIADB_TableSchemaType;
-    config?: BunMariaDBConfig;
-}): Promise<void>;
diff --git a/dist/lib/schema/recreate-table.js b/dist/lib/schema/recreate-table.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 3f6ce0b..0000000
--- a/dist/lib/schema/recreate-table.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,68 +0,0 @@
-import createTable from "./create-table";
-import getTableColumns from "./get-table-columns";
-import MariaDBQuoteGen from "./mariadb-quote-gen";
-import runSchemaQuery, { querySchemaRows } from "./run-schema-query";
-import schemaCondition from "./schema-condition";
-async function checkIfTableExists({ tableName, config, }) {
-    const schemaCond = schemaCondition(config);
-    const rows = await querySchemaRows({
-        query: `SELECT 1 AS \`table_exists\` FROM information_schema.TABLES WHERE ${schemaCond.where} AND TABLE_NAME = ? LIMIT 1`,
-        values: [...schemaCond.values, tableName],
-        config,
-    });
-    return Boolean(rows[0]?.table_exists);
-}
-/**
- * Full table rebuild using a temp-table swap (preserving rows when possible).
- */
-export default async function recreateTable({ table, config, }) {
-    const doesTableExist = await checkIfTableExists({
-        tableName: table.tableName,
-        config,
-    });
-    if (!doesTableExist) {
-        await createTable({ table, config });
-        return;
-    }
-    const tempTableName = `${table.tableName}_temp_${Date.now()}`;
-    const backupOldTableName = `${table.tableName}_old_${Date.now()}`;
-    const existingColumns = await getTableColumns({
-        tableName: table.tableName,
-        config,
-    });
-    const columnsToKeep = (table.fields || [])
-        .filter((field) => existingColumns.some((column) => column.name === field.fieldName))
-        .map((field) => field.fieldName)
-        .filter((fieldName) => Boolean(fieldName));
-    await createTable({
-        table: { ...table, tableName: tempTableName },
-        config,
-    });
-    if (columnsToKeep.length > 0) {
-        const columnList = columnsToKeep
-            .map((column) => MariaDBQuoteGen(column))
-            .join(", ");
-        await runSchemaQuery({
-            query: `INSERT INTO ${MariaDBQuoteGen(tempTableName)} (${columnList}) SELECT ${columnList} FROM ${MariaDBQuoteGen(table.tableName)}`,
-            config,
-        });
-    }
-    await runSchemaQuery({ query: `SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS = 0`, config });
-    try {
-        await runSchemaQuery({
-            query: `RENAME TABLE ${MariaDBQuoteGen(table.tableName)} TO ${MariaDBQuoteGen(backupOldTableName)}`,
-            config,
-        });
-        await runSchemaQuery({
-            query: `RENAME TABLE ${MariaDBQuoteGen(tempTableName)} TO ${MariaDBQuoteGen(table.tableName)}`,
-            config,
-        });
-        await runSchemaQuery({
-            query: `DROP TABLE ${MariaDBQuoteGen(backupOldTableName)}`,
-            config,
-        });
-    }
-    finally {
-        await runSchemaQuery({ query: `SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS = 1`, config });
-    }
-}
diff --git a/dist/lib/schema/update-table.js b/dist/lib/schema/update-table.js
index 6d7918b..2bb8cc6 100644
--- a/dist/lib/schema/update-table.js
+++ b/dist/lib/schema/update-table.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import getTableColumns, {} from "./get-table-columns";
 import isVectorField from "./is-vector-field";
 import mapDataType from "./map-data-types";
 import MariaDBQuoteGen from "./mariadb-quote-gen";
-import recreateTable from "./recreate-table";
 import runSchemaQuery, { querySchemaRows } from "./run-schema-query";
 import schemaCondition from "./schema-condition";
 import { dropForeignKeysOnColumns } from "./sync-foreign-keys";
@@ -141,6 +140,50 @@ async function dropColumn({ tableName, fieldName, config, }) {
         config,
     });
 }
+/**
+ * Drop + re-add a column (values discarded). Used when VECTOR dimensions change —
+ * MODIFY cannot resize VECTOR, and a full table rebuild is unnecessary.
+ */
+async function recreateColumn({ tableName, field, config, }) {
+    if (!field.fieldName)
+        return;
+    console.log(`Recreating column: ${tableName}.${field.fieldName} (values will be cleared)`);
+    await dropForeignKeysOnColumns({
+        tableName,
+        columns: [field.fieldName],
+        config,
+    });
+    const schemaCond = schemaCondition(config);
+    const indexRows = await querySchemaRows({
+        query: `SELECT INDEX_NAME, COLUMN_NAME FROM information_schema.STATISTICS WHERE ${schemaCond.where} AND TABLE_NAME = ? AND INDEX_NAME <> 'PRIMARY'`,
+        values: [...schemaCond.values, tableName],
+        config,
+    });
+    const indexesToDrop = new Set();
+    for (const row of indexRows) {
+        if (row.COLUMN_NAME === field.fieldName) {
+            indexesToDrop.add(row.INDEX_NAME);
+        }
+    }
+    for (const indexName of indexesToDrop) {
+        console.log(`Dropping index ${indexName} because column ${field.fieldName} is being recreated`);
+        try {
+            await runSchemaQuery({
+                query: `DROP INDEX ${MariaDBQuoteGen(indexName)} ON ${MariaDBQuoteGen(tableName)}`,
+                config,
+            });
+        }
+        catch (err) {
+            if (String(err?.message || "").includes("needed in a foreign key constraint")) {
+                console.warn(`Skipping drop of index ${indexName}: required by a foreign key constraint`);
+                continue;
+            }
+            throw err;
+        }
+    }
+    await dropColumn({ tableName, fieldName: field.fieldName, config });
+    await addColumn({ tableName, field, config });
+}
 export default async function updateTable({ table, config, }) {
     const existingColumns = await getTableColumns({
         tableName: table.tableName,
@@ -154,8 +197,8 @@ export default async function updateTable({ table, config, }) {
     const codeFieldsMap = new Map((table.fields || []).map((f) => [f.fieldName, f]));
     const fieldsToAdd = [];
     const fieldsToModify = [];
+    const fieldsToRecreate = [];
     const fieldsToDrop = [];
-    let needsVectorRecreate = false;
     for (const field of table.fields || []) {
         if (!field.fieldName)
             continue;
@@ -168,7 +211,9 @@ export default async function updateTable({ table, config, }) {
             if (isVectorField(field)) {
                 typeDiverged = vectorTypeDiverged(liveField.type, liveField.comment || "", field);
                 if (typeDiverged) {
-                    needsVectorRecreate = true;
+                    // VECTOR dimensions / storage cannot be MODIFYed — drop + re-add column
+                    fieldsToRecreate.push(field);
+                    continue;
                 }
             }
             const attrsDiverged = !typeDiverged && columnAttributesDiverged(liveField, field);
@@ -177,12 +222,6 @@ export default async function updateTable({ table, config, }) {
             }
         }
     }
-    // Vector dimension / storage type changes → full rebuild automatically
-    if (needsVectorRecreate) {
-        console.log(`Vector column change detected on \`${table.tableName}\`; recreating table`);
-        await recreateTable({ table, config });
-        return;
-    }
     for (const col of existingColumns) {
         if (!codeFieldsMap.has(col.name)) {
             fieldsToDrop.push(col.name);
@@ -190,6 +229,7 @@ export default async function updateTable({ table, config, }) {
     }
     if (fieldsToAdd.length === 0 &&
         fieldsToModify.length === 0 &&
+        fieldsToRecreate.length === 0 &&
         fieldsToDrop.length === 0) {
         return;
     }
@@ -257,17 +297,14 @@ export default async function updateTable({ table, config, }) {
         await addColumn({ tableName: table.tableName, field, config });
     }
     for (const field of fieldsToModify) {
-        try {
-            await modifyColumn({ tableName: table.tableName, field, config });
-        }
-        catch (err) {
-            if (isVectorField(field)) {
-                console.warn(`[Vector Resize] Re-aligning dimension spaces natively via safe migration schema rebuild.`);
-                await recreateTable({ table, config });
-                return;
-            }
-            throw err;
-        }
+        await modifyColumn({ tableName: table.tableName, field, config });
+    }
+    for (const field of fieldsToRecreate) {
+        await recreateColumn({
+            tableName: table.tableName,
+            field,
+            config,
+        });
     }
     for (const fieldName of fieldsToDrop) {
         await dropColumn({ tableName: table.tableName, fieldName, config });
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 21f6536..25648bd 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name": "@moduletrace/bun-mariadb",
-    "version": "1.0.11",
+    "version": "1.0.12",
     "description": "Schema-driven MariaDB manager for Bun",
     "author": "Benjamin Toby",
     "license": "MIT",
diff --git a/src/lib/schema/recreate-table.ts b/src/lib/schema/recreate-table.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 354d79e..0000000
--- a/src/lib/schema/recreate-table.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,95 +0,0 @@
-import type {
-    BUN_MARIADB_TableSchemaType,
-    BunMariaDBConfig,
-} from "../../types";
-import createTable from "./create-table";
-import getTableColumns from "./get-table-columns";
-import MariaDBQuoteGen from "./mariadb-quote-gen";
-import runSchemaQuery, { querySchemaRows } from "./run-schema-query";
-import schemaCondition from "./schema-condition";
-
-async function checkIfTableExists({
-    tableName,
-    config,
-}: {
-    tableName: string;
-    config?: BunMariaDBConfig;
-}): Promise<boolean> {
-    const schemaCond = schemaCondition(config);
-    const rows = await querySchemaRows<{ table_exists: number }>({
-        query: `SELECT 1 AS \`table_exists\` FROM information_schema.TABLES WHERE ${schemaCond.where} AND TABLE_NAME = ? LIMIT 1`,
-        values: [...schemaCond.values, tableName],
-        config,
-    });
-
-    return Boolean(rows[0]?.table_exists);
-}
-
-/**
- * Full table rebuild using a temp-table swap (preserving rows when possible).
- */
-export default async function recreateTable({
-    table,
-    config,
-}: {
-    table: BUN_MARIADB_TableSchemaType;
-    config?: BunMariaDBConfig;
-}): Promise<void> {
-    const doesTableExist = await checkIfTableExists({
-        tableName: table.tableName,
-        config,
-    });
-
-    if (!doesTableExist) {
-        await createTable({ table, config });
-        return;
-    }
-
-    const tempTableName = `${table.tableName}_temp_${Date.now()}`;
-    const backupOldTableName = `${table.tableName}_old_${Date.now()}`;
-    const existingColumns = await getTableColumns({
-        tableName: table.tableName,
-        config,
-    });
-
-    const columnsToKeep = (table.fields || [])
-        .filter((field) =>
-            existingColumns.some((column) => column.name === field.fieldName),
-        )
-        .map((field) => field.fieldName)
-        .filter((fieldName): fieldName is string => Boolean(fieldName));
-
-    await createTable({
-        table: { ...table, tableName: tempTableName },
-        config,
-    });
-
-    if (columnsToKeep.length > 0) {
-        const columnList = columnsToKeep
-            .map((column) => MariaDBQuoteGen(column))
-            .join(", ");
-
-        await runSchemaQuery({
-            query: `INSERT INTO ${MariaDBQuoteGen(tempTableName)} (${columnList}) SELECT ${columnList} FROM ${MariaDBQuoteGen(table.tableName)}`,
-            config,
-        });
-    }
-
-    await runSchemaQuery({ query: `SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS = 0`, config });
-    try {
-        await runSchemaQuery({
-            query: `RENAME TABLE ${MariaDBQuoteGen(table.tableName)} TO ${MariaDBQuoteGen(backupOldTableName)}`,
-            config,
-        });
-        await runSchemaQuery({
-            query: `RENAME TABLE ${MariaDBQuoteGen(tempTableName)} TO ${MariaDBQuoteGen(table.tableName)}`,
-            config,
-        });
-        await runSchemaQuery({
-            query: `DROP TABLE ${MariaDBQuoteGen(backupOldTableName)}`,
-            config,
-        });
-    } finally {
-        await runSchemaQuery({ query: `SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS = 1`, config });
-    }
-}
diff --git a/src/lib/schema/update-table.ts b/src/lib/schema/update-table.ts
index 606e1e5..b263a7d 100644
--- a/src/lib/schema/update-table.ts
+++ b/src/lib/schema/update-table.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import getTableColumns, { type ColumnInfoRow } from "./get-table-columns";
 import isVectorField from "./is-vector-field";
 import mapDataType from "./map-data-types";
 import MariaDBQuoteGen from "./mariadb-quote-gen";
-import recreateTable from "./recreate-table";
 import runSchemaQuery, { querySchemaRows } from "./run-schema-query";
 import schemaCondition from "./schema-condition";
 import { dropForeignKeysOnColumns } from "./sync-foreign-keys";
@@ -197,6 +196,76 @@ async function dropColumn({
     });
 }
 
+/**
+ * Drop + re-add a column (values discarded). Used when VECTOR dimensions change —
+ * MODIFY cannot resize VECTOR, and a full table rebuild is unnecessary.
+ */
+async function recreateColumn({
+    tableName,
+    field,
+    config,
+}: {
+    tableName: string;
+    field: BUN_MARIADB_FieldSchemaType;
+    config?: BunMariaDBConfig;
+}): Promise<void> {
+    if (!field.fieldName) return;
+
+    console.log(
+        `Recreating column: ${tableName}.${field.fieldName} (values will be cleared)`,
+    );
+
+    await dropForeignKeysOnColumns({
+        tableName,
+        columns: [field.fieldName],
+        config,
+    });
+
+    const schemaCond = schemaCondition(config);
+    const indexRows = await querySchemaRows<{
+        INDEX_NAME: string;
+        COLUMN_NAME: string;
+    }>({
+        query: `SELECT INDEX_NAME, COLUMN_NAME FROM information_schema.STATISTICS WHERE ${schemaCond.where} AND TABLE_NAME = ? AND INDEX_NAME <> 'PRIMARY'`,
+        values: [...schemaCond.values, tableName],
+        config,
+    });
+
+    const indexesToDrop = new Set<string>();
+    for (const row of indexRows) {
+        if (row.COLUMN_NAME === field.fieldName) {
+            indexesToDrop.add(row.INDEX_NAME);
+        }
+    }
+
+    for (const indexName of indexesToDrop) {
+        console.log(
+            `Dropping index ${indexName} because column ${field.fieldName} is being recreated`,
+        );
+        try {
+            await runSchemaQuery({
+                query: `DROP INDEX ${MariaDBQuoteGen(indexName)} ON ${MariaDBQuoteGen(tableName)}`,
+                config,
+            });
+        } catch (err: any) {
+            if (
+                String(err?.message || "").includes(
+                    "needed in a foreign key constraint",
+                )
+            ) {
+                console.warn(
+                    `Skipping drop of index ${indexName}: required by a foreign key constraint`,
+                );
+                continue;
+            }
+            throw err;
+        }
+    }
+
+    await dropColumn({ tableName, fieldName: field.fieldName, config });
+    await addColumn({ tableName, field, config });
+}
+
 export default async function updateTable({
     table,
     config,
@@ -223,8 +292,8 @@ export default async function updateTable({
 
     const fieldsToAdd: BUN_MARIADB_FieldSchemaType[] = [];
     const fieldsToModify: BUN_MARIADB_FieldSchemaType[] = [];
+    const fieldsToRecreate: BUN_MARIADB_FieldSchemaType[] = [];
     const fieldsToDrop: string[] = [];
-    let needsVectorRecreate = false;
 
     for (const field of table.fields || []) {
         if (!field.fieldName) continue;
@@ -246,7 +315,9 @@ export default async function updateTable({
                     field,
                 );
                 if (typeDiverged) {
-                    needsVectorRecreate = true;
+                    // VECTOR dimensions / storage cannot be MODIFYed — drop + re-add column
+                    fieldsToRecreate.push(field);
+                    continue;
                 }
             }
 
@@ -259,15 +330,6 @@ export default async function updateTable({
         }
     }
 
-    // Vector dimension / storage type changes → full rebuild automatically
-    if (needsVectorRecreate) {
-        console.log(
-            `Vector column change detected on \`${table.tableName}\`; recreating table`,
-        );
-        await recreateTable({ table, config });
-        return;
-    }
-
     for (const col of existingColumns) {
         if (!codeFieldsMap.has(col.name)) {
             fieldsToDrop.push(col.name);
@@ -277,6 +339,7 @@ export default async function updateTable({
     if (
         fieldsToAdd.length === 0 &&
         fieldsToModify.length === 0 &&
+        fieldsToRecreate.length === 0 &&
         fieldsToDrop.length === 0
     ) {
         return;
@@ -370,18 +433,15 @@ export default async function updateTable({
     }
 
     for (const field of fieldsToModify) {
-        try {
-            await modifyColumn({ tableName: table.tableName, field, config });
-        } catch (err: any) {
-            if (isVectorField(field)) {
-                console.warn(
-                    `[Vector Resize] Re-aligning dimension spaces natively via safe migration schema rebuild.`,
-                );
-                await recreateTable({ table, config });
-                return;
-            }
-            throw err;
-        }
+        await modifyColumn({ tableName: table.tableName, field, config });
+    }
+
+    for (const field of fieldsToRecreate) {
+        await recreateColumn({
+            tableName: table.tableName,
+            field,
+            config,
+        });
     }
 
     for (const fieldName of fieldsToDrop) {