diff --git a/spark/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/OptimisticTransaction.scala b/spark/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/OptimisticTransaction.scala
index 74ff67ddf23..60748ddb0d0 100644
--- a/spark/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/OptimisticTransaction.scala
+++ b/spark/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/OptimisticTransaction.scala
@@ -511,8 +511,9 @@ trait OptimisticTransactionImpl extends TransactionalWrite
 
       val newProtocolForLatestMetadata =
         Protocol(readerVersionAsTableProp, writerVersionAsTableProp)
-      val proposedNewProtocol = protocolBeforeUpdate.merge(newProtocolForLatestMetadata)
-        .addImplicitLegacyFeatures(newProtocolForLatestMetadata)
+      val proposedNewProtocol = protocolBeforeUpdate
+        .merge(newProtocolForLatestMetadata)
+        .downgradeProtocolVersionsIfNeeded
 
       if (proposedNewProtocol != protocolBeforeUpdate) {
         // The merged protocol has higher versions and/or supports more features.
diff --git a/spark/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/TableFeature.scala b/spark/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/TableFeature.scala
index f58666d946a..53de9c56650 100644
--- a/spark/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/TableFeature.scala
+++ b/spark/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/TableFeature.scala
@@ -337,7 +337,11 @@ object TableFeature {
       DeletionVectorsTableFeature,
       VacuumProtocolCheckTableFeature,
       V2CheckpointTableFeature,
-      RowTrackingFeature)
+      RowTrackingFeature,
+      TestRemovableWriterFeature,
+      TestRemovableLegacyWriterFeature,
+      TestRemovableReaderWriterFeature,
+      TestRemovableLegacyReaderWriterFeature)
     if (DeltaUtils.isTesting) {
       features ++= Set(
         TestLegacyWriterFeature,
@@ -347,10 +351,6 @@ object TableFeature {
         TestReaderWriterFeature,
         TestReaderWriterMetadataAutoUpdateFeature,
         TestReaderWriterMetadataNoAutoUpdateFeature,
-        TestRemovableWriterFeature,
-        TestRemovableLegacyWriterFeature,
-        TestRemovableReaderWriterFeature,
-        TestRemovableLegacyReaderWriterFeature,
         TestFeatureWithDependency,
         TestFeatureWithTransitiveDependency,
         TestWriterFeatureWithTransitiveDependency,
diff --git a/spark/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/actions/TableFeatureSupport.scala b/spark/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/actions/TableFeatureSupport.scala
index 3a56a961a88..2ab20c684cd 100644
--- a/spark/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/actions/TableFeatureSupport.scala
+++ b/spark/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/actions/TableFeatureSupport.scala
@@ -281,12 +281,26 @@ trait TableFeatureSupport { this: Protocol =>
     (this.readerAndWriterFeatureNames -- to.readerAndWriterFeatureNames).size == 1
   }
 
+  /**
+   * This is a special protocol version downgrade path that can be invoked by setting legacy
+   * protocol versions on table features protocol. This is the only downgrade path that may
+   * occur outside the DROP FEATURE command. The main requirement is the table features protocol
+   * only contains legacy features.
+   */
+  def canDowngradeToLegacy(to: Protocol): Boolean = {
+    if (!supportsWriterFeatures || to.supportsWriterFeatures) return false
+
+    readerAndWriterFeatures.forall(_.isLegacyFeature) &&
+      readerAndWriterFeatureNames.subsetOf(to.implicitlySupportedFeatures.map(_.name))
+  }
+
   /**
    * True if this protocol can be upgraded or downgraded to the 'to' protocol.
    */
   def canTransitionTo(to: Protocol, op: Operation): Boolean = {
     op match {
       case drop: DeltaOperations.DropTableFeature => canDowngradeTo(to, drop.featureName)
+      case _ if supportsWriterFeatures && !to.supportsWriterFeatures => canDowngradeToLegacy(to)
       case _ => canUpgradeTo(to)
     }
   }
@@ -314,15 +328,6 @@ trait TableFeatureSupport { this: Protocol =>
     }
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Adds to the protocol all implicit legacy features of the `legacy` protocol.
-   */
-  def addImplicitLegacyFeatures(legacy: Protocol): Protocol = {
-    if (!this.supportsWriterFeatures || legacy.supportsWriterFeatures) return this
-
-    this.withFeatures(legacy.implicitlySupportedFeatures)
-  }
-
   /**
    * Remove writer feature from protocol. To remove a writer feature we only need to
    * remove it from the writerFeatures set.
diff --git a/spark/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/DeltaProtocolVersionSuite.scala b/spark/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/DeltaProtocolVersionSuite.scala
index 0b822e792f0..5da16539a52 100644
--- a/spark/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/DeltaProtocolVersionSuite.scala
+++ b/spark/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/delta/DeltaProtocolVersionSuite.scala
@@ -3423,10 +3423,12 @@ trait DeltaProtocolVersionSuiteBase extends QueryTest
   }
 
   for {
-    setLegacyVersions <- BOOLEAN_DOMAIN
     tableFeatureToAdd <- Seq(TestRemovableWriterFeature, TestRemovableReaderWriterFeature)
+    setLegacyVersions <- BOOLEAN_DOMAIN
+    downgradeAfterDrop <- if (setLegacyVersions) Seq(true, false) else Seq(false)
   } test("SOP for downgrading to legacy protocol versions for tables created with features. " +
-      s"setLegacyVersions: $setLegacyVersions, tableFeatureToAdd: ${tableFeatureToAdd.name}") {
+      s"tableFeatureToAdd: ${tableFeatureToAdd.name}, setLegacyVersions: $setLegacyVersions, " +
+      s"downgradeAfterDrop: ${downgradeAfterDrop}") {
     withTempDir { dir =>
       val deltaLog = DeltaLog.forTable(spark, dir)
 
@@ -3439,20 +3441,23 @@ trait DeltaProtocolVersionSuiteBase extends QueryTest
            |delta.feature.${ChangeDataFeedTableFeature.name} = 'supported'
            |)""".stripMargin)
 
-      if (setLegacyVersions) {
-        sql(
-          s"""
-             |ALTER TABLE delta.`${deltaLog.dataPath}` SET TBLPROPERTIES (
-             |  'delta.minReaderVersion' = ${ChangeDataFeedTableFeature.minReaderVersion},
-             |  'delta.minWriterVersion' = ${ChangeDataFeedTableFeature.minWriterVersion}
-             |)""".stripMargin)
-      }
+      val downgradeProtocolVersionsSQL =
+        s"""
+           |ALTER TABLE delta.`${deltaLog.dataPath}` SET TBLPROPERTIES (
+           |  'delta.minReaderVersion' = ${ChangeDataFeedTableFeature.minReaderVersion},
+           |  'delta.minWriterVersion' = ${ChangeDataFeedTableFeature.minWriterVersion}
+           |)""".stripMargin
+
+
+      if (setLegacyVersions && !downgradeAfterDrop) sql(downgradeProtocolVersionsSQL)
 
       AlterTableDropFeatureDeltaCommand(
         DeltaTableV2(spark, deltaLog.dataPath),
         tableFeatureToAdd.name,
         truncateHistory = tableFeatureToAdd.isReaderWriterFeature).run(spark)
 
+      if (setLegacyVersions && downgradeAfterDrop) sql(downgradeProtocolVersionsSQL)
+
       val expectedProtocol = if (setLegacyVersions) {
         Protocol(1, 4)
       } else {