diff --git a/datafusion/physical-optimizer/src/utils.rs b/datafusion/physical-optimizer/src/utils.rs
index 1fbf8c6fb78cd..27115a2dc3a54 100644
--- a/datafusion/physical-optimizer/src/utils.rs
+++ b/datafusion/physical-optimizer/src/utils.rs
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use datafusion_common::Result;
 use datafusion_physical_expr::{
-    Distribution, EquivalenceProperties, LexOrdering, LexRequirement, Partitioning,
-    PhysicalExpr, physical_exprs_equal,
+    AcrossPartitions, Distribution, EquivalenceProperties, LexOrdering, LexRequirement,
+    Partitioning, PhysicalExpr, physical_exprs_equal,
 };
 use datafusion_physical_plan::coalesce_partitions::CoalescePartitionsExec;
 use datafusion_physical_plan::limit::{GlobalLimitExec, LocalLimitExec};
@@ -32,6 +32,25 @@ use datafusion_physical_plan::union::UnionExec;
 use datafusion_physical_plan::windows::{BoundedWindowAggExec, WindowAggExec};
 use datafusion_physical_plan::{ExecutionPlan, ExecutionPlanProperties};
 
+/// Returns `true` when `expr` is a *globally* constant column in `eq_properties`
+/// and can therefore be safely dropped from a required ordering.
+///
+/// Only [`AcrossPartitions::Uniform`] qualifies. An
+/// [`AcrossPartitions::Heterogeneous`] value is constant *within* each partition
+/// but may differ *across* partitions, so it must be kept in the sort key: the
+/// `SortExec` these helpers build preserves partitioning, and its output is
+/// merged across partitions downstream, where the column is still an ordering
+/// discriminator. Dropping it there silently loses the global ordering.
+fn is_uniform_constant(
+    eq_properties: &EquivalenceProperties,
+    expr: &Arc<dyn PhysicalExpr>,
+) -> bool {
+    matches!(
+        eq_properties.is_expr_constant(expr),
+        Some(AcrossPartitions::Uniform(_))
+    )
+}
+
 /// This utility function adds a `SortExec` above an operator according to the
 /// given ordering requirements while preserving the original partitioning.
 ///
@@ -45,10 +64,7 @@ pub fn add_sort_above<T: Clone + Default>(
 ) -> PlanContext<T> {
     let mut sort_reqs: Vec<_> = sort_requirements.into();
     sort_reqs.retain(|sort_expr| {
-        node.plan
-            .equivalence_properties()
-            .is_expr_constant(&sort_expr.expr)
-            .is_none()
+        !is_uniform_constant(node.plan.equivalence_properties(), &sort_expr.expr)
     });
     let sort_exprs = sort_reqs.into_iter().map(Into::into).collect::<Vec<_>>();
     let Some(ordering) = LexOrdering::new(sort_exprs) else {
@@ -73,10 +89,7 @@ pub fn add_sort_above_with_distribution<T: Clone + Default>(
 ) -> PlanContext<T> {
     let mut sort_reqs: Vec<_> = sort_requirements.into();
     sort_reqs.retain(|sort_expr| {
-        node.plan
-            .equivalence_properties()
-            .is_expr_constant(&sort_expr.expr)
-            .is_none()
+        !is_uniform_constant(node.plan.equivalence_properties(), &sort_expr.expr)
     });
     let sort_exprs = sort_reqs.into_iter().map(Into::into).collect::<Vec<_>>();
     let Some(ordering) = LexOrdering::new(sort_exprs) else {
@@ -220,3 +233,77 @@ pub(crate) fn range_partitioning_satisfies_key_partitioning(
 pub fn is_limit(plan: &Arc<dyn ExecutionPlan>) -> bool {
     plan.is::<GlobalLimitExec>() || plan.is::<LocalLimitExec>()
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    use arrow::compute::SortOptions;
+    use arrow::datatypes::{DataType, Field, Schema};
+    use datafusion_physical_expr::PhysicalSortRequirement;
+    use datafusion_physical_expr::expressions::{col, lit};
+    use datafusion_physical_expr::projection::ProjectionExpr;
+    use datafusion_physical_plan::displayable;
+    use datafusion_physical_plan::empty::EmptyExec;
+    use datafusion_physical_plan::projection::ProjectionExec;
+
+    /// A `UnionExec` whose `sample` column is 1 on the left branch and 2 on the
+    /// right makes `sample` a `Heterogeneous` constant: constant within each
+    /// partition, but different across them. A required ordering of
+    /// `[sample, other]` must retain `sample`; the `SortExec` built here
+    /// preserves partitioning and its output is merged across partitions
+    /// downstream, where `sample` is still the leading ordering discriminator.
+    /// Regression test: `add_sort_above` used to drop every constant, uniform
+    /// or not, and silently discarded the global ordering.
+    #[test]
+    fn add_sort_above_keeps_heterogeneous_constant_key() -> Result<()> {
+        let schema = Arc::new(Schema::new(vec![Field::new("c", DataType::Int32, true)]));
+
+        let branch = |value: i32| -> Result<Arc<dyn ExecutionPlan>> {
+            let source = Arc::new(EmptyExec::new(Arc::clone(&schema)));
+            let projection = ProjectionExec::try_new(
+                vec![
+                    ProjectionExpr {
+                        expr: lit(value),
+                        alias: "sample".to_string(),
+                    },
+                    ProjectionExpr {
+                        expr: col("c", &schema)?,
+                        alias: "other".to_string(),
+                    },
+                ],
+                source,
+            )?;
+            Ok(Arc::new(projection))
+        };
+
+        let union: Arc<dyn ExecutionPlan> =
+            UnionExec::try_new(vec![branch(1)?, branch(2)?])?;
+        let union_schema = union.schema();
+
+        // Precondition: the union reports `sample` as a heterogeneous constant.
+        let sample = col("sample", &union_schema)?;
+        assert!(matches!(
+            union.equivalence_properties().is_expr_constant(&sample),
+            Some(AcrossPartitions::Heterogeneous)
+        ));
+
+        let asc = SortOptions::default();
+        let requirement: LexRequirement = [
+            PhysicalSortRequirement::new(sample, Some(asc)),
+            PhysicalSortRequirement::new(col("other", &union_schema)?, Some(asc)),
+        ]
+        .into();
+
+        let node = PlanContext::<()>::new_default(union);
+        let result = add_sort_above(node, requirement, None);
+
+        let plan = displayable(result.plan.as_ref()).indent(true).to_string();
+        assert!(
+            plan.contains("sample@0 ASC"),
+            "add_sort_above dropped the heterogeneous-constant sort key:\n{plan}"
+        );
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}