diff --git a/pkg/sql/execinfra/server_config.go b/pkg/sql/execinfra/server_config.go
index 17f7fc34c004..03d2f68051aa 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/execinfra/server_config.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/execinfra/server_config.go
@@ -345,6 +345,10 @@ type TestingKnobs struct {
 	// TableReaderStartScanCb, when non-nil, will be called whenever the
 	// TableReader processor starts its scan.
 	TableReaderStartScanCb func()
+
+	// SampleAggregatorTestingKnobRowHook, if non-nil, is called for each row
+	// processed by the sample aggregator. Used for testing, e.g., to inject panics.
+	SampleAggregatorTestingKnobRowHook func()
 }
 
 // ModuleTestingKnobs is part of the base.ModuleTestingKnobs interface.
diff --git a/pkg/sql/rowexec/sample_aggregator.go b/pkg/sql/rowexec/sample_aggregator.go
index e45c5a3f17a9..893b880c5f86 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/rowexec/sample_aggregator.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/rowexec/sample_aggregator.go
@@ -191,15 +191,21 @@ func (s *sampleAggregator) Run(ctx context.Context, output execinfra.RowReceiver
 	ctx = s.StartInternal(ctx, sampleAggregatorProcName)
 	s.input.Start(ctx)
 
-	earlyExit, err := s.mainLoop(ctx, output)
-	if err != nil {
-		execinfra.DrainAndClose(ctx, s.FlowCtx, s.input, output, err)
-	} else if !earlyExit {
-		execinfra.SendTraceData(ctx, s.FlowCtx, output)
-		s.input.ConsumerClosed()
-		output.ProducerDone()
-	}
-	s.MoveToDraining(nil /* err */)
+	// Use defer to ensure cleanup happens even on panic (fix for issue #160337).
+	var earlyExit bool
+	var err error
+	defer func() {
+		if err != nil {
+			execinfra.DrainAndClose(ctx, s.FlowCtx, s.input, output, err)
+		} else if !earlyExit {
+			execinfra.SendTraceData(ctx, s.FlowCtx, output)
+			s.input.ConsumerClosed()
+			output.ProducerDone()
+		}
+		s.MoveToDraining(nil /* err */)
+	}()
+
+	earlyExit, err = s.mainLoop(ctx, output)
 }
 
 // Close is part of the execinfra.Processor interface.
@@ -249,6 +255,7 @@ func (s *sampleAggregator) mainLoop(
 	var da tree.DatumAlloc
 	for {
 		row, meta := s.input.Next()
+
 		if meta != nil {
 			if meta.SamplerProgress != nil {
 				rowsProcessed += meta.SamplerProgress.RowsProcessed
@@ -296,6 +303,8 @@ func (s *sampleAggregator) mainLoop(
 		}
 		if row == nil {
 			break
+		} else if s.FlowCtx.Cfg.TestingKnobs.SampleAggregatorTestingKnobRowHook != nil {
+			s.FlowCtx.Cfg.TestingKnobs.SampleAggregatorTestingKnobRowHook()
 		}
 
 		// There are four kinds of rows. They should be identified in this order:
diff --git a/pkg/sql/rowexec/sample_aggregator_test.go b/pkg/sql/rowexec/sample_aggregator_test.go
index 3a5e1f9b4262..0f5acf618e81 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/rowexec/sample_aggregator_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/rowexec/sample_aggregator_test.go
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ import (
 	gosql "database/sql"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/base"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/gossip"
@@ -21,15 +23,18 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/execinfrapb"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/execversion"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/randgen"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/rowenc"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/sem/eval"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/sem/tree"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/stats"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/types"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils/distsqlutils"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils/serverutils"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils/skip"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils/sqlutils"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/leaktest"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/log"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/mon"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/protoutil"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/randutil"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/errors"
@@ -451,3 +456,172 @@ func TestSampleAggregator(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// TestPanicDeadlock verifies that the defer-based cleanup fix prevents the deadlock
+// using the real sampleAggregator processor.
+//
+// The original deadlock scenario (issue #160337):
+// 1. A processor panics during execution (without deferred cleanup)
+// 2. Producer goroutines are blocked sending to it via RowChannel
+// 3. The panic is recovered but the processor never calls ConsumerClosed()
+// 4. Producers remain stuck on channel sends indefinitely
+// 5. Wait() blocks forever waiting for producer goroutines
+// 6. Cleanup is never called, so UnregisterFlow never happens
+// 7. Drain waits forever for the flow to unregister
+//
+// The fix uses defer to ensure ConsumerClosed() is called even on panic,
+// which drains the channel and unblocks stuck producers.
+func TestPanicDeadlock(t *testing.T) {
+	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
+	skip.UnderStress(t, "test has a 10-second timeout to detect deadlock")
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+
+	// Set up minimal infrastructure for sampleAggregator
+	st := cluster.MakeTestingClusterSettings()
+	evalCtx := eval.MakeTestingEvalContext(st)
+	defer evalCtx.Stop(ctx)
+
+	monitor := mon.NewMonitor(mon.Options{
+		Name:     mon.MakeName("test"),
+		Settings: st,
+	})
+	monitor.Start(ctx, nil, mon.NewStandaloneBudget(1<<30))
+	defer monitor.Stop(ctx)
+
+	// Set up testing knob to inject panic after first row
+	var rowsSeen int
+	flowCtx := &execinfra.FlowCtx{
+		EvalCtx: &evalCtx,
+		Mon:     monitor,
+		Cfg: &execinfra.ServerConfig{
+			Settings: st,
+			TestingKnobs: execinfra.TestingKnobs{
+				SampleAggregatorTestingKnobRowHook: func() {
+					rowsSeen++
+					if rowsSeen >= 1 {
+						panic("sampleAggregator test: injected panic")
+					}
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	// SampleAggregator expects sampler output format: original columns + 8 metadata columns
+	// Sampler adds: rank, sketch_idx, num_rows, num_nulls, size, sketch_data, inv_col_idx, inv_idx_key
+	samplerOutTypes := []*types.T{
+		types.Int,   // original column (the data being sampled)
+		types.Int,   // rank
+		types.Int,   // sketch index
+		types.Int,   // num rows
+		types.Int,   // num nulls
+		types.Int,   // size
+		types.Bytes, // sketch data
+		types.Int,   // inverted column index
+		types.Bytes, // inverted index key
+	}
+
+	// Use unbuffered channel to ensure blocking happens immediately
+	rowChan := &execinfra.RowChannel{}
+	rowChan.InitWithBufSizeAndNumSenders(samplerOutTypes, 0 /* unbuffered */, 1 /* numSenders */)
+	rowChan.Start(ctx)
+
+	// Create the real sampleAggregator
+	spec := &execinfrapb.SampleAggregatorSpec{
+		SampleSize:    100,
+		MinSampleSize: 10,
+		Sketches: []execinfrapb.SketchSpec{
+			{
+				Columns:           []uint32{0},
+				GenerateHistogram: false,
+				StatName:          "test",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	post := &execinfrapb.PostProcessSpec{}
+
+	proc, err := newSampleAggregator(ctx, flowCtx, 0 /* processorID */, spec, rowChan, post)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Create output channel (sampleAggregator outputs stats results)
+	outputChan := &execinfra.RowChannel{}
+	outputChan.InitWithBufSizeAndNumSenders([]*types.T{types.Bytes}, 10, 1)
+	outputChan.Start(ctx)
+
+	// Track producer goroutine
+	var producerWg sync.WaitGroup
+	producerWg.Add(1)
+
+	// Start producer goroutine that sends rows to the processor
+	go func() {
+		defer producerWg.Done()
+		defer rowChan.ProducerDone()
+
+		// Create a sampler-format row with all 9 columns
+		row := rowenc.EncDatumRow{
+			rowenc.DatumToEncDatum(types.Int, tree.NewDInt(1)),      // original column
+			rowenc.DatumToEncDatum(types.Int, tree.NewDInt(0)),      // rank
+			rowenc.DatumToEncDatum(types.Int, tree.NewDInt(0)),      // sketch index
+			rowenc.DatumToEncDatum(types.Int, tree.NewDInt(1)),      // num rows
+			rowenc.DatumToEncDatum(types.Int, tree.NewDInt(0)),      // num nulls
+			rowenc.DatumToEncDatum(types.Int, tree.NewDInt(0)),      // size
+			rowenc.DatumToEncDatum(types.Bytes, tree.NewDBytes("")), // sketch data
+			rowenc.DatumToEncDatum(types.Int, tree.NewDInt(-1)),     // inverted column index (-1 = not used)
+			rowenc.DatumToEncDatum(types.Bytes, tree.NewDBytes("")), // inverted index key
+		}
+
+		// Send multiple rows. The processor will panic after reading the first one.
+		// WITH FIX: The defer in sampleAggregator.Run() calls ConsumerClosed() which drains the channel
+		// WITHOUT FIX: Producer would stay blocked forever
+		for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+			rowChan.Push(row, nil)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	// Run the processor in a separate goroutine (simulates flow.Run)
+	processorDone := make(chan bool)
+	var processorPanic interface{}
+
+	go func() {
+		defer func() {
+			// Simulates Wait() catching the panic
+			processorPanic = recover()
+			if processorPanic != nil {
+				// Simulates ctxCancel() being called
+				cancel()
+			}
+			close(processorDone)
+		}()
+
+		proc.Run(ctx, outputChan)
+	}()
+
+	// Wait for processor to panic and exit
+	<-processorDone
+
+	if processorPanic == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected processor to panic, but it didn't")
+	}
+
+	// Now try to wait for producer goroutine with a timeout
+	// WITH THE FIX: This should complete quickly because the defer calls
+	//               ConsumerClosed(), which drains the channel and unblocks the producer
+	producersDone := make(chan bool)
+	go func() {
+		producerWg.Wait()
+		close(producersDone)
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-producersDone:
+		// SUCCESS: Producer finished (this is what we want with the fix)
+		t.Log("Producer finished successfully after panic - fix is working")
+	case <-time.After(10 * time.Second):
+		// FAILURE: Producer is deadlocked (the fix is not working)
+		t.Fatal("DEADLOCK: Producer goroutine is still blocked 10 seconds after panic. " +
+			"The defer-based fix in sampleAggregator is not working correctly.")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/sql/rowexec/sampler.go b/pkg/sql/rowexec/sampler.go
index 4a0aa9d573c5..81b0cc98dc12 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/rowexec/sampler.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/rowexec/sampler.go
@@ -213,15 +213,21 @@ func (s *samplerProcessor) Run(ctx context.Context, output execinfra.RowReceiver
 	ctx = s.StartInternal(ctx, samplerProcName)
 	s.input.Start(ctx)
 
-	earlyExit, err := s.mainLoop(ctx, output)
-	if err != nil {
-		execinfra.DrainAndClose(ctx, s.FlowCtx, s.input, output, err)
-	} else if !earlyExit {
-		execinfra.SendTraceData(ctx, s.FlowCtx, output)
-		s.input.ConsumerClosed()
-		output.ProducerDone()
-	}
-	s.MoveToDraining(nil /* err */)
+	// Use defer to ensure cleanup happens even on panic (fix for issue #160337).
+	var earlyExit bool
+	var err error
+	defer func() {
+		if err != nil {
+			execinfra.DrainAndClose(ctx, s.FlowCtx, s.input, output, err)
+		} else if !earlyExit {
+			execinfra.SendTraceData(ctx, s.FlowCtx, output)
+			s.input.ConsumerClosed()
+			output.ProducerDone()
+		}
+		s.MoveToDraining(nil /* err */)
+	}()
+
+	earlyExit, err = s.mainLoop(ctx, output)
 }
 
 func (s *samplerProcessor) mainLoop(