diff --git a/bindings/python/pymongoarrow/context.py b/bindings/python/pymongoarrow/context.py
index e6da7abf..4672d637 100644
--- a/bindings/python/pymongoarrow/context.py
+++ b/bindings/python/pymongoarrow/context.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ def __init__(self, schema, codec_options=None):
         from pymongoarrow.lib import BuilderManager
 
         self.manager = BuilderManager(schema_map, self.schema is not None, self.tzinfo)
+        self.schema_map = schema_map
 
     def process_bson_stream(self, stream):
         self.manager.process_bson_stream(stream, len(stream))
@@ -59,8 +60,15 @@ def _parse_builder_map(builder_map):
     # Traverse the builder map right to left.
     for key, value in reversed(builder_map.items()):
         if value.type_marker == _BsonArrowTypes.document.value:
-            names = value.finish()
-            full_names = [f"{key}.{name}" for name in names]
+            names = []
+            full_names = []
+            for candidate in list(builder_map):
+                if candidate.startswith(key + "."):
+                    name = candidate[len(key) + 1 :]
+                    if "." in name or "[" in name:
+                        continue
+                    names.append(name)
+                    full_names.append(candidate)
             arrs = [builder_map[c] for c in full_names]
             builder_map[key] = StructArray.from_arrays(arrs, names=names)
             to_remove.extend(full_names)
diff --git a/bindings/python/pymongoarrow/lib.pyx b/bindings/python/pymongoarrow/lib.pyx
index 802ee829..58d45de1 100644
--- a/bindings/python/pymongoarrow/lib.pyx
+++ b/bindings/python/pymongoarrow/lib.pyx
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ cdef class BuilderManager:
                 # We only use the doc_iter for binary arrays, which are handled already.
                 self.get_builder(name, ftype, <bson_iter_t *>nullptr)
 
-    cdef _ArrayBuilderBase get_builder(self, cstring key, bson_type_t value_t, bson_iter_t * doc_iter) except *:
+    cdef _ArrayBuilderBase get_builder(self, cstring key, bson_type_t value_t, bson_iter_t * doc_iter):
         cdef _ArrayBuilderBase builder = None
         cdef bson_subtype_t subtype
         cdef const uint8_t *val_buf = NULL
diff --git a/bindings/python/test/test_arrow.py b/bindings/python/test/test_arrow.py
index cc831518..53bef0e2 100644
--- a/bindings/python/test/test_arrow.py
+++ b/bindings/python/test/test_arrow.py
@@ -466,6 +466,32 @@ def test_string_bool(self):
             ),
         )
 
+    def test_schema_missing_field(self):
+        self.coll.drop()
+        self.coll.insert_one(
+            {
+                "_id": ObjectId("000000000000000000000013"),
+                "list_field": [{"name": "Test1", "test": "Test2"}],
+            }
+        )
+
+        schema = Schema(
+            {
+                "_id": ObjectId,
+                "list_field": [
+                    {
+                        "name": pa.string(),
+                        "test": pa.string(),
+                        "test_test": pa.string(),  # does not exist in the database collection
+                    }
+                ],
+            }
+        )
+        expected = [[{"name": "Test1", "test": "Test2", "test_test": None}]]
+        for func in [find_arrow_all, aggregate_arrow_all]:
+            out = func(self.coll, {} if func == find_arrow_all else [], schema=schema).drop(["_id"])
+            self.assertEqual(out["list_field"].to_pylist(), expected)
+
     def test_auto_schema_nested(self):
         # Create table with random data of various types.
         _, data = self._create_nested_data()