diff --git a/src/workspace-data/data-table/shared/RenameColumnModal.test.ts b/src/workspace-data/data-table/shared/RenameColumnModal.test.ts
index 7f47708916..625e5b46ea 100644
--- a/src/workspace-data/data-table/shared/RenameColumnModal.test.ts
+++ b/src/workspace-data/data-table/shared/RenameColumnModal.test.ts
@@ -52,4 +52,16 @@ describe('RenameColumnModal', () => {
     // Assert
     expect(renameModal.getByText(/already exists as an attribute name/));
   });
+
+  it('Errors on column name starting with sys_', async () => {
+    // Arrange
+    const renameProps = { ...defaultRenameColumnModalProps };
+    // Act
+    const renameModal = render(h(RenameColumnModal, renameProps));
+    // User enters 'attribute2'
+    const input = screen.getByLabelText(/New Name/);
+    await userEvent.type(input, 'sys_attribute');
+    // Assert
+    expect(renameModal.getByText(/Column name cannot start with "sys_"/));
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/workspace-data/data-table/shared/RenameColumnModal.ts b/src/workspace-data/data-table/shared/RenameColumnModal.ts
index 9e7abeb59a..5ab945e08a 100644
--- a/src/workspace-data/data-table/shared/RenameColumnModal.ts
+++ b/src/workspace-data/data-table/shared/RenameColumnModal.ts
@@ -36,13 +36,14 @@ export const RenameColumnModal = (props: RenameColumnModalProps): ReactNode => {
       message: 'Column name is required',
     },
     format: {
-      pattern: `^(?!name$|entityType$|${entityType}_id$)[A-Za-z0-9_-]+$`,
+      pattern: `^(?!name$|entityType$|${entityType}_id$|sys_)[A-Za-z0-9_-]+$`,
       flags: 'i',
       message: Utils.cond(
         [
           ['name', 'entityType', `${entityType}_id`].includes(newAttributeName),
           () => `Column name cannot be "name", "entityType" or "${entityType}_id".`,
         ],
+        [newAttributeName.startsWith('sys_'), () => 'Column name cannot start with "sys_".'],
 
         () => 'Column name may only contain alphanumeric characters, underscores, and dashes.'
       ),