diff --git a/datafusion/physical-expr/src/expressions/negative.rs b/datafusion/physical-expr/src/expressions/negative.rs
index e2bda4c8aaf49..86641d5e6935d 100644
--- a/datafusion/physical-expr/src/expressions/negative.rs
+++ b/datafusion/physical-expr/src/expressions/negative.rs
@@ -174,6 +174,46 @@ impl PhysicalExpr for NegativeExpr {
         self.arg.fmt_sql(f)?;
         write!(f, ")")
     }
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "proto")]
+    fn try_to_proto(
+        &self,
+        ctx: &datafusion_physical_expr_common::physical_expr::proto_encode::PhysicalExprEncodeCtx<'_>,
+    ) -> Result<Option<datafusion_proto_models::protobuf::PhysicalExprNode>> {
+        use datafusion_proto_models::protobuf;
+
+        Ok(Some(protobuf::PhysicalExprNode {
+            expr_id: None,
+            expr_type: Some(protobuf::physical_expr_node::ExprType::Negative(Box::new(
+                protobuf::PhysicalNegativeNode {
+                    expr: Some(Box::new(ctx.encode_child(&self.arg)?)),
+                },
+            ))),
+        }))
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "proto")]
+impl NegativeExpr {
+    /// Reconstruct a [`NegativeExpr`] from its protobuf representation.
+    pub fn try_from_proto(
+        node: &datafusion_proto_models::protobuf::PhysicalExprNode,
+        ctx: &datafusion_physical_expr_common::physical_expr::proto_decode::PhysicalExprDecodeCtx<'_>,
+    ) -> Result<Arc<dyn PhysicalExpr>> {
+        use datafusion_proto_models::protobuf;
+
+        let protobuf::PhysicalNegativeNode { expr } = match &node.expr_type {
+            Some(protobuf::physical_expr_node::ExprType::Negative(n)) => n.as_ref(),
+            _ => return internal_err!("PhysicalExprNode is not a Negative"),
+        };
+        let expr = expr.as_deref().ok_or_else(|| {
+            datafusion_common::DataFusionError::Internal(
+                "Negative is missing required field 'expr'".to_string(),
+            )
+        })?;
+
+        Ok(Arc::new(NegativeExpr::new(ctx.decode(expr)?)))
+    }
 }
 
 /// Creates a unary expression NEGATIVE
diff --git a/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/from_proto.rs b/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/from_proto.rs
index 96144b11e9d3a..17d8edc5fe809 100644
--- a/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/from_proto.rs
+++ b/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/from_proto.rs
@@ -319,15 +319,7 @@ pub fn parse_physical_expr_with_converter(
             input_schema,
             proto_converter,
         )?)),
-        ExprType::Negative(e) => {
-            Arc::new(NegativeExpr::new(parse_required_physical_expr(
-                e.expr.as_deref(),
-                ctx,
-                "expr",
-                input_schema,
-                proto_converter,
-            )?))
-        }
+        ExprType::Negative(_) => NegativeExpr::try_from_proto(proto, &decode_ctx)?,
         ExprType::InList(_) => InListExpr::try_from_proto(proto, &decode_ctx)?,
         ExprType::Case(e) => Arc::new(CaseExpr::try_new(
             e.expr
diff --git a/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/to_proto.rs b/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/to_proto.rs
index 5dd643c84ba21..79ff944f9258f 100644
--- a/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/to_proto.rs
+++ b/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/to_proto.rs
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ use datafusion_physical_expr::window::{SlidingAggregateWindowExpr, StandardWindo
 use datafusion_physical_expr_common::sort_expr::PhysicalSortExpr;
 use datafusion_physical_plan::expressions::{
     CaseExpr, CastExpr, DynamicFilterPhysicalExpr, IsNotNullExpr, IsNullExpr, Literal,
-    NegativeExpr, NotExpr, TryCastExpr, UnKnownColumn,
+    NotExpr, TryCastExpr, UnKnownColumn,
 };
 use datafusion_physical_plan::joins::{HashExpr, HashTableLookupExpr};
 use datafusion_physical_plan::udaf::AggregateFunctionExpr;
@@ -412,17 +412,6 @@ pub fn serialize_physical_expr_with_converter(
                 }),
             )),
         })
-    } else if let Some(expr) = expr.downcast_ref::<NegativeExpr>() {
-        Ok(protobuf::PhysicalExprNode {
-            expr_id,
-            expr_type: Some(protobuf::physical_expr_node::ExprType::Negative(Box::new(
-                protobuf::PhysicalNegativeNode {
-                    expr: Some(Box::new(
-                        proto_converter.physical_expr_to_proto(expr.arg(), codec)?,
-                    )),
-                },
-            ))),
-        })
     } else if let Some(lit) = expr.downcast_ref::<Literal>() {
         Ok(protobuf::PhysicalExprNode {
             expr_id,