diff --git a/parquet/pqarrow/file_writer_test.go b/parquet/pqarrow/file_writer_test.go
index d8503ccb5..32713cd2f 100644
--- a/parquet/pqarrow/file_writer_test.go
+++ b/parquet/pqarrow/file_writer_test.go
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ func TestFileWriterTotalBytes(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Verify total bytes & compressed bytes are correct
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(408), writer.TotalCompressedBytes())
-	assert.Equal(t, int64(912), writer.TotalBytesWritten())
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(910), writer.TotalBytesWritten())
 }
 
 func TestFileWriterTotalBytesBuffered(t *testing.T) {
@@ -206,5 +206,5 @@ func TestFileWriterTotalBytesBuffered(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Verify total bytes & compressed bytes are correct
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(596), writer.TotalCompressedBytes())
-	assert.Equal(t, int64(1308), writer.TotalBytesWritten())
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(1306), writer.TotalBytesWritten())
 }
diff --git a/parquet/schema/schema.go b/parquet/schema/schema.go
index 6d124eb17..3ff376890 100644
--- a/parquet/schema/schema.go
+++ b/parquet/schema/schema.go
@@ -272,6 +272,7 @@ func (t *toThriftVisitor) VisitPost(Node) {}
 func ToThrift(schema *GroupNode) []*format.SchemaElement {
 	t := &toThriftVisitor{make([]*format.SchemaElement, 0)}
 	schema.Visit(t)
+	t.elements[0].RepetitionType = nil
 	return t.elements
 }
 
diff --git a/parquet/schema/schema_flatten_test.go b/parquet/schema/schema_flatten_test.go
index ecbb431c2..a39391610 100644
--- a/parquet/schema/schema_flatten_test.go
+++ b/parquet/schema/schema_flatten_test.go
@@ -92,8 +92,10 @@ func (s *SchemaFlattenSuite) TestDecimalMetadata() {
 
 func (s *SchemaFlattenSuite) TestNestedExample() {
 	elements := make([]*format.SchemaElement, 0)
+	root := NewGroup(s.name, format.FieldRepetitionType_REPEATED, 2 /* numChildren */, 0 /* fieldID */)
+	root.RepetitionType = nil
 	elements = append(elements,
-		NewGroup(s.name, format.FieldRepetitionType_REPEATED, 2 /* numChildren */, 0 /* fieldID */),
+		root,
 		NewPrimitive("a" /* name */, format.FieldRepetitionType_REQUIRED, format.Type_INT32, 1 /* fieldID */),
 		NewGroup("bag" /* name */, format.FieldRepetitionType_OPTIONAL, 1 /* numChildren */, 2 /* fieldID */))
 
@@ -120,6 +122,23 @@ func TestSchemaFlatten(t *testing.T) {
 	suite.Run(t, new(SchemaFlattenSuite))
 }
 
+func TestToThriftRootRepetitionStripped(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, rep := range []parquet.Repetition{
+		parquet.Repetitions.Repeated,
+		parquet.Repetitions.Required,
+		parquet.Repetitions.Optional,
+	} {
+		group := MustGroup(NewGroupNode("schema", rep, FieldList{
+			NewInt32Node("a", parquet.Repetitions.Required, -1),
+		}, -1))
+		elements := ToThrift(group)
+		assert.False(t, elements[0].IsSetRepetitionType(),
+			"root element should not have repetition_type set (was %v)", rep)
+		assert.True(t, elements[1].IsSetRepetitionType(),
+			"non-root element must have repetition_type set")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestInvalidConvertedTypeInDeserialize(t *testing.T) {
 	n := MustPrimitive(NewPrimitiveNodeLogical("string" /* name */, parquet.Repetitions.Required, StringLogicalType{},
 		parquet.Types.ByteArray, -1 /* type len */, -1 /* fieldID */))