diff --git a/schema.cc b/schema.cc
index 96e7b646dc..c2e0584619 100644
--- a/schema.cc
+++ b/schema.cc
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ index_info::index_info(::index_type idx_type,
 {}
 
 column_definition::column_definition(bytes name, data_type type, column_kind kind, column_id component_index, index_info idx, api::timestamp_type dropped_at)
-        : _name(std::move(name)), _dropped_at(dropped_at), type(std::move(type)), id(component_index), kind(kind), idx_info(std::move(idx))
+        : _name(std::move(name)), _dropped_at(dropped_at), _is_atomic(type->is_atomic()), type(std::move(type)), id(component_index), kind(kind), idx_info(std::move(idx))
 {}
 
 std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const column_definition& cd) {
diff --git a/schema.hh b/schema.hh
index 3b6c347115..d6b149df0a 100644
--- a/schema.hh
+++ b/schema.hh
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ public:
 private:
     bytes _name;
     api::timestamp_type _dropped_at;
+    bool _is_atomic;
 
     struct thrift_bits {
         thrift_bits()
@@ -228,7 +229,7 @@ public:
     bool is_partition_key() const { return kind == column_kind::partition_key; }
     bool is_clustering_key() const { return kind == column_kind::clustering_key; }
     bool is_primary_key() const { return kind == column_kind::partition_key || kind == column_kind::clustering_key; }
-    bool is_atomic() const { return type->is_atomic(); }
+    bool is_atomic() const { return _is_atomic; }
     bool is_compact_value() const { return kind == column_kind::compact_column; }
     const sstring& name_as_text() const;
     const bytes& name() const;