diff --git a/sdk/python/feast/field.py b/sdk/python/feast/field.py
index 3055bd70830..d7fddcd53d7 100644
--- a/sdk/python/feast/field.py
+++ b/sdk/python/feast/field.py
@@ -77,7 +77,13 @@ def __init__(
         self.tags = tags or {}
         self.vector_index = vector_index
         self.vector_length = vector_length
-        self.vector_search_metric = vector_search_metric
+        # The proto default for an unset metric is "", while the constructor default
+        # is None. Normalizing here rather than in from_proto covers every
+        # construction path, including callers that build a Field straight from a
+        # proto message without going through from_proto. Without this, a Field and
+        # its own deserialized copy compare unequal, which is why the vector
+        # comparisons in __eq__ were previously disabled.
+        self.vector_search_metric = vector_search_metric or None
 
     def __eq__(self, other):
         if type(self) != type(other):
@@ -89,8 +95,8 @@ def __eq__(self, other):
             or self.description != other.description
             or self.tags != other.tags
             or self.vector_length != other.vector_length
-            # or self.vector_index != other.vector_index
-            # or self.vector_search_metric != other.vector_search_metric
+            or self.vector_index != other.vector_index
+            or self.vector_search_metric != other.vector_search_metric
         ):
             return False
         return True
diff --git a/sdk/python/tests/unit/test_eq_cross_type.py b/sdk/python/tests/unit/test_eq_cross_type.py
index 7a87dd68f10..f8981155562 100644
--- a/sdk/python/tests/unit/test_eq_cross_type.py
+++ b/sdk/python/tests/unit/test_eq_cross_type.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
     NamespaceBasedPolicy,
     RoleBasedPolicy,
 )
-from feast.types import Int64
+from feast.types import Array, Float32, Int64
 from feast.value_type import ValueType
 
 
@@ -120,3 +120,96 @@ def test_spark_source_vs_file_source_eq():
     assert (file == spark) is False
     assert (spark == object()) is False
     assert (spark == SparkSource(name="src", table="t", timestamp_field="ts")) is True
+
+
+def test_field_eq_includes_vector_attributes():
+    """vector_index and vector_search_metric participate in Field equality.
+
+    They were previously excluded because an unset metric deserialized as "" while
+    the constructor default was None, so a Field never compared equal to its own
+    deserialized copy. With that normalized, a change to either attribute is a real
+    change and must be visible to feast plan / apply.
+    """
+    base = Field(
+        name="embedding",
+        dtype=Array(Float32),
+        vector_index=True,
+        vector_length=4,
+        vector_search_metric="COSINE",
+    )
+
+    assert base == Field(
+        name="embedding",
+        dtype=Array(Float32),
+        vector_index=True,
+        vector_length=4,
+        vector_search_metric="COSINE",
+    )
+
+    # Changing the metric alters retrieval semantics and must not compare equal.
+    assert (
+        base
+        == Field(
+            name="embedding",
+            dtype=Array(Float32),
+            vector_index=True,
+            vector_length=4,
+            vector_search_metric="L2",
+        )
+    ) is False
+
+    # Turning the index off must not compare equal either.
+    assert (
+        base
+        == Field(
+            name="embedding",
+            dtype=Array(Float32),
+            vector_index=False,
+            vector_length=4,
+            vector_search_metric="COSINE",
+        )
+    ) is False
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "field",
+    [
+        Field(name="plain", dtype=Int64),
+        Field(
+            name="embedding", dtype=Array(Float32), vector_index=True, vector_length=4
+        ),
+        Field(
+            name="embedding",
+            dtype=Array(Float32),
+            vector_index=True,
+            vector_length=4,
+            vector_search_metric="COSINE",
+        ),
+    ],
+    ids=["plain", "vector_without_metric", "vector_with_metric"],
+)
+def test_field_survives_a_proto_round_trip(field):
+    """A Field must compare equal to its own deserialized copy.
+
+    This is the backwards-compatibility property that previously forced the vector
+    comparisons out of __eq__: without it, every field lacking an explicit metric
+    would show as changed on every feast plan.
+    """
+    assert Field.from_proto(field.to_proto()) == field
+
+
+def test_field_normalizes_an_empty_metric_to_none():
+    """An empty metric means unset, whichever construction path supplied it.
+
+    Normalizing in __init__ rather than from_proto matters because callers such as
+    OnDemandFeatureView._parse_features_from_proto build a Field straight from a
+    proto message without going through from_proto.
+    """
+    assert (
+        Field(name="x", dtype=Int64, vector_search_metric="").vector_search_metric
+        is None
+    )
+    assert Field(name="x", dtype=Int64).vector_search_metric is None
+    assert Field(name="x", dtype=Int64, vector_search_metric="") == Field(
+        name="x", dtype=Int64
+    )