diff --git a/packages/main/src/components/AnalyticalTable/AnalyticalTable.cy.tsx b/packages/main/src/components/AnalyticalTable/AnalyticalTable.cy.tsx
index f67e27bcea6..8c630c2eba0 100644
--- a/packages/main/src/components/AnalyticalTable/AnalyticalTable.cy.tsx
+++ b/packages/main/src/components/AnalyticalTable/AnalyticalTable.cy.tsx
@@ -2097,8 +2097,21 @@ describe('AnalyticalTable', () => {
         getData: () => {
           return colId;
         },
+        types: ['text', 'application/x-ui5wcr-columndnd'],
       });
 
+      // only real column drags may highlight a header.
+      const borderSide = dir === 'rtl' ? 'border-right-width' : 'border-left-width';
+      // Foreign (file) drag must NOT highlight the header.
+      cy.get('[data-column-id="age"]').trigger('dragenter', { dataTransfer: { getData: () => '', types: ['Files'] } });
+      cy.get('[data-column-id="age"]').should('have.css', borderSide, '0px');
+      // A real column drag highlights the header it enters...
+      cy.get('[data-column-id="age"]').trigger('dragenter', { dataTransfer: dataTransfereById('name') });
+      cy.get('[data-column-id="age"]').should('have.css', borderSide, '3px');
+      // ...and leaving the header (relatedTarget outside) clears the highlight again.
+      cy.get('[data-column-id="age"]').trigger('dragleave', { relatedTarget: null });
+      cy.get('[data-column-id="age"]').should('have.css', borderSide, '0px');
+
       cy.get('[data-column-id="name"]')
         .trigger('dragstart')
         .trigger('drop', { dataTransfer: dataTransfereById('age') });
@@ -2137,6 +2150,7 @@ describe('AnalyticalTable', () => {
 
     const dataTransferById = (colId) => ({
       getData: () => colId,
+      types: ['text', 'application/x-ui5wcr-columndnd'],
     });
 
     cy.mount(<TestComp />);
diff --git a/packages/main/src/components/AnalyticalTable/ColumnHeader/index.tsx b/packages/main/src/components/AnalyticalTable/ColumnHeader/index.tsx
index c4f1d57f57e..56cd5f7757d 100644
--- a/packages/main/src/components/AnalyticalTable/ColumnHeader/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/main/src/components/AnalyticalTable/ColumnHeader/index.tsx
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ export interface ColumnHeaderProps {
   onDragOver: DragEventHandler<HTMLDivElement>;
   onDrop: DragEventHandler<HTMLDivElement>;
   onDragEnter: DragEventHandler<HTMLDivElement>;
+  onDragLeave: DragEventHandler<HTMLDivElement>;
   onDragEnd: DragEventHandler<HTMLDivElement>;
   dragOver: boolean;
   isDraggable: boolean;
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ export const ColumnHeader = (props: ColumnHeaderProps) => {
     onDragOver,
     onDragStart,
     onDrop,
+    onDragLeave,
     onDragEnd,
     headerTooltip,
     isDraggable,
@@ -211,6 +213,7 @@ export const ColumnHeader = (props: ColumnHeaderProps) => {
         onDragOver={onDragOver}
         onDragStart={onDragStart}
         onDrop={onDrop}
+        onDragLeave={onDragLeave}
         onDragEnd={onDragEnd}
         data-column-id={columnId}
         onClick={handleHeaderCellClick}
diff --git a/packages/main/src/components/AnalyticalTable/hooks/useDragAndDrop.ts b/packages/main/src/components/AnalyticalTable/hooks/useDragAndDrop.ts
index c12fd1cee1d..11e0e43272c 100644
--- a/packages/main/src/components/AnalyticalTable/hooks/useDragAndDrop.ts
+++ b/packages/main/src/components/AnalyticalTable/hooks/useDragAndDrop.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { enrichEventWithDetails } from '@ui5/webcomponents-react-base';
 import type { ColumnType, ReactTableHooks, TableInstance } from '../types/index.js';
 
+// Custom drag data type set on column drags so they can be distinguished from foreign drags (e.g. files, text).
+const COLUMN_DND_TYPE = 'application/x-ui5wcr-columndnd';
+const isColumnDrag = (e) => !!e.dataTransfer?.types?.includes(COLUMN_DND_TYPE);
+
 function getHeaderProps(
   props: Record<string, unknown>,
   { instance: { dispatch, state, columns, setColumnOrder, webComponentsReactProperties } }: { instance: TableInstance },
@@ -14,16 +18,31 @@ function getHeaderProps(
       return;
     }
     e.dataTransfer.setData('text', e.currentTarget.dataset.columnId);
+    e.dataTransfer.setData(COLUMN_DND_TYPE, '');
   };
 
   const handleDragOver = (e) => {
+    if (!isColumnDrag(e)) {
+      return;
+    }
     e.preventDefault();
   };
 
   const handleDragEnter = (e) => {
+    if (!isColumnDrag(e)) {
+      return;
+    }
     dispatch({ type: 'COLUMN_DND_START', payload: e.currentTarget.dataset.columnId });
   };
 
+  const handleDragLeave = (e) => {
+    // dragleave also fires when moving onto a child element; ignore those to avoid clearing the highlight prematurely.
+    if (e.currentTarget.contains(e.relatedTarget)) {
+      return;
+    }
+    dispatch({ type: 'COLUMN_DND_END' });
+  };
+
   const handleOnDragEnd = () => {
     dispatch({ type: 'COLUMN_DND_END' });
   };
@@ -31,6 +50,10 @@ function getHeaderProps(
   const handleOnDrop = (e) => {
     dispatch({ type: 'COLUMN_DND_END' });
 
+    if (!isColumnDrag(e)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     const droppedColId = e.currentTarget.dataset.columnId;
     const draggedColId = e.dataTransfer.getData('text');
     if (droppedColId === draggedColId) return;
@@ -74,6 +97,7 @@ function getHeaderProps(
       onDragStart: handleDragStart,
       onDragEnter: handleDragEnter,
       onDragOver: handleDragOver,
+      onDragLeave: handleDragLeave,
       onDragEnd: handleOnDragEnd,
       onDrop: handleOnDrop,
       dragOver: dndColumn === props.id,