diff --git a/sdk/python/feast/transformation/udf_rehydrate.py b/sdk/python/feast/transformation/udf_rehydrate.py
index 0111bebe6d1..8f86ee08758 100644
--- a/sdk/python/feast/transformation/udf_rehydrate.py
+++ b/sdk/python/feast/transformation/udf_rehydrate.py
@@ -9,8 +9,11 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import builtins
+import dis
 import logging
-from typing import Callable, Optional
+from types import CodeType
+from typing import Callable, Optional, Set
 
 import dill
 
@@ -119,6 +122,46 @@ def _exec_namespace() -> dict:
     return ns
 
 
+def _unresolved_global_names(func: Callable, namespace: dict) -> Set[str]:
+    """Global names *func* loads that neither *namespace* nor builtins provide.
+
+    ``exec``-ing a function definition only binds the function; the globals its
+    body reads are looked up when it is *called*. Source text alone therefore
+    cannot tell us whether the callable actually works — a UDF referencing a
+    helper or constant from its defining module execs cleanly and then raises
+    ``NameError`` mid-retrieval.
+
+    Only ``LOAD_GLOBAL`` operands count. ``co_names`` also holds attribute names
+    (``df.columns``), which would flag working UDFs and push them onto the dill
+    path for no reason. Nested code objects (inner functions, comprehensions)
+    are walked too.
+    """
+    missing: Set[str] = set()
+    code = getattr(func, "__code__", None)
+    if code is None:
+        return missing
+
+    seen: Set[int] = set()
+    pending = [code]
+    while pending:
+        current = pending.pop()
+        if id(current) in seen:
+            continue
+        seen.add(id(current))
+        for instruction in dis.get_instructions(current):
+            if instruction.opname != "LOAD_GLOBAL":
+                continue
+            name = instruction.argval
+            if not isinstance(name, str):
+                continue
+            if name not in namespace and not hasattr(builtins, name):
+                missing.add(name)
+        for const in current.co_consts:
+            if isinstance(const, CodeType):
+                pending.append(const)
+    return missing
+
+
 def rehydrate_udf_from_source(
     udf_string: str,
     *,
@@ -141,7 +184,7 @@ def rehydrate_udf_from_source(
         return None
 
     if preferred_name and preferred_name in ns and callable(ns[preferred_name]):
-        return ns[preferred_name]
+        return _accept_if_self_contained(ns[preferred_name], ns)
 
     for value in ns.values():
         if not callable(value):
@@ -152,11 +195,29 @@ def rehydrate_udf_from_source(
         # Skip imported modules / classes we seeded
         if name in ("DataFrame",):
             continue
-        return value
+        return _accept_if_self_contained(value, ns)
 
     return None
 
 
+def _accept_if_self_contained(func: Callable, ns: dict) -> Optional[Callable]:
+    """Return *func* only if every global it reads is available, else ``None``.
+
+    Returning ``None`` lets :func:`resolve_udf` fall back to the dill body, which
+    carries the UDF's captured globals and can still run.
+    """
+    missing = _unresolved_global_names(func, ns)
+    if missing:
+        logger.debug(
+            "udf source rehydrate skipped for %s: unresolved global names %s; "
+            "falling back to the serialized body",
+            getattr(func, "__name__", func),
+            sorted(missing),
+        )
+        return None
+    return func
+
+
 def resolve_udf(
     *,
     udf_string: str = "",
diff --git a/sdk/python/tests/unit/transformation/test_udf_rehydrate.py b/sdk/python/tests/unit/transformation/test_udf_rehydrate.py
index def9ba4c401..7237d2a34a3 100644
--- a/sdk/python/tests/unit/transformation/test_udf_rehydrate.py
+++ b/sdk/python/tests/unit/transformation/test_udf_rehydrate.py
@@ -92,3 +92,66 @@ def test_strip_leading_decorators_adversarial_at_spam_is_linear():
     # rehydrate should fail closed so dill fallback can run.
     assert rehydrate_udf_from_source(spam) is None
     assert isinstance(stripped, str)
+
+
+_SCALE = 10
+
+
+def _scale(value):
+    return value * _SCALE
+
+
+def _udf_using_module_globals(df: pd.DataFrame) -> pd.DataFrame:
+    out = pd.DataFrame()
+    out["scaled"] = _scale(df["x"])
+    return out
+
+
+_MODULE_GLOBALS_SRC = """def _udf_using_module_globals(df):
+    out = __import__("pandas").DataFrame()
+    out["scaled"] = _scale(df["x"])
+    return out
+"""
+
+
+def test_rehydrate_rejects_udf_with_unresolved_globals():
+    """Source alone cannot supply names the UDF reads from its defining module."""
+    assert (
+        rehydrate_udf_from_source(
+            _MODULE_GLOBALS_SRC, preferred_name="_udf_using_module_globals"
+        )
+        is None
+    )
+
+
+def test_resolve_udf_falls_back_to_dill_when_source_misses_globals():
+    """The serialized body carries the captured globals, so it must win here."""
+    udf = resolve_udf(
+        udf_string=_MODULE_GLOBALS_SRC,
+        body=dill.dumps(_udf_using_module_globals, recurse=True),
+        preferred_name="_udf_using_module_globals",
+    )
+    result = udf(pd.DataFrame({"x": [1, 2]}))
+    assert list(result["scaled"]) == [10, 20]
+
+
+def test_attribute_access_is_not_mistaken_for_a_missing_global():
+    """Attribute names live in co_names too; flagging them would strand good UDFs."""
+    src = """def _attr_udf(df):
+    out = __import__("pandas").DataFrame()
+    out["cols"] = len(df.columns)
+    out["upper"] = df["s"].str.upper()
+    return out
+"""
+    fn = rehydrate_udf_from_source(src, preferred_name="_attr_udf")
+    assert fn is not None
+    result = fn(pd.DataFrame({"s": ["a"]}))
+    assert result["upper"].iloc[0] == "A"
+
+
+def test_nested_scopes_are_inspected_for_missing_globals():
+    """A comprehension or inner function has its own code object."""
+    src = """def _nested_udf(df):
+    return [_scale(v) for v in df["x"]]
+"""
+    assert rehydrate_udf_from_source(src, preferred_name="_nested_udf") is None