diff --git a/src/daft-connect/src/lib.rs b/src/daft-connect/src/lib.rs
index 70171ad0d4..ff7a19cde2 100644
--- a/src/daft-connect/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/daft-connect/src/lib.rs
@@ -158,7 +158,6 @@ impl SparkConnectService for DaftSparkConnectService {
         request: Request<ExecutePlanRequest>,
     ) -> Result<Response<Self::ExecutePlanStream>, Status> {
         let request = request.into_inner();
-
         let session = self.get_session(&request.session_id)?;
 
         let Some(operation) = request.operation_id else {
diff --git a/src/daft-connect/src/op/execute/root.rs b/src/daft-connect/src/op/execute/root.rs
index 1e1fac147b..ddfd401846 100644
--- a/src/daft-connect/src/op/execute/root.rs
+++ b/src/daft-connect/src/op/execute/root.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 use std::{collections::HashMap, future::ready};
 
 use common_daft_config::DaftExecutionConfig;
+use daft_core::series::Series;
 use daft_local_execution::NativeExecutor;
+use daft_schema::{field::Field, schema::Schema};
+use daft_table::Table;
 use futures::stream;
 use spark_connect::{ExecutePlanResponse, Relation};
 use tonic::{codegen::tokio_stream::wrappers::ReceiverStream, Status};
@@ -10,6 +13,7 @@ use crate::{
     op::execute::{ExecuteStream, PlanIds},
     session::Session,
     translation,
+    translation::to_spark_compatible_datatype,
 };
 
 impl Session {
@@ -38,17 +42,46 @@ impl Session {
                 let mut result_stream = native_executor
                     .run(HashMap::new(), cfg.into(), None)?
                     .into_stream();
-
                 while let Some(result) = result_stream.next().await {
                     let result = result?;
                     let tables = result.get_tables()?;
+
                     for table in tables.as_slice() {
-                        let response = context.gen_response(table)?;
-                        if tx.send(Ok(response)).await.is_err() {
-                            return Ok(());
+                        // Inside the for loop over tables
+                        let mut arrow_arrays = Vec::with_capacity(table.num_columns());
+                        let mut column_names = Vec::with_capacity(table.num_columns());
+                        let mut field_types = Vec::with_capacity(table.num_columns());
+
+                        for i in 0..table.num_columns() {
+                            let s = table.get_column_by_index(i)?;
+
+                            let daft_data_type = to_spark_compatible_datatype(s.data_type());
+                            let s = s.cast(&daft_data_type)?;
+
+                            // Store the actual type after potential casting
+                            field_types.push(Field::new(s.name(), daft_data_type));
+                            column_names.push(s.name().to_string());
+                            arrow_arrays.push(s.to_arrow());
                         }
+
+                        // Create new schema with actual types after casting
+                        let new_schema = Schema::new(field_types)?;
+
+                        // Convert arrays back to series
+                        let series = arrow_arrays
+                            .into_iter()
+                            .zip(column_names)
+                            .map(|(array, name)| Series::try_from((name.as_str(), array)))
+                            .try_collect()?;
+
+                        // Create table from series
+                        let new_table = Table::new_with_size(new_schema, series, table.len())?;
+
+                        let response = context.gen_response(&new_table)?;
+                        tx.send(Ok(response)).await.unwrap();
                     }
                 }
+
                 Ok(())
             };
 
diff --git a/src/daft-connect/src/translation.rs b/src/daft-connect/src/translation.rs
index bb2d73b507..f7013601c5 100644
--- a/src/daft-connect/src/translation.rs
+++ b/src/daft-connect/src/translation.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ mod literal;
 mod logical_plan;
 mod schema;
 
-pub use datatype::to_spark_datatype;
+pub use datatype::{to_spark_compatible_datatype, to_spark_datatype};
 pub use expr::to_daft_expr;
 pub use literal::to_daft_literal;
 pub use logical_plan::to_logical_plan;
diff --git a/src/daft-connect/src/translation/datatype.rs b/src/daft-connect/src/translation/datatype.rs
index 9a40844464..25d7de44eb 100644
--- a/src/daft-connect/src/translation/datatype.rs
+++ b/src/daft-connect/src/translation/datatype.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,27 @@
-use daft_schema::dtype::DataType;
+use daft_schema::{dtype::DataType, field::Field};
 use spark_connect::data_type::Kind;
 use tracing::warn;
 
+// todo: still a WIP; by no means complete
+pub fn to_spark_compatible_datatype(datatype: &DataType) -> DataType {
+    // TL;DR unsigned integers are not supported by Spark
+    match datatype {
+        DataType::UInt8 => DataType::Int8,
+        DataType::UInt16 => DataType::Int16,
+        DataType::UInt32 => DataType::Int32,
+        DataType::UInt64 => DataType::Int64,
+        DataType::Struct(fields) => {
+            let fields = fields
+                .iter()
+                .map(|f| Field::new(f.name.clone(), to_spark_compatible_datatype(&f.dtype)))
+                .collect();
+
+            DataType::Struct(fields)
+        }
+        _ => datatype.clone(),
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn to_spark_datatype(datatype: &DataType) -> spark_connect::DataType {
     match datatype {
         DataType::Null => spark_connect::DataType {
diff --git a/src/daft-connect/src/translation/expr/unresolved_function.rs b/src/daft-connect/src/translation/expr/unresolved_function.rs
index ffb8c802ce..b33eeeaf60 100644
--- a/src/daft-connect/src/translation/expr/unresolved_function.rs
+++ b/src/daft-connect/src/translation/expr/unresolved_function.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use daft_core::count_mode::CountMode;
 use eyre::{bail, Context};
 use spark_connect::expression::UnresolvedFunction;
+use tracing::debug;
 
 use crate::translation::to_daft_expr;
 
@@ -38,6 +39,16 @@ pub fn handle_count(arguments: Vec<daft_dsl::ExprRef>) -> eyre::Result<daft_dsl:
 
     let [arg] = arguments;
 
+    // special case to be consistent with how spark handles counting literals
+    // see https://github.com/Eventual-Inc/Daft/issues/3421
+    let count_special_case = *arg == daft_dsl::Expr::Literal(daft_dsl::LiteralValue::Int32(1));
+
+    if count_special_case {
+        debug!("special case for count");
+        let result = daft_dsl::col("*").count(CountMode::All);
+        return Ok(result);
+    }
+
     let count = arg.count(CountMode::All);
 
     Ok(count)
diff --git a/tests/connect/test_count.py b/tests/connect/test_count.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1cb48dd47b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/connect/test_count.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+
+def test_count(spark_session):
+    # Create a range using Spark
+    # For example, creating a range from 0 to 9
+    spark_range = spark_session.range(10)  # Creates DataFrame with numbers 0 to 9
+
+    # Convert to Pandas DataFrame
+    count = spark_range.count()
+
+    # Verify the DataFrame has expected values
+    assert count == 10, "DataFrame should have 10 rows"