diff --git a/marimo/_plugins/ui/_impl/table.py b/marimo/_plugins/ui/_impl/table.py
index 93e12c88829..28de7066fdc 100644
--- a/marimo/_plugins/ui/_impl/table.py
+++ b/marimo/_plugins/ui/_impl/table.py
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ def _convert_value(
         indices = [int(v) for v in value]
         self._selected_manager = self._searched_manager.select_rows(indices)
         self._has_any_selection = len(indices) > 0
-        return self._selected_manager.data  # type: ignore[no-any-return]
+        return unwrap_narwhals_dataframe(self._selected_manager.data)  # type: ignore[no-any-return]
 
     def download_as(self, args: DownloadAsArgs) -> str:
         # download selected rows if there are any, otherwise use all rows
diff --git a/tests/_plugins/ui/_impl/test_table.py b/tests/_plugins/ui/_impl/test_table.py
index 4eeb8e59a7c..154519c876f 100644
--- a/tests/_plugins/ui/_impl/test_table.py
+++ b/tests/_plugins/ui/_impl/test_table.py
@@ -270,7 +270,9 @@ def test_value_with_sorting_then_selection_dfs(df: Any) -> None:
             page_number=0,
         )
     )
-    assert nw.from_native(table._convert_value(["0"]))["a"][0] == "z"
+    value = table._convert_value(["0"])
+    assert not isinstance(value, nw.DataFrame)
+    assert nw.from_native(value)["a"][0] == "z"
 
     table.search(
         SearchTableArgs(
@@ -279,7 +281,9 @@ def test_value_with_sorting_then_selection_dfs(df: Any) -> None:
             page_number=0,
         )
     )
-    assert nw.from_native(table._convert_value(["0"]))["a"][0] == "x"
+    value = table._convert_value(["0"])
+    assert not isinstance(value, nw.DataFrame)
+    assert nw.from_native(value)["a"][0] == "x"
 
 
 def test_value_with_search_then_selection() -> None:
@@ -335,7 +339,9 @@ def test_value_with_search_then_selection_dfs(df: Any) -> None:
             page_number=0,
         )
     )
-    assert nw.from_native(table._convert_value(["0"]))["a"][0] == "bar"
+    value = table._convert_value(["0"])
+    assert not isinstance(value, nw.DataFrame)
+    assert nw.from_native(value)["a"][0] == "bar"
 
     table.search(
         SearchTableArgs(
@@ -344,7 +350,9 @@ def test_value_with_search_then_selection_dfs(df: Any) -> None:
             page_number=0,
         )
     )
-    assert nw.from_native(table._convert_value(["0"]))["a"][0] == "foo"
+    value = table._convert_value(["0"])
+    assert not isinstance(value, nw.DataFrame)
+    assert nw.from_native(value)["a"][0] == "foo"
 
     # empty search
     table.search(
@@ -353,7 +361,9 @@ def test_value_with_search_then_selection_dfs(df: Any) -> None:
             page_number=0,
         )
     )
-    assert nw.from_native(table._convert_value(["2"]))["a"][0] == "baz"
+    value = table._convert_value(["2"])
+    assert not isinstance(value, nw.DataFrame)
+    assert nw.from_native(value)["a"][0] == "baz"
 
 
 def test_table_with_too_many_columns_passes() -> None: