diff --git a/arrow/array/data.go b/arrow/array/data.go
index 47d83f56..5de367d5 100644
--- a/arrow/array/data.go
+++ b/arrow/array/data.go
@@ -187,13 +187,22 @@ func (d *Data) Dictionary() arrow.ArrayData { return d.dictionary }
 
 // SetDictionary allows replacing the dictionary for this particular Data object
 func (d *Data) SetDictionary(dict arrow.ArrayData) {
-	if d.dictionary != nil {
-		d.dictionary.Release()
-		d.dictionary = nil
+	var newDict *Data
+	if dict != nil {
+		var ok bool
+		newDict, ok = dict.(*Data)
+		if !ok {
+			panic("arrow/array: dictionary data must be *array.Data")
+		}
 	}
-	if dict.(*Data) != nil {
-		dict.Retain()
-		d.dictionary = dict.(*Data)
+
+	if newDict != nil {
+		newDict.Retain()
+	}
+	oldDict := d.dictionary
+	d.dictionary = newDict
+	if oldDict != nil {
+		oldDict.Release()
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/arrow/array/data_test.go b/arrow/array/data_test.go
index 95eb3848..54cc3930 100644
--- a/arrow/array/data_test.go
+++ b/arrow/array/data_test.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/apache/arrow-go/v18/arrow/memory"
 	"github.com/apache/arrow-go/v18/internal/utils/maphash"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 func TestDataReset(t *testing.T) {
@@ -101,6 +102,57 @@ func TestDataResetClearsDictionary(t *testing.T) {
 	mem.AssertSize(t, 0)
 }
 
+func TestDataSetDictionaryWithSamePointerRetainsDictionary(t *testing.T) {
+	mem := memory.NewCheckedAllocator(memory.DefaultAllocator)
+	defer mem.AssertSize(t, 0)
+
+	values := memory.NewResizableBuffer(mem)
+	values.Resize(4)
+	copy(values.Bytes(), arrow.Int32Traits.CastToBytes([]int32{42}))
+	dictData := NewData(arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Int32, 1, []*memory.Buffer{nil, values}, nil, 0, 0)
+	values.Release()
+
+	dictType := &arrow.DictionaryType{
+		IndexType: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Int8,
+		ValueType: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Int32,
+	}
+	data := NewDataWithDictionary(dictType, 1, []*memory.Buffer{nil, memory.NewBufferBytes([]byte{0})}, 0, 0, dictData)
+	defer data.Release()
+	dictData.Release()
+
+	data.SetDictionary(dictData)
+	require.Same(t, dictData, data.Dictionary())
+	require.NotNil(t, dictData.Buffers()[1])
+
+	valuesArray := NewInt32Data(dictData)
+	defer valuesArray.Release()
+	require.Equal(t, int32(42), valuesArray.Value(0))
+}
+
+func TestDataSetDictionaryNilClearsDictionary(t *testing.T) {
+	mem := memory.NewCheckedAllocator(memory.DefaultAllocator)
+	defer mem.AssertSize(t, 0)
+
+	values := memory.NewResizableBuffer(mem)
+	values.Resize(4)
+	dictData := NewData(arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Int32, 1, []*memory.Buffer{nil, values}, nil, 0, 0)
+	values.Release()
+
+	dictType := &arrow.DictionaryType{
+		IndexType: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Int8,
+		ValueType: arrow.PrimitiveTypes.Int32,
+	}
+	data := NewDataWithDictionary(dictType, 1, []*memory.Buffer{nil, memory.NewBufferBytes([]byte{0})}, 0, 0, dictData)
+	defer data.Release()
+	dictData.Release()
+
+	require.NotNil(t, data.Dictionary())
+
+	data.SetDictionary(nil)
+
+	require.Nil(t, data.Dictionary())
+}
+
 func TestHashIncludesDataMetadataAndBuffers(t *testing.T) {
 	seed := maphash.MakeSeed()
 	hash := func(data arrow.ArrayData) uint64 {