diff --git a/crates/polars-parquet/src/arrow/write/pages.rs b/crates/polars-parquet/src/arrow/write/pages.rs
index e2bbb2f3ee9b..c39093115a15 100644
--- a/crates/polars-parquet/src/arrow/write/pages.rs
+++ b/crates/polars-parquet/src/arrow/write/pages.rs
@@ -271,11 +271,18 @@ fn to_nested_recursive(
 
 fn expand_list_validity<'a, O: Offset>(
     array: &'a ListArray<O>,
-    validity: Option<Bitmap>,
-    arrays: &mut VecDeque<(&'a dyn Array, Option<Bitmap>)>,
+    validity: BitmapState,
+    array_stack: &mut VecDeque<(&'a dyn Array, BitmapState)>,
 ) {
-    let Some(list_validity) = validity else {
-        arrays.push_back((array.values().as_ref(), validity));
+    let BitmapState::SomeSet(list_validity) = validity else {
+        array_stack.push_back((
+            array.values().as_ref(),
+            match validity {
+                BitmapState::AllSet => BitmapState::AllSet,
+                BitmapState::SomeSet(_) => unreachable!(),
+                BitmapState::AllUnset(_) => BitmapState::AllUnset(array.values().len()),
+            },
+        ));
         return;
     };
 
@@ -302,7 +309,67 @@ fn expand_list_validity<'a, O: Offset>(
 
     let validity = validity.freeze();
 
-    arrays.push_back((array.values().as_ref(), Some(validity)));
+    array_stack.push_back((array.values().as_ref(), BitmapState::SomeSet(validity)));
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone)]
+enum BitmapState {
+    AllSet,
+    SomeSet(Bitmap),
+    AllUnset(usize),
+}
+
+impl From<Option<&Bitmap>> for BitmapState {
+    fn from(bm: Option<&Bitmap>) -> Self {
+        let Some(bm) = bm else {
+            return Self::AllSet;
+        };
+
+        let null_count = bm.unset_bits();
+
+        if null_count == 0 {
+            Self::AllSet
+        } else if null_count == bm.len() {
+            Self::AllUnset(bm.len())
+        } else {
+            Self::SomeSet(bm.clone())
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<BitmapState> for Option<Bitmap> {
+    fn from(bms: BitmapState) -> Self {
+        match bms {
+            BitmapState::AllSet => None,
+            BitmapState::SomeSet(bm) => Some(bm),
+            BitmapState::AllUnset(len) => Some(Bitmap::new_zeroed(len)),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::ops::BitAnd for &BitmapState {
+    type Output = BitmapState;
+
+    fn bitand(self, rhs: Self) -> Self::Output {
+        use BitmapState as B;
+        match (self, rhs) {
+            (B::AllSet, B::AllSet) => B::AllSet,
+            (B::AllSet, B::SomeSet(v)) | (B::SomeSet(v), B::AllSet) => B::SomeSet(v.clone()),
+            (B::SomeSet(lhs), B::SomeSet(rhs)) => {
+                let result = lhs & rhs;
+                let null_count = result.unset_bits();
+
+                if null_count == 0 {
+                    B::AllSet
+                } else if null_count == result.len() {
+                    B::AllUnset(result.len())
+                } else {
+                    B::SomeSet(result)
+                }
+            },
+            (B::AllUnset(len), _) | (_, B::AllUnset(len)) => B::AllUnset(*len),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// Convert [`Array`] to a `Vec<Box<dyn Array>>` leaves in DFS order.
@@ -312,17 +379,13 @@ pub fn to_leaves(array: &dyn Array, leaves: &mut Vec<Box<dyn Array>>) {
     use PhysicalType as P;
 
     leaves.clear();
-    let mut array_stack: VecDeque<(&dyn Array, Option<Bitmap>)> = VecDeque::new();
+    let mut array_stack: VecDeque<(&dyn Array, BitmapState)> = VecDeque::new();
 
-    array_stack.push_back((array, None));
+    array_stack.push_back((array, BitmapState::AllSet));
 
     while let Some((array, parent_validity)) = array_stack.pop_front() {
-        let child_validity = array.validity().cloned();
-        let validity = match (parent_validity, child_validity) {
-            (Some(parent), Some(child)) => Some((&parent) & (&child)),
-            (Some(v), None) | (None, Some(v)) => Some(v),
-            (None, None) => None,
-        };
+        let child_validity = BitmapState::from(array.validity());
+        let validity = (&child_validity) & (&parent_validity);
 
         match array.data_type().to_physical_type() {
             P::Struct => {
@@ -347,32 +410,42 @@ pub fn to_leaves(array: &dyn Array, leaves: &mut Vec<Box<dyn Array>>) {
             P::FixedSizeList => {
                 let array = array.as_any().downcast_ref::<FixedSizeListArray>().unwrap();
 
+                let BitmapState::SomeSet(fsl_validity) = validity else {
+                    array_stack.push_back((
+                        array.values().as_ref(),
+                        match validity {
+                            BitmapState::AllSet => BitmapState::AllSet,
+                            BitmapState::SomeSet(_) => unreachable!(),
+                            BitmapState::AllUnset(_) => BitmapState::AllUnset(array.values().len()),
+                        },
+                    ));
+                    continue;
+                };
+
                 let num_values = array.values().len();
                 let size = array.size();
 
-                let validity = validity.map(|fsl_validity| {
-                    let mut validity = MutableBitmap::with_capacity(num_values);
-                    let mut fsl_validity_iter = fsl_validity.iter();
+                let mut validity = MutableBitmap::with_capacity(num_values);
+                let mut fsl_validity_iter = fsl_validity.iter();
 
-                    let mut idx = 0;
-                    while fsl_validity_iter.num_remaining() > 0 {
-                        let num_ones = fsl_validity_iter.take_leading_ones();
-                        let num_elements = num_ones * size;
-                        validity.extend_constant(num_elements, true);
+                let mut idx = 0;
+                while fsl_validity_iter.num_remaining() > 0 {
+                    let num_ones = fsl_validity_iter.take_leading_ones();
+                    let num_elements = num_ones * size;
+                    validity.extend_constant(num_elements, true);
 
-                        idx += num_ones;
+                    idx += num_ones;
 
-                        let num_zeros = fsl_validity_iter.take_leading_zeros();
-                        let num_elements = num_zeros * size;
-                        validity.extend_constant(num_elements, false);
+                    let num_zeros = fsl_validity_iter.take_leading_zeros();
+                    let num_elements = num_zeros * size;
+                    validity.extend_constant(num_elements, false);
 
-                        idx += num_zeros;
-                    }
+                    idx += num_zeros;
+                }
 
-                    debug_assert_eq!(idx, array.len());
+                debug_assert_eq!(idx, array.len());
 
-                    validity.freeze()
-                });
+                let validity = BitmapState::SomeSet(validity.freeze());
 
                 array_stack.push_back((array.values().as_ref(), validity));
             },
@@ -391,7 +464,7 @@ pub fn to_leaves(array: &dyn Array, leaves: &mut Vec<Box<dyn Array>>) {
             | P::Dictionary(_)
             | P::BinaryView
             | P::Utf8View => {
-                leaves.push(array.with_validity(validity));
+                leaves.push(array.with_validity(validity.into()));
             },
 
             other => todo!("Writing {:?} to parquet not yet implemented", other),