diff --git a/src/too/database.py b/src/too/database.py
index 34d9456..405abd6 100644
--- a/src/too/database.py
+++ b/src/too/database.py
@@ -117,6 +117,9 @@ def load_too_targets(
         bright_limit_checks=validate_magnitude_limits,
     )
 
+    # We always want to set the optical_prov column to too.
+    targets = targets.with_columns(optical_prov=polars.lit("too"))
+
     too_columns = ["too_id"]
     too_columns += [col for col in too_dtypes if col not in too_metadata_columns]
 
diff --git a/tests/test_database.py b/tests/test_database.py
index 5d030b7..b8f6717 100644
--- a/tests/test_database.py
+++ b/tests/test_database.py
@@ -103,6 +103,12 @@ def test_load_too_targets(too_mock: polars.DataFrame, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureF
 
     assert added.height == 10
     assert catalogdb.ToO_Target.select().count() == 10
+    assert (
+        catalogdb.ToO_Metadata.select()
+        .where(catalogdb.ToO_Metadata.optical_prov == "too")
+        .count()
+        == 10
+    )
 
     # Repeat. No new targets should be added.
     added = load_too_targets(too_mock[0:10], catalogdb.database)