diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/expressions/predicates.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/expressions/predicates.scala
index 1235204591bbd..77a0ff26bca8e 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/expressions/predicates.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/expressions/predicates.scala
@@ -90,11 +90,12 @@ trait PredicateHelper {
    * Returns true iff `expr` could be evaluated as a condition within join.
    */
   protected def canEvaluateWithinJoin(expr: Expression): Boolean = expr match {
-    case l: ListQuery =>
+    case _: ListQuery | _: Exists =>
       // A ListQuery defines the query which we want to search in an IN subquery expression.
       // Currently the only way to evaluate an IN subquery is to convert it to a
       // LeftSemi/LeftAnti/ExistenceJoin by `RewritePredicateSubquery` rule.
       // It cannot be evaluated as part of a Join operator.
+      // An Exists shouldn't be push into a Join operator too.
       false
     case e: SubqueryExpression =>
       // non-correlated subquery will be replaced as literal
diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/Optimizer.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/Optimizer.scala
index dbf479d215134..7e49a8cbca406 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/Optimizer.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/Optimizer.scala
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ abstract class Optimizer(sessionCatalog: SessionCatalog, conf: CatalystConf)
     Batch("Pullup Correlated Expressions", Once,
       PullupCorrelatedPredicates) ::
     Batch("Subquery", Once,
-      OptimizeSubqueries) ::
+      OptimizeSubqueries,
+      RewriteEmptyExists) ::
     Batch("Replace Operators", fixedPoint,
       ReplaceIntersectWithSemiJoin,
       ReplaceExceptWithAntiJoin,
diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/subquery.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/subquery.scala
index 2a3e07aebe709..6e3882712481b 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/subquery.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/subquery.scala
@@ -498,3 +498,31 @@ object RewriteCorrelatedScalarSubquery extends Rule[LogicalPlan] {
       }
   }
 }
+
+/**
+ * This rule rewrites a EXISTS predicate sub-queries into an Aggregate with count.
+ * So it doesn't be converted to a JOIN later.
+ */
+object RewriteEmptyExists extends Rule[LogicalPlan] with PredicateHelper {
+  private def containsAgg(plan: LogicalPlan): Boolean = {
+    plan.collect {
+      case a: Aggregate => a
+    }.nonEmpty
+  }
+
+  def apply(plan: LogicalPlan): LogicalPlan = plan transform {
+    case Filter(condition, child) =>
+      val (withSubquery, withoutSubquery) =
+        splitConjunctivePredicates(condition).partition(SubqueryExpression.hasInOrExistsSubquery)
+      val newWithSubquery = withSubquery.map(_.transform {
+        case e @ Exists(sub, conditions, exprId) if conditions.isEmpty && !containsAgg(sub) =>
+          val countExpr = Alias(Count(Literal(1)).toAggregateExpression(), "count")()
+          val expr = Alias(GreaterThan(countExpr.toAttribute, Literal(0)), e.toString)()
+          ScalarSubquery(
+            Project(Seq(expr), Aggregate(Nil, Seq(countExpr), sub)),
+            children = Seq.empty,
+            exprId = exprId)
+      })
+      Filter((newWithSubquery ++ withoutSubquery).reduce(And), child)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SubquerySuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SubquerySuite.scala
index 5fe6667ceca18..d342648fd844d 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SubquerySuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SubquerySuite.scala
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
 
 package org.apache.spark.sql
 
+import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.expressions.{Alias, ScalarSubquery}
+import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.expressions.aggregate.{AggregateExpression, Count}
+import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.plans.logical.{Aggregate, Join}
 import org.apache.spark.sql.test.SharedSQLContext
 
 class SubquerySuite extends QueryTest with SharedSQLContext {
@@ -844,4 +847,33 @@ class SubquerySuite extends QueryTest with SharedSQLContext {
         Row(0) :: Row(1) :: Nil)
     }
   }
+
+  test("ListQuery and Exists should work even no correlated references") {
+    checkAnswer(
+      sql("select * from l, r where l.a = r.c AND (r.d in (select d from r) OR l.a >= 1)"),
+      Row(2, 1.0, 2, 3.0) :: Row(2, 1.0, 2, 3.0) :: Row(2, 1.0, 2, 3.0) ::
+        Row(2, 1.0, 2, 3.0) :: Row(3.0, 3.0, 3, 2.0) :: Row(6, null, 6, null) :: Nil)
+    checkAnswer(
+      sql("select * from l, r where l.a = r.c + 1 AND (exists (select * from r) OR l.a = r.c)"),
+      Row(3, 3.0, 2, 3.0) :: Row(3, 3.0, 2, 3.0) :: Nil)
+  }
+
+  test("Convert Exists without correlated references to aggregation with count") {
+    val df =
+      sql("select * from l, r where l.a = r.c + 1 AND (exists (select * from r) OR l.a = r.c)")
+    val joinPlan = df.queryExecution.optimizedPlan.asInstanceOf[Join]
+    val scalarSubquery = joinPlan.condition.get.collect {
+      case s: ScalarSubquery => s
+    }
+    assert(scalarSubquery.length == 1)
+    val aggPlan = scalarSubquery.head.plan.collect {
+      case a: Aggregate => a
+    }
+    assert(aggPlan.length == 1)
+    assert(aggPlan.head.aggregateExpressions.length == 1)
+    val countAggExpr = aggPlan.head.aggregateExpressions.collect {
+      case a @ Alias(AggregateExpression(_: Count, _, _, _), _) => a
+    }
+    assert(countAggExpr.length == 1)
+  }
 }