diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/basicOperators.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/basicOperators.scala
index a42aea0b96d43..b3e4688557ba0 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/basicOperators.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/basicOperators.scala
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ case class Union(children: Seq[SparkPlan]) extends SparkPlan {
       }
     }
   }
-  override def outputsUnsafeRows: Boolean = children.forall(_.outputsUnsafeRows)
+  override def outputsUnsafeRows: Boolean = children.exists(_.outputsUnsafeRows)
   override def canProcessUnsafeRows: Boolean = true
   override def canProcessSafeRows: Boolean = true
   protected override def doExecute(): RDD[InternalRow] =
@@ -250,7 +250,9 @@ case class Coalesce(numPartitions: Int, child: SparkPlan) extends UnaryNode {
     child.execute().coalesce(numPartitions, shuffle = false)
   }
 
+  override def outputsUnsafeRows: Boolean = child.outputsUnsafeRows
   override def canProcessUnsafeRows: Boolean = true
+  override def canProcessSafeRows: Boolean = true
 }
 
 /**
@@ -263,6 +265,10 @@ case class Except(left: SparkPlan, right: SparkPlan) extends BinaryNode {
   protected override def doExecute(): RDD[InternalRow] = {
     left.execute().map(_.copy()).subtract(right.execute().map(_.copy()))
   }
+
+  override def outputsUnsafeRows: Boolean = children.exists(_.outputsUnsafeRows)
+  override def canProcessUnsafeRows: Boolean = true
+  override def canProcessSafeRows: Boolean = true
 }
 
 /**
@@ -275,6 +281,10 @@ case class Intersect(left: SparkPlan, right: SparkPlan) extends BinaryNode {
   protected override def doExecute(): RDD[InternalRow] = {
     left.execute().map(_.copy()).intersection(right.execute().map(_.copy()))
   }
+
+  override def outputsUnsafeRows: Boolean = children.exists(_.outputsUnsafeRows)
+  override def canProcessUnsafeRows: Boolean = true
+  override def canProcessSafeRows: Boolean = true
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/RowFormatConvertersSuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/RowFormatConvertersSuite.scala
index 13d68a103a225..2328899bb2f8d 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/RowFormatConvertersSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/RowFormatConvertersSuite.scala
@@ -58,6 +58,41 @@ class RowFormatConvertersSuite extends SparkPlanTest with SharedSQLContext {
     assert(!preparedPlan.outputsUnsafeRows)
   }
 
+  test("coalesce can process unsafe rows") {
+    val plan = Coalesce(1, outputsUnsafe)
+    val preparedPlan = sqlContext.prepareForExecution.execute(plan)
+    assert(getConverters(preparedPlan).size === 1)
+    assert(preparedPlan.outputsUnsafeRows)
+  }
+
+  test("except can process unsafe rows") {
+    val plan = Except(outputsUnsafe, outputsUnsafe)
+    val preparedPlan = sqlContext.prepareForExecution.execute(plan)
+    assert(getConverters(preparedPlan).size === 2)
+    assert(preparedPlan.outputsUnsafeRows)
+  }
+
+  test("except requires all of its input rows' formats to agree") {
+    val plan = Except(outputsSafe, outputsUnsafe)
+    assert(plan.canProcessSafeRows && plan.canProcessUnsafeRows)
+    val preparedPlan = sqlContext.prepareForExecution.execute(plan)
+    assert(preparedPlan.outputsUnsafeRows)
+  }
+
+  test("intersect can process unsafe rows") {
+    val plan = Intersect(outputsUnsafe, outputsUnsafe)
+    val preparedPlan = sqlContext.prepareForExecution.execute(plan)
+    assert(getConverters(preparedPlan).size === 2)
+    assert(preparedPlan.outputsUnsafeRows)
+  }
+
+  test("intersect requires all of its input rows' formats to agree") {
+    val plan = Intersect(outputsSafe, outputsUnsafe)
+    assert(plan.canProcessSafeRows && plan.canProcessUnsafeRows)
+    val preparedPlan = sqlContext.prepareForExecution.execute(plan)
+    assert(preparedPlan.outputsUnsafeRows)
+  }
+
   test("execute() fails an assertion if inputs rows are of different formats") {
     val e = intercept[AssertionError] {
       Union(Seq(outputsSafe, outputsUnsafe)).execute()