diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/internal/SQLConf.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/internal/SQLConf.scala
index d9b0a72618c7e..4f3e39ad49afe 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/internal/SQLConf.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/internal/SQLConf.scala
@@ -139,7 +139,8 @@ object SQLConf {
       }
     } else {
       val isSchedulerEventLoopThread = SparkContext.getActive
-        .map(_.dagScheduler.eventProcessLoop.eventThread)
+        .flatMap { sc => Option(sc.dagScheduler) }
+        .map(_.eventProcessLoop.eventThread)
         .exists(_.getId == Thread.currentThread().getId)
       if (isSchedulerEventLoopThread) {
         // DAGScheduler event loop thread does not have an active SparkSession, the `confGetter`
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/internal/SQLConfSuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/internal/SQLConfSuite.scala
index 1dfbca64f5778..e698ac032cd82 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/internal/SQLConfSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/internal/SQLConfSuite.scala
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package org.apache.spark.sql.internal
 
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Path
 
+import org.apache.spark.{LocalSparkContext, SparkConf, SparkContext}
 import org.apache.spark.sql._
 import org.apache.spark.sql.internal.StaticSQLConf._
 import org.apache.spark.sql.test.{SharedSparkSession, TestSQLContext}
@@ -320,4 +321,22 @@ class SQLConfSuite extends QueryTest with SharedSparkSession {
     assert(e2.getMessage.contains("spark.sql.shuffle.partitions"))
   }
 
+  test("SPARK-29046: SQLConf.get shouldn't throw NPE when active SparkContext is stopping") {
+    // Logically, there's only one case SQLConf.get throws NPE: there's active SparkContext,
+    // but SparkContext is stopping - especially it sets dagScheduler as null.
+
+    val oldSparkContext = SparkContext.getActive
+    Utils.tryWithSafeFinally {
+      // this is necessary to set new SparkContext as active: it cleans up active SparkContext
+      oldSparkContext.foreach(_ => SparkContext.clearActiveContext())
+
+      val conf = new SparkConf().setAppName("test").setMaster("local")
+      LocalSparkContext.withSpark(new SparkContext(conf)) { sc =>
+        sc.dagScheduler = null
+        SQLConf.get
+      }
+    } {
+      oldSparkContext.orElse(Some(null)).foreach(SparkContext.setActiveContext)
+    }
+  }
 }