diff --git a/sql/hive/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/HiveExternalCatalog.scala b/sql/hive/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/HiveExternalCatalog.scala
index ca292f65efee..be6d824ece68 100644
--- a/sql/hive/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/HiveExternalCatalog.scala
+++ b/sql/hive/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/HiveExternalCatalog.scala
@@ -634,7 +634,15 @@ private[spark] class HiveExternalCatalog(conf: SparkConf, hadoopConf: Configurat
         k.startsWith(DATASOURCE_PREFIX) || k.startsWith(STATISTICS_PREFIX) ||
           k.startsWith(CREATED_SPARK_VERSION)
       }
-      val newTableProps = propsFromOldTable ++ tableDefinition.properties + partitionProviderProp
+      val newFormatIfExists = tableDefinition.provider.flatMap { p =>
+        if (DDLUtils.isDatasourceTable(tableDefinition)) {
+          Some(DATASOURCE_PROVIDER -> p)
+        } else {
+          None
+        }
+      }
+      val newTableProps =
+        propsFromOldTable ++ tableDefinition.properties + partitionProviderProp ++ newFormatIfExists
 
       // // Add old table's owner if we need to restore
       val owner = Option(tableDefinition.owner).filter(_.nonEmpty).getOrElse(oldTableDef.owner)
diff --git a/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/HiveExternalCatalogSuite.scala b/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/HiveExternalCatalogSuite.scala
index 0a8889885df7..6247861a0367 100644
--- a/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/HiveExternalCatalogSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/HiveExternalCatalogSuite.scala
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 
 package org.apache.spark.sql.hive
 
+import java.net.URI
+
 import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration
 
 import org.apache.spark.SparkConf
@@ -178,4 +180,42 @@ class HiveExternalCatalogSuite extends ExternalCatalogSuite {
     assertThrows[QueryExecutionException](client.runSqlHive(
       "INSERT overwrite directory \"fs://localhost/tmp\" select 1 as a"))
   }
+
+  test("SPARK-31061: alterTable should be able to change table provider") {
+    val catalog = newBasicCatalog()
+    val parquetTable = CatalogTable(
+      identifier = TableIdentifier("parq_tbl", Some("db1")),
+      tableType = CatalogTableType.MANAGED,
+      storage = storageFormat.copy(locationUri = Some(new URI("file:/some/path"))),
+      schema = new StructType().add("col1", "int").add("col2", "string"),
+      provider = Some("parquet"))
+    catalog.createTable(parquetTable, ignoreIfExists = false)
+
+    val rawTable = externalCatalog.getTable("db1", "parq_tbl")
+    assert(rawTable.provider === Some("parquet"))
+
+    val fooTable = parquetTable.copy(provider = Some("foo"))
+    catalog.alterTable(fooTable)
+    val alteredTable = externalCatalog.getTable("db1", "parq_tbl")
+    assert(alteredTable.provider === Some("foo"))
+  }
+
+  test("SPARK-31061: alterTable should be able to change table provider from hive") {
+    val catalog = newBasicCatalog()
+    val parquetTable = CatalogTable(
+      identifier = TableIdentifier("parq_tbl", Some("db1")),
+      tableType = CatalogTableType.MANAGED,
+      storage = storageFormat,
+      schema = new StructType().add("col1", "int").add("col2", "string"),
+      provider = Some("hive"))
+    catalog.createTable(parquetTable, ignoreIfExists = false)
+
+    val rawTable = externalCatalog.getTable("db1", "parq_tbl")
+    assert(rawTable.provider === Some("hive"))
+
+    val fooTable = rawTable.copy(provider = Some("foo"))
+    catalog.alterTable(fooTable)
+    val alteredTable = externalCatalog.getTable("db1", "parq_tbl")
+    assert(alteredTable.provider === Some("foo"))
+  }
 }