diff --git a/launcher/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/launcher/SparkSubmitCommandBuilder.java b/launcher/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/launcher/SparkSubmitCommandBuilder.java
index 9618673b4ce0a..6c103d3cdf933 100644
--- a/launcher/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/launcher/SparkSubmitCommandBuilder.java
+++ b/launcher/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/launcher/SparkSubmitCommandBuilder.java
@@ -311,11 +311,15 @@ private List<String> buildSparkSubmitCommand(Map<String, String> env)
   }
 
   private void checkJavaOptions(String javaOptions) {
-    if (!isEmpty(javaOptions) && javaOptions.contains("Xmx")) {
-      String msg = String.format("Not allowed to specify max heap(Xmx) memory settings through " +
-        "java options (was %s). Use the corresponding --driver-memory or " +
-        "spark.driver.memory configuration instead.", javaOptions);
-      throw new IllegalArgumentException(msg);
+    if (!isEmpty(javaOptions)) {
+      for (String javaOption: CommandBuilderUtils.parseOptionString(javaOptions)) {
+        if (javaOption.startsWith("-Xmx")) {
+            String msg = String.format("Not allowed to specify max heap(Xmx) memory settings " +
+              "through java options (was %s). Use the corresponding --driver-memory or " +
+              "spark.driver.memory configuration instead.", javaOptions);
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(msg);
+        }
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/launcher/src/test/java/org/apache/spark/launcher/SparkSubmitCommandBuilderSuite.java b/launcher/src/test/java/org/apache/spark/launcher/SparkSubmitCommandBuilderSuite.java
index 967df3a563c8e..7a623bb76f3ad 100644
--- a/launcher/src/test/java/org/apache/spark/launcher/SparkSubmitCommandBuilderSuite.java
+++ b/launcher/src/test/java/org/apache/spark/launcher/SparkSubmitCommandBuilderSuite.java
@@ -72,6 +72,36 @@ public void testCliHelpAndNoArg() throws Exception {
       cmd.contains("org.apache.spark.deploy.SparkSubmit"));
   }
 
+  @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
+  public void testCheckJavaOptionsThrowException() throws Exception {
+    Map<String, String> env = new HashMap<>();
+    List<String> sparkSubmitArgs = Arrays.asList(
+      parser.MASTER,
+      "local",
+      parser.DRIVER_CLASS_PATH,
+      "/driverCp",
+      parser.DRIVER_JAVA_OPTIONS,
+      "-Xmx64g -Dprop=Other -Dprop1=\"-Xmx -Xmx\" -Dprop2=\"-Xmx '-Xmx\" " +
+        "-Dprop3='-Xmx -Xmx' -Dprop4='-Xmx \"-Xmx'",
+      SparkLauncher.NO_RESOURCE);
+    buildCommand(sparkSubmitArgs, env);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCheckJavaOptions() throws Exception {
+    Map<String, String> env = new HashMap<>();
+    List<String> sparkSubmitArgs = Arrays.asList(
+      parser.MASTER,
+      "local",
+      parser.DRIVER_CLASS_PATH,
+      "/driverCp",
+      parser.DRIVER_JAVA_OPTIONS,
+      "-Dprop=-Xmx -Dprop1=\"-Xmx -Xmx\" -Dprop2=\"-Xmx '-Xmx\" " +
+        "-Dprop3='-Xmx -Xmx' -Dprop4='-Xmx \"-Xmx'",
+      SparkLauncher.NO_RESOURCE);
+    buildCommand(sparkSubmitArgs, env);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testCliKillAndStatus() throws Exception {
     List<String> params = Arrays.asList("driver-20160531171222-0000");