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 0b1c74293bb8..92da389e20e9 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
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 
 package org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.optimizer
 
+import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.planning.ExtractEquiJoinKeys
+
 import scala.collection.immutable.HashSet
 
 import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.analysis.{CleanupAliases, EliminateSubQueries}
@@ -40,6 +42,9 @@ abstract class Optimizer extends RuleExecutor[LogicalPlan] {
     Batch("Aggregate", FixedPoint(100),
       ReplaceDistinctWithAggregate,
       RemoveLiteralFromGroupExpressions) ::
+    // run only once, and before other condition push-down optimizations
+    Batch("Join Skew optimization", FixedPoint(1),
+      JoinSkewOptimizer) ::
     Batch("Operator Optimizations", FixedPoint(100),
       // Operator push down
       SetOperationPushDown,
@@ -976,3 +981,29 @@ object RemoveLiteralFromGroupExpressions extends Rule[LogicalPlan] {
       a.copy(groupingExpressions = newGrouping)
   }
 }
+
+/**
+ * For an inner join - remove rows with null keys on both sides
+ */
+object JoinSkewOptimizer extends Rule[LogicalPlan] with PredicateHelper {
+  private def hasNullableKeys(leftKeys: Seq[Expression], rightKeys: Seq[Expression]) = {
+    leftKeys.exists(_.nullable) || rightKeys.exists(_.nullable)
+  }
+
+  def apply(plan: LogicalPlan): LogicalPlan = plan transform {
+    case join @ Join(left, right, joinType, originalJoinCondition) =>
+      join match {
+        // add a non-null join-key filter on both sides of Inner or LeftSemi join
+        case ExtractEquiJoinKeys(_, leftKeys, rightKeys, _, _, _)
+          if Seq(Inner, LeftSemi).contains(joinType) && hasNullableKeys(leftKeys, rightKeys) =>
+            val nullFilters = (leftKeys ++ rightKeys)
+              .filter(_.nullable)
+              .map(IsNotNull)
+            val newJoinCondition = (originalJoinCondition ++ nullFilters).reduceLeftOption(And)
+
+            Join(left, right, joinType, newJoinCondition)
+
+        case _ => join
+      }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/FilterPushdownSuite.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/FilterPushdownSuite.scala
index fba4c5ca77d6..b1e6851f17ee 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/FilterPushdownSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/FilterPushdownSuite.scala
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ class FilterPushdownSuite extends PlanTest {
     val batches =
       Batch("Subqueries", Once,
         EliminateSubQueries) ::
+      Batch("Join Skew optimization", FixedPoint(1),
+          JoinSkewOptimizer) ::
       Batch("Filter Pushdown", Once,
         SamplePushDown,
         CombineFilters,
@@ -279,17 +281,34 @@ class FilterPushdownSuite extends PlanTest {
     comparePlans(optimized, correctAnswer)
   }
 
-  test("joins: push down left semi join") {
+  test("joins: push down left semi join, do NOT add null skew filter for <=>") {
     val x = testRelation.subquery('x)
     val y = testRelation1.subquery('y)
 
     val originalQuery = {
-      x.join(y, LeftSemi, Option("x.a".attr === "y.d".attr && "x.b".attr >= 1 && "y.d".attr >= 2))
+      x.join(y, LeftSemi, Option("x.a".attr <=> "y.d".attr && "x.b".attr >= 1 && "y.d".attr >= 2))
     }
 
     val optimized = Optimize.execute(originalQuery.analyze)
     val left = testRelation.where('b >= 1)
     val right = testRelation1.where('d >= 2)
+    val correctAnswer =
+      left.join(right, LeftSemi, Option("a".attr <=> "d".attr)).analyze
+
+    comparePlans(optimized, correctAnswer)
+  }
+
+  test("joins: push down left semi join, and add null filter") {
+    val x = testRelation.subquery('x)
+    val y = testRelation1.subquery('y)
+
+    val originalQuery = {
+      x.join(y, LeftSemi, Option("x.a".attr === "y.d".attr && "x.b".attr >= 1 && "y.d".attr >= 2))
+    }
+
+    val optimized = Optimize.execute(originalQuery.analyze)
+    val left = testRelation.where('b >= 1 && 'a.isNotNull)
+    val right = testRelation1.where('d >= 2 && 'd.isNotNull)
     val correctAnswer =
       left.join(right, LeftSemi, Option("a".attr === "d".attr)).analyze
 
@@ -474,7 +493,7 @@ class FilterPushdownSuite extends PlanTest {
     comparePlans(optimized, correctAnswer)
   }
 
-  test("joins: can't push down") {
+  test("joins: can't push down query filters, but inner join can be optimized for null skew") {
     val x = testRelation.subquery('x)
     val y = testRelation.subquery('y)
 
@@ -483,7 +502,11 @@ class FilterPushdownSuite extends PlanTest {
     }
     val optimized = Optimize.execute(originalQuery.analyze)
 
-    comparePlans(analysis.EliminateSubQueries(originalQuery.analyze), optimized)
+    val expectedQueryWithNullFilters = {
+      x.where('b.isNotNull)
+        .join(y.where('b.isNotNull), condition = Some("x.b".attr === "y.b".attr))
+    }
+    comparePlans(analysis.EliminateSubQueries(expectedQueryWithNullFilters.analyze), optimized)
   }
 
   test("joins: conjunctive predicates") {