diff --git a/datafusion/src/execution/context.rs b/datafusion/src/execution/context.rs
index c394d3895622..cca3cd75b26b 100644
--- a/datafusion/src/execution/context.rs
+++ b/datafusion/src/execution/context.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ use crate::{
         catalog::{CatalogList, MemoryCatalogList},
         information_schema::CatalogWithInformationSchema,
     },
-    optimizer::hash_build_probe_order::HashBuildProbeOrder,
+    optimizer::{
+        eliminate_limit::EliminateLimit, hash_build_probe_order::HashBuildProbeOrder,
+    },
     physical_optimizer::optimizer::PhysicalOptimizerRule,
 };
 use log::debug;
@@ -636,6 +638,7 @@ impl ExecutionConfig {
             batch_size: 8192,
             optimizers: vec![
                 Arc::new(ConstantFolding::new()),
+                Arc::new(EliminateLimit::new()),
                 Arc::new(ProjectionPushDown::new()),
                 Arc::new(FilterPushDown::new()),
                 Arc::new(HashBuildProbeOrder::new()),
diff --git a/datafusion/src/optimizer/eliminate_limit.rs b/datafusion/src/optimizer/eliminate_limit.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..87b33d6f5d5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/datafusion/src/optimizer/eliminate_limit.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+// Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+// or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+// distributed with this work for additional information
+// regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+// to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+// "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+// with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+// software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+// "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+// KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+// specific language governing permissions and limitations
+// under the License.
+
+//! Optimizer rule to replace `LIMIT 0` on a plan with an empty relation.
+//! This saves time in planning and executing the query.
+use crate::error::Result;
+use crate::logical_plan::LogicalPlan;
+use crate::optimizer::optimizer::OptimizerRule;
+
+use super::utils;
+
+/// Optimization rule that replaces LIMIT 0 with an [LogicalPlan::EmptyRelation]
+pub struct EliminateLimit;
+
+impl EliminateLimit {
+    #[allow(missing_docs)]
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {}
+    }
+}
+
+impl OptimizerRule for EliminateLimit {
+    fn optimize(&self, plan: &LogicalPlan) -> Result<LogicalPlan> {
+        match plan {
+            LogicalPlan::Limit { n, input } if *n == 0 => {
+                Ok(LogicalPlan::EmptyRelation {
+                    produce_one_row: false,
+                    schema: input.schema().clone(),
+                })
+            }
+            // Rest: recurse and find possible LIMIT 0 nodes
+            _ => {
+                let expr = plan.expressions();
+
+                // apply the optimization to all inputs of the plan
+                let inputs = plan.inputs();
+                let new_inputs = inputs
+                    .iter()
+                    .map(|plan| self.optimize(plan))
+                    .collect::<Result<Vec<_>>>()?;
+
+                utils::from_plan(plan, &expr, &new_inputs)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn name(&self) -> &str {
+        "eliminate_limit"
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::logical_plan::LogicalPlanBuilder;
+    use crate::logical_plan::{col, sum};
+    use crate::test::*;
+
+    fn assert_optimized_plan_eq(plan: &LogicalPlan, expected: &str) {
+        let rule = EliminateLimit::new();
+        let optimized_plan = rule.optimize(plan).expect("failed to optimize plan");
+        let formatted_plan = format!("{:?}", optimized_plan);
+        assert_eq!(formatted_plan, expected);
+        assert_eq!(plan.schema(), optimized_plan.schema());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn limit_0_root() {
+        let table_scan = test_table_scan().unwrap();
+        let plan = LogicalPlanBuilder::from(&table_scan)
+            .aggregate(vec![col("a")], vec![sum(col("b"))])
+            .unwrap()
+            .limit(0)
+            .unwrap()
+            .build()
+            .unwrap();
+
+        // No aggregate / scan / limit
+        let expected = "EmptyRelation";
+        assert_optimized_plan_eq(&plan, expected);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn limit_0_nested() {
+        let table_scan = test_table_scan().unwrap();
+        let plan1 = LogicalPlanBuilder::from(&table_scan)
+            .aggregate(vec![col("a")], vec![sum(col("b"))])
+            .unwrap()
+            .build()
+            .unwrap();
+        let plan = LogicalPlanBuilder::from(&table_scan)
+            .aggregate(vec![col("a")], vec![sum(col("b"))])
+            .unwrap()
+            .limit(0)
+            .unwrap()
+            .union(plan1)
+            .unwrap()
+            .build()
+            .unwrap();
+
+        // Left side is removed
+        let expected = "Union\
+            \n  EmptyRelation\
+            \n  Aggregate: groupBy=[[#a]], aggr=[[SUM(#b)]]\
+            \n    TableScan: test projection=None";
+        assert_optimized_plan_eq(&plan, expected);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/datafusion/src/optimizer/mod.rs b/datafusion/src/optimizer/mod.rs
index dc59b64ff460..2fb8a3d62950 100644
--- a/datafusion/src/optimizer/mod.rs
+++ b/datafusion/src/optimizer/mod.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 //! some simple rules to a logical plan, such as "Projection Push Down" and "Type Coercion".
 
 pub mod constant_folding;
+pub mod eliminate_limit;
 pub mod filter_push_down;
 pub mod hash_build_probe_order;
 pub mod limit_push_down;