diff --git a/datafusion/expr/src/expr_fn.rs b/datafusion/expr/src/expr_fn.rs
index e0954963fade..9d8b05f2b155 100644
--- a/datafusion/expr/src/expr_fn.rs
+++ b/datafusion/expr/src/expr_fn.rs
@@ -403,6 +403,7 @@ scalar_expr!(SplitPart, split_part, expr, delimiter, index);
 scalar_expr!(StartsWith, starts_with, string, characters);
 scalar_expr!(Strpos, strpos, string, substring);
 scalar_expr!(Substr, substr, string, position);
+scalar_expr!(Substr, substring, string, position, count);
 scalar_expr!(ToHex, to_hex, string);
 scalar_expr!(Translate, translate, string, from, to);
 scalar_expr!(Trim, trim, string);
@@ -656,6 +657,7 @@ mod test {
         test_scalar_expr!(StartsWith, starts_with, string, characters);
         test_scalar_expr!(Strpos, strpos, string, substring);
         test_scalar_expr!(Substr, substr, string, position);
+        test_scalar_expr!(Substr, substring, string, position, count);
         test_scalar_expr!(ToHex, to_hex, string);
         test_scalar_expr!(Translate, translate, string, from, to);
         test_scalar_expr!(Trim, trim, string);
diff --git a/datafusion/proto/src/from_proto.rs b/datafusion/proto/src/from_proto.rs
index b29891746d09..79b477b3e1ef 100644
--- a/datafusion/proto/src/from_proto.rs
+++ b/datafusion/proto/src/from_proto.rs
@@ -39,10 +39,11 @@ use datafusion_expr::{
     logical_plan::{PlanType, StringifiedPlan},
     lower, lpad, ltrim, md5, now, nullif, octet_length, power, random, regexp_match,
     regexp_replace, repeat, replace, reverse, right, round, rpad, rtrim, sha224, sha256,
-    sha384, sha512, signum, sin, split_part, sqrt, starts_with, strpos, substr, tan,
-    to_hex, to_timestamp_micros, to_timestamp_millis, to_timestamp_seconds, translate,
-    trim, trunc, upper, AggregateFunction, Between, BuiltInWindowFunction,
-    BuiltinScalarFunction, Case, Expr, GetIndexedField, GroupingSet,
+    sha384, sha512, signum, sin, split_part, sqrt, starts_with, strpos, substr,
+    substring, tan, to_hex, to_timestamp_micros, to_timestamp_millis,
+    to_timestamp_seconds, translate, trim, trunc, upper, AggregateFunction, Between,
+    BuiltInWindowFunction, BuiltinScalarFunction, Case, Expr, GetIndexedField,
+    GroupingSet,
     GroupingSet::GroupingSets,
     Like, Operator, WindowFrame, WindowFrameBound, WindowFrameUnits,
 };
@@ -1137,10 +1138,21 @@ pub fn parse_expr(
                     parse_expr(&args[0], registry)?,
                     parse_expr(&args[1], registry)?,
                 )),
-                ScalarFunction::Substr => Ok(substr(
-                    parse_expr(&args[0], registry)?,
-                    parse_expr(&args[1], registry)?,
-                )),
+                ScalarFunction::Substr => {
+                    if args.len() > 2 {
+                        assert_eq!(args.len(), 3);
+                        Ok(substring(
+                            parse_expr(&args[0], registry)?,
+                            parse_expr(&args[1], registry)?,
+                            parse_expr(&args[2], registry)?,
+                        ))
+                    } else {
+                        Ok(substr(
+                            parse_expr(&args[0], registry)?,
+                            parse_expr(&args[1], registry)?,
+                        ))
+                    }
+                }
                 ScalarFunction::ToHex => Ok(to_hex(parse_expr(&args[0], registry)?)),
                 ScalarFunction::ToTimestampMillis => {
                     Ok(to_timestamp_millis(parse_expr(&args[0], registry)?))
diff --git a/datafusion/proto/src/lib.rs b/datafusion/proto/src/lib.rs
index 5f665c9f25a4..7feae7965215 100644
--- a/datafusion/proto/src/lib.rs
+++ b/datafusion/proto/src/lib.rs
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ mod roundtrip_tests {
     use datafusion_expr::logical_plan::{Extension, UserDefinedLogicalNode};
     use datafusion_expr::{
         col, lit, Accumulator, AggregateFunction, AggregateState,
-        BuiltinScalarFunction::Sqrt, Expr, LogicalPlan, Operator, Volatility,
+        BuiltinScalarFunction::{Sqrt, Substr},
+        Expr, LogicalPlan, Operator, Volatility,
     };
     use prost::Message;
     use std::any::Any;
@@ -1149,4 +1150,23 @@ mod roundtrip_tests {
         let ctx = SessionContext::new();
         roundtrip_expr_test(test_expr, ctx);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn roundtrip_substr() {
+        // substr(string, position)
+        let test_expr = Expr::ScalarFunction {
+            fun: Substr,
+            args: vec![col("col"), lit(1_i64)],
+        };
+
+        // substr(string, position, count)
+        let test_expr_with_count = Expr::ScalarFunction {
+            fun: Substr,
+            args: vec![col("col"), lit(1_i64), lit(1_i64)],
+        };
+
+        let ctx = SessionContext::new();
+        roundtrip_expr_test(test_expr, ctx.clone());
+        roundtrip_expr_test(test_expr_with_count, ctx);
+    }
 }