diff --git a/docs/running-on-kubernetes.md b/docs/running-on-kubernetes.md
index 08ec34c63ba3f..d6b1735ce5550 100644
--- a/docs/running-on-kubernetes.md
+++ b/docs/running-on-kubernetes.md
@@ -117,7 +117,10 @@ This URI is the location of the example jar that is already in the Docker image.
 If your application's dependencies are all hosted in remote locations like HDFS or HTTP servers, they may be referred to
 by their appropriate remote URIs. Also, application dependencies can be pre-mounted into custom-built Docker images.
 Those dependencies can be added to the classpath by referencing them with `local://` URIs and/or setting the
-`SPARK_EXTRA_CLASSPATH` environment variable in your Dockerfiles.
+`SPARK_EXTRA_CLASSPATH` environment variable in your Dockerfiles. The `local://` scheme is also required when referring to
+dependencies in custom-built Docker images in `spark-submit`. Note that using application dependencies from the submission
+client's local file system is currently not yet supported.
+
 
 ### Using Remote Dependencies
 When there are application dependencies hosted in remote locations like HDFS or HTTP servers, the driver and executor pods
diff --git a/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/DriverConfigOrchestrator.scala b/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/DriverConfigOrchestrator.scala
index c9cc300d65569..ae70904621184 100644
--- a/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/DriverConfigOrchestrator.scala
+++ b/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/DriverConfigOrchestrator.scala
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import java.util.UUID
 
 import com.google.common.primitives.Longs
 
-import org.apache.spark.SparkConf
+import org.apache.spark.{SparkConf, SparkException}
 import org.apache.spark.deploy.k8s.{KubernetesUtils, MountSecretsBootstrap}
 import org.apache.spark.deploy.k8s.Config._
 import org.apache.spark.deploy.k8s.Constants._
@@ -117,6 +117,12 @@ private[spark] class DriverConfigOrchestrator(
       .map(_.split(","))
       .getOrElse(Array.empty[String])
 
+    // TODO(SPARK-23153): remove once submission client local dependencies are supported.
+    if (existSubmissionLocalFiles(sparkJars) || existSubmissionLocalFiles(sparkFiles)) {
+      throw new SparkException("The Kubernetes mode does not yet support referencing application " +
+        "dependencies in the local file system.")
+    }
+
     val dependencyResolutionStep = if (sparkJars.nonEmpty || sparkFiles.nonEmpty) {
       Seq(new DependencyResolutionStep(
         sparkJars,
@@ -162,6 +168,12 @@ private[spark] class DriverConfigOrchestrator(
       initContainerBootstrapStep
   }
 
+  private def existSubmissionLocalFiles(files: Seq[String]): Boolean = {
+    files.exists { uri =>
+      Utils.resolveURI(uri).getScheme == "file"
+    }
+  }
+
   private def existNonContainerLocalFiles(files: Seq[String]): Boolean = {
     files.exists { uri =>
       Utils.resolveURI(uri).getScheme != "local"
diff --git a/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/DriverConfigOrchestratorSuite.scala b/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/DriverConfigOrchestratorSuite.scala
index 65274c6f50e01..033d303e946fd 100644
--- a/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/DriverConfigOrchestratorSuite.scala
+++ b/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/DriverConfigOrchestratorSuite.scala
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  */
 package org.apache.spark.deploy.k8s.submit
 
-import org.apache.spark.{SparkConf, SparkFunSuite}
+import org.apache.spark.{SparkConf, SparkException, SparkFunSuite}
 import org.apache.spark.deploy.k8s.Config._
 import org.apache.spark.deploy.k8s.submit.steps._
 
@@ -117,6 +117,35 @@ class DriverConfigOrchestratorSuite extends SparkFunSuite {
       classOf[DriverMountSecretsStep])
   }
 
+  test("Submission using client local dependencies") {
+    val sparkConf = new SparkConf(false)
+      .set(CONTAINER_IMAGE, DRIVER_IMAGE)
+    var orchestrator = new DriverConfigOrchestrator(
+      APP_ID,
+      LAUNCH_TIME,
+      Some(JavaMainAppResource("file:///var/apps/jars/main.jar")),
+      APP_NAME,
+      MAIN_CLASS,
+      APP_ARGS,
+      sparkConf)
+    assertThrows[SparkException] {
+      orchestrator.getAllConfigurationSteps
+    }
+
+    sparkConf.set("spark.files", "/path/to/file1,/path/to/file2")
+    orchestrator = new DriverConfigOrchestrator(
+      APP_ID,
+      LAUNCH_TIME,
+      Some(JavaMainAppResource("local:///var/apps/jars/main.jar")),
+      APP_NAME,
+      MAIN_CLASS,
+      APP_ARGS,
+      sparkConf)
+    assertThrows[SparkException] {
+      orchestrator.getAllConfigurationSteps
+    }
+  }
+
   private def validateStepTypes(
       orchestrator: DriverConfigOrchestrator,
       types: Class[_ <: DriverConfigurationStep]*): Unit = {