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 0f4caec7451a2..5b4359894c79d 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
@@ -136,26 +136,12 @@ object SetOperationPushDown extends Rule[LogicalPlan] {
         Filter(condition, left),
         Filter(pushToRight(condition, rewrites), right))
 
-    // Push down projection into intersect
-    case Project(projectList, i @ Intersect(left, right)) =>
-      val rewrites = buildRewrites(i)
-      Intersect(
-        Project(projectList, left),
-        Project(projectList.map(pushToRight(_, rewrites)), right))
-
     // Push down filter into except
     case Filter(condition, e @ Except(left, right)) =>
       val rewrites = buildRewrites(e)
       Except(
         Filter(condition, left),
         Filter(pushToRight(condition, rewrites), right))
-
-    // Push down projection into except
-    case Project(projectList, e @ Except(left, right)) =>
-      val rewrites = buildRewrites(e)
-      Except(
-        Project(projectList, left),
-        Project(projectList.map(pushToRight(_, rewrites)), right))
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/SetOperationPushDownSuite.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/SetOperationPushDownSuite.scala
index 49c979bc7d72c..3fca47a023dc6 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/SetOperationPushDownSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/optimizer/SetOperationPushDownSuite.scala
@@ -60,23 +60,22 @@ class SetOperationPushDownSuite extends PlanTest {
     comparePlans(exceptOptimized, exceptCorrectAnswer)
   }
 
-  test("union/intersect/except: project to each side") {
+  test("union: project to each side") {
     val unionQuery = testUnion.select('a)
+    val unionOptimized = Optimize.execute(unionQuery.analyze)
+    val unionCorrectAnswer =
+      Union(testRelation.select('a), testRelation2.select('d)).analyze
+    comparePlans(unionOptimized, unionCorrectAnswer)
+  }
+
+  test("SPARK-10539: Project should not be pushed down through Intersect or Except") {
     val intersectQuery = testIntersect.select('b, 'c)
     val exceptQuery = testExcept.select('a, 'b, 'c)
 
-    val unionOptimized = Optimize.execute(unionQuery.analyze)
     val intersectOptimized = Optimize.execute(intersectQuery.analyze)
     val exceptOptimized = Optimize.execute(exceptQuery.analyze)
 
-    val unionCorrectAnswer =
-      Union(testRelation.select('a), testRelation2.select('d)).analyze
-    val intersectCorrectAnswer =
-      Intersect(testRelation.select('b, 'c), testRelation2.select('e, 'f)).analyze
-    val exceptCorrectAnswer =
-      Except(testRelation.select('a, 'b, 'c), testRelation2.select('d, 'e, 'f)).analyze
-
-    comparePlans(unionOptimized, unionCorrectAnswer)
-    comparePlans(intersectOptimized, intersectCorrectAnswer)
-    comparePlans(exceptOptimized, exceptCorrectAnswer)  }
+    comparePlans(intersectOptimized, intersectQuery.analyze)
+    comparePlans(exceptOptimized, exceptQuery.analyze)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/DataFrameSuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/DataFrameSuite.scala
index c167999af580e..1370713975f2f 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/DataFrameSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/DataFrameSuite.scala
@@ -907,4 +907,13 @@ class DataFrameSuite extends QueryTest with SharedSQLContext {
       assert(row.getDouble(1) - row.getDouble(3) === 0.0 +- 0.001)
     }
   }
+
+  test("SPARK-10539: Project should not be pushed down through Intersect or Except") {
+    val df1 = (1 to 100).map(Tuple1.apply).toDF("i")
+    val df2 = (1 to 30).map(Tuple1.apply).toDF("i")
+    val intersect = df1.intersect(df2)
+    val except = df1.except(df2)
+    assert(intersect.count() === 30)
+    assert(except.count() === 70)
+  }
 }