diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SQLConf.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SQLConf.scala
index e2e07c1b804a3..842cd1b7d58fb 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SQLConf.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SQLConf.scala
@@ -145,10 +145,10 @@ private[sql] class SQLConf extends Serializable {
     getConf(AUTO_BROADCASTJOIN_THRESHOLD, (10 * 1024 * 1024).toString).toInt
 
   /**
-   * By default it will choose sort merge join.
+   * By default not choose sort merge join.
    */
   private[spark] def autoSortMergeJoin: Boolean =
-    getConf(AUTO_SORTMERGEJOIN, true.toString).toBoolean
+    getConf(AUTO_SORTMERGEJOIN, false.toString).toBoolean
 
   /**
    * The default size in bytes to assign to a logical operator's estimation statistics.  By default,
diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/joins/SortMergeJoin.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/joins/SortMergeJoin.scala
index ddddd8c9a14ca..32689f5ca2591 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/joins/SortMergeJoin.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/joins/SortMergeJoin.scala
@@ -140,14 +140,11 @@ case class SortMergeJoin(
               stop = ordering.compare(leftKey, rightKey) == 0
             }
             if (rightMatches.size > 0) {
-              stop = false
               leftMatches = new CompactBuffer[Row]()
               val leftMatch = leftKey.copy()
-              while (!stop && leftElement != null) {
+              while (ordering.compare(leftKey, leftMatch) == 0 && leftElement != null) {
                 leftMatches += leftElement
                 fetchLeft()
-                // exit loop when run out of left matches
-                stop = ordering.compare(leftKey, leftMatch) != 0
               }
             }
 
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/JoinSuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/JoinSuite.scala
index bba2f223c55dc..a2c9778883389 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/JoinSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/JoinSuite.scala
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ class JoinSuite extends QueryTest with BeforeAndAfterEach {
       case j: CartesianProduct => j
       case j: BroadcastNestedLoopJoin => j
       case j: BroadcastLeftSemiJoinHash => j
+      case j: ShuffledHashJoin => j
       case j: SortMergeJoin => j
     }
 
@@ -63,6 +64,8 @@ class JoinSuite extends QueryTest with BeforeAndAfterEach {
   test("join operator selection") {
     cacheManager.clearCache()
 
+    val AUTO_SORTMERGEJOIN: Boolean = conf.autoSortMergeJoin
+    conf.setConf("spark.sql.autoSortMergeJoin", "false")
     Seq(
       ("SELECT * FROM testData LEFT SEMI JOIN testData2 ON key = a", classOf[LeftSemiJoinHash]),
       ("SELECT * FROM testData LEFT SEMI JOIN testData2", classOf[LeftSemiJoinBNL]),
@@ -76,9 +79,9 @@ class JoinSuite extends QueryTest with BeforeAndAfterEach {
       ("SELECT * FROM testData FULL OUTER JOIN testData2 WHERE key = 2", classOf[CartesianProduct]),
       ("SELECT * FROM testData JOIN testData2 WHERE key > a", classOf[CartesianProduct]),
       ("SELECT * FROM testData FULL OUTER JOIN testData2 WHERE key > a", classOf[CartesianProduct]),
-      ("SELECT * FROM testData JOIN testData2 ON key = a", classOf[SortMergeJoin]),
-      ("SELECT * FROM testData JOIN testData2 ON key = a and key = 2", classOf[SortMergeJoin]),
-      ("SELECT * FROM testData JOIN testData2 ON key = a where key = 2", classOf[SortMergeJoin]),
+      ("SELECT * FROM testData JOIN testData2 ON key = a", classOf[ShuffledHashJoin]),
+      ("SELECT * FROM testData JOIN testData2 ON key = a and key = 2", classOf[ShuffledHashJoin]),
+      ("SELECT * FROM testData JOIN testData2 ON key = a where key = 2", classOf[ShuffledHashJoin]),
       ("SELECT * FROM testData LEFT JOIN testData2 ON key = a", classOf[HashOuterJoin]),
       ("SELECT * FROM testData RIGHT JOIN testData2 ON key = a where key = 2",
         classOf[HashOuterJoin]),
@@ -92,6 +95,13 @@ class JoinSuite extends QueryTest with BeforeAndAfterEach {
       ("SELECT * FROM testData full JOIN testData2 ON (key * a != key + a)",
         classOf[BroadcastNestedLoopJoin])
     ).foreach { case (query, joinClass) => assertJoin(query, joinClass) }
+    conf.setConf("spark.sql.autoSortMergeJoin", "true")
+    Seq(
+      ("SELECT * FROM testData JOIN testData2 ON key = a", classOf[SortMergeJoin]),
+      ("SELECT * FROM testData JOIN testData2 ON key = a and key = 2", classOf[SortMergeJoin]),
+      ("SELECT * FROM testData JOIN testData2 ON key = a where key = 2", classOf[SortMergeJoin])
+    ).foreach { case (query, joinClass) => assertJoin(query, joinClass) }
+    conf.setConf("spark.sql.autoSortMergeJoin", AUTO_SORTMERGEJOIN.toString)
   }
 
   test("broadcasted hash join operator selection") {