diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/catalog/SessionCatalog.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/catalog/SessionCatalog.scala
index 2a6124a4079a1..4d2dee5da383a 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/catalog/SessionCatalog.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/catalog/SessionCatalog.scala
@@ -353,9 +353,20 @@ class SessionCatalog(
     val db = formatDatabaseName(tableDefinition.identifier.database.getOrElse(getCurrentDatabase))
     val table = formatTableName(tableDefinition.identifier.table)
     val tableIdentifier = TableIdentifier(table, Some(db))
-    val newTableDefinition = tableDefinition.copy(identifier = tableIdentifier)
     requireDbExists(db)
     requireTableExists(tableIdentifier)
+    val newTableDefinition = if (tableDefinition.storage.locationUri.isDefined
+      && !tableDefinition.storage.locationUri.get.isAbsolute) {
+      // make the location of the table qualified.
+      val qualifiedTableLocation =
+        makeQualifiedPath(tableDefinition.storage.locationUri.get)
+      tableDefinition.copy(
+        storage = tableDefinition.storage.copy(locationUri = Some(qualifiedTableLocation)),
+        identifier = tableIdentifier)
+    } else {
+      tableDefinition.copy(identifier = tableIdentifier)
+    }
+
     externalCatalog.alterTable(newTableDefinition)
   }
 
@@ -882,7 +893,8 @@ class SessionCatalog(
     requireTableExists(TableIdentifier(table, Option(db)))
     requireExactMatchedPartitionSpec(parts.map(_.spec), getTableMetadata(tableName))
     requireNonEmptyValueInPartitionSpec(parts.map(_.spec))
-    externalCatalog.createPartitions(db, table, parts, ignoreIfExists)
+    externalCatalog.createPartitions(
+      db, table, partitionWithQualifiedPath(tableName, parts), ignoreIfExists)
   }
 
   /**
@@ -942,7 +954,7 @@ class SessionCatalog(
     requireTableExists(TableIdentifier(table, Option(db)))
     requireExactMatchedPartitionSpec(parts.map(_.spec), getTableMetadata(tableName))
     requireNonEmptyValueInPartitionSpec(parts.map(_.spec))
-    externalCatalog.alterPartitions(db, table, parts)
+    externalCatalog.alterPartitions(db, table, partitionWithQualifiedPath(tableName, parts))
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1064,6 +1076,23 @@ class SessionCatalog(
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Make the partition path qualified.
+   * If the partition path is relative, e.g. 'paris', it will be qualified with
+   * parent path using table location, e.g. 'file:/warehouse/table/paris'
+   */
+  private def partitionWithQualifiedPath(
+      tableIdentifier: TableIdentifier,
+      parts: Seq[CatalogTablePartition]): Seq[CatalogTablePartition] = {
+    lazy val tbl = getTableMetadata(tableIdentifier)
+    parts.map { part =>
+      if (part.storage.locationUri.isDefined && !part.storage.locationUri.get.isAbsolute) {
+        val partPath = new Path(new Path(tbl.location), new Path(part.storage.locationUri.get))
+        val qualifiedPartPath = makeQualifiedPath(CatalogUtils.stringToURI(partPath.toString))
+        part.copy(storage = part.storage.copy(locationUri = Some(qualifiedPartPath)))
+      } else part
+    }
+  }
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   // Functions
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/command/DDLSuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/command/DDLSuite.scala
index fd1da2011f28e..ccc1ad76f2b1c 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/command/DDLSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/command/DDLSuite.scala
@@ -1372,7 +1372,8 @@ abstract class DDLSuite extends QueryTest with SQLTestUtils {
       // if (isUsingHiveMetastore) {
       //  assert(storageFormat.properties.get("path") === expected)
       // }
-      assert(storageFormat.locationUri.map(_.getPath) === Some(expected.getPath))
+      assert(storageFormat.locationUri ===
+        Some(makeQualifiedPath(CatalogUtils.URIToString(expected))))
     }
     // set table location
     sql("ALTER TABLE dbx.tab1 SET LOCATION '/path/to/your/lovely/heart'")
@@ -1386,7 +1387,9 @@ abstract class DDLSuite extends QueryTest with SQLTestUtils {
     verifyLocation(new URI("/swanky/steak/place"))
     // set table partition location without explicitly specifying database
     sql("ALTER TABLE tab1 PARTITION (a='1', b='2') SET LOCATION 'vienna'")
-    verifyLocation(new URI("vienna"), Some(partSpec))
+    val table = spark.sessionState.catalog.getTableMetadata(TableIdentifier("tab1"))
+    val viennaPartPath = new Path(new Path(table. location), "vienna")
+    verifyLocation(CatalogUtils.stringToURI(viennaPartPath.toString), Some(partSpec))
     // table to alter does not exist
     intercept[AnalysisException] {
       sql("ALTER TABLE dbx.does_not_exist SET LOCATION '/mister/spark'")
@@ -1550,13 +1553,11 @@ abstract class DDLSuite extends QueryTest with SQLTestUtils {
       "PARTITION (a='2', b='6') LOCATION 'paris' PARTITION (a='3', b='7')")
     assert(catalog.listPartitions(tableIdent).map(_.spec).toSet == Set(part1, part2, part3))
     assert(catalog.getPartition(tableIdent, part1).storage.locationUri.isDefined)
-    val partitionLocation = if (isUsingHiveMetastore) {
-      val tableLocation = catalog.getTableMetadata(tableIdent).storage.locationUri
-      assert(tableLocation.isDefined)
-      makeQualifiedPath(new Path(tableLocation.get.toString, "paris").toString)
-    } else {
-      new URI("paris")
-    }
+
+    val tableLocation = catalog.getTableMetadata(tableIdent).storage.locationUri
+    assert(tableLocation.isDefined)
+    val partitionLocation = makeQualifiedPath(
+      new Path(tableLocation.get.toString, "paris").toString)
 
     assert(catalog.getPartition(tableIdent, part2).storage.locationUri == Option(partitionLocation))
     assert(catalog.getPartition(tableIdent, part3).storage.locationUri.isDefined)
@@ -2138,7 +2139,7 @@ abstract class DDLSuite extends QueryTest with SQLTestUtils {
         spark.sessionState.catalog.refreshTable(TableIdentifier("t"))
 
         val table1 = spark.sessionState.catalog.getTableMetadata(TableIdentifier("t"))
-        assert(table1.location == newDir)
+        assert(table1.location == makeQualifiedPath(newDir.toString))
         assert(!newDirFile.exists)
 
         spark.sql("INSERT INTO TABLE t SELECT 'c', 1")
@@ -2501,6 +2502,13 @@ abstract class DDLSuite extends QueryTest with SQLTestUtils {
         assert(table.location.toString.startsWith("file:/"))
       }
 
+      withTempDir { dir =>
+        assert(!dir.getAbsolutePath.startsWith("file:/"))
+        spark.sql(s"ALTER TABLE t SET LOCATION '$dir'")
+        val table = spark.sessionState.catalog.getTableMetadata(TableIdentifier("t"))
+        assert(table.location.toString.startsWith("file:/"))
+      }
+
       withTempDir { dir =>
         assert(!dir.getAbsolutePath.startsWith("file:/"))
         // The parser does not recognize the backslashes on Windows as they are.
@@ -2519,6 +2527,37 @@ abstract class DDLSuite extends QueryTest with SQLTestUtils {
     }
   }
 
+  test("the qualified path of a partition is stored in the catalog") {
+    withTable("t") {
+      withTempDir { dir =>
+        spark.sql(
+          s"""
+             |CREATE TABLE t(a STRING, b STRING)
+             |USING ${dataSource} PARTITIONED BY(b) LOCATION '$dir'
+           """.stripMargin)
+        spark.sql("INSERT INTO TABLE t PARTITION(b=1) SELECT 2")
+        val part = spark.sessionState.catalog.getPartition(TableIdentifier("t"), Map("b" -> "1"))
+        assert(part.storage.locationUri.contains(
+          makeQualifiedPath(new File(dir, "b=1").getAbsolutePath)))
+        assert(part.storage.locationUri.get.toString.startsWith("file:/"))
+      }
+      withTempDir { dir =>
+        spark.sql(s"ALTER TABLE t PARTITION(b=1) SET LOCATION '$dir'")
+
+        val part = spark.sessionState.catalog.getPartition(TableIdentifier("t"), Map("b" -> "1"))
+        assert(part.storage.locationUri.contains(makeQualifiedPath(dir.getAbsolutePath)))
+        assert(part.storage.locationUri.get.toString.startsWith("file:/"))
+      }
+
+      withTempDir { dir =>
+        spark.sql(s"ALTER TABLE t ADD PARTITION(b=2) LOCATION '$dir'")
+        val part = spark.sessionState.catalog.getPartition(TableIdentifier("t"), Map("b" -> "2"))
+        assert(part.storage.locationUri.contains(makeQualifiedPath(dir.getAbsolutePath)))
+        assert(part.storage.locationUri.get.toString.startsWith("file:/"))
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   protected def testAddColumn(provider: String): Unit = {
     withTable("t1") {
       sql(s"CREATE TABLE t1 (c1 int) USING $provider")
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/sources/PathOptionSuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/sources/PathOptionSuite.scala
index 87dce376a09dd..9b26a5659df49 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/sources/PathOptionSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/sources/PathOptionSuite.scala
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ class PathOptionSuite extends DataSourceTest with SharedSparkSession {
            |USING ${classOf[TestOptionsSource].getCanonicalName}
            |OPTIONS (PATH '/tmp/path')""".stripMargin)
       sql("ALTER TABLE src SET LOCATION '/tmp/path2'")
-      assert(getPathOption("src").map(makeQualifiedPath) == Some(makeQualifiedPath("/tmp/path2")))
+      assert(getPathOption("src") ==
+        Some(CatalogUtils.URIToString(makeQualifiedPath("/tmp/path2"))))
     }
 
     withTable("src", "src2") {