diff --git a/sql/hive/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/TableReader.scala b/sql/hive/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/TableReader.scala
index eb9ce877fc8d2..27fd2ccf4b74f 100644
--- a/sql/hive/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/TableReader.scala
+++ b/sql/hive/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/TableReader.scala
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.exec.Utilities
 import org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.metadata.{Partition => HivePartition, Table => HiveTable}
 import org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.plan.TableDesc
 import org.apache.hadoop.hive.serde2.Deserializer
+import org.apache.hadoop.hive.serde2.avro.AvroSerdeUtils.AvroTableProperties
 import org.apache.hadoop.hive.serde2.objectinspector.{ObjectInspectorConverters, StructObjectInspector}
 import org.apache.hadoop.hive.serde2.objectinspector.primitive._
 import org.apache.hadoop.io.Writable
@@ -248,10 +249,15 @@ class HadoopTableReader(
         // SPARK-13709: For SerDes like AvroSerDe, some essential information (e.g. Avro schema
         // information) may be defined in table properties. Here we should merge table properties
         // and partition properties before initializing the deserializer. Note that partition
-        // properties take a higher priority here. For example, a partition may have a different
-        // SerDe as the one defined in table properties.
+        // properties take a higher priority here except for the Avro table properties
+        // to support schema evolution: in that case the properties given at table level will
+        // be used (for details please check SPARK-26836).
+        // For example, a partition may have a different SerDe as the one defined in table
+        // properties.
         val props = new Properties(tableProperties)
-        partProps.asScala.foreach {
+        partProps.asScala.filterNot { case (k, _) =>
+          k == AvroTableProperties.SCHEMA_LITERAL.getPropName() && tableProperties.containsKey(k)
+        }.foreach {
           case (key, value) => props.setProperty(key, value)
         }
         DeserializerLock.synchronized {
diff --git a/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/execution/HiveDDLSuite.scala b/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/execution/HiveDDLSuite.scala
index 50b1dd952c61e..eab471e328e8d 100644
--- a/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/execution/HiveDDLSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/execution/HiveDDLSuite.scala
@@ -1883,6 +1883,110 @@ class HiveDDLSuite
     }
   }
 
+  test("SPARK-26836: support Avro schema evolution (add column)") {
+    withTable("t") {
+      val originalSchema =
+        """
+          |{
+          |  "namespace": "test",
+          |  "name": "some_schema",
+          |  "type": "record",
+          |  "fields": [
+          |    {
+          |      "name": "col2",
+          |      "type": "string"
+          |    }
+          |  ]
+          |}
+        """.stripMargin
+      sql(
+        s"""
+          |CREATE TABLE t PARTITIONED BY (ds string)
+          |ROW FORMAT SERDE 'org.apache.hadoop.hive.serde2.avro.AvroSerDe'
+          |WITH SERDEPROPERTIES ('avro.schema.literal'='$originalSchema')
+          |STORED AS
+          |INPUTFORMAT 'org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.io.avro.AvroContainerInputFormat'
+          |OUTPUTFORMAT 'org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.io.avro.AvroContainerOutputFormat'
+        """.stripMargin)
+      sql("INSERT INTO t partition (ds='1981-01-07') VALUES ('col2_value')")
+      val evolvedSchema =
+        """
+          |{
+          |  "namespace": "test",
+          |  "name": "some_schema",
+          |  "type": "record",
+          |  "fields": [
+          |    {
+          |      "name": "col1",
+          |      "type": "string",
+          |      "default": "col1_default"
+          |    },
+          |    {
+          |      "name": "col2",
+          |      "type": "string"
+          |    }
+          |  ]
+          |}
+        """.stripMargin
+      sql(s"ALTER TABLE t SET SERDEPROPERTIES ('avro.schema.literal'='$evolvedSchema')")
+      sql("INSERT INTO t partition (ds='1983-04-27') VALUES ('col1_value', 'col2_value')")
+      checkAnswer(spark.table("t"), Row("col1_default", "col2_value", "1981-01-07")
+        :: Row("col1_value", "col2_value", "1983-04-27") :: Nil)
+    }
+  }
+
+  test("SPARK-26836: support Avro schema evolution (remove column)") {
+    withTable("t") {
+      val originalSchema =
+        """
+          |{
+          |  "namespace": "test",
+          |  "name": "some_schema",
+          |  "type": "record",
+          |  "fields": [
+          |    {
+          |      "name": "col1",
+          |      "type": "string",
+          |      "default": "col1_default"
+          |    },
+          |    {
+          |      "name": "col2",
+          |      "type": "string"
+          |    }
+          |  ]
+          |}
+        """.stripMargin
+      sql(
+        s"""
+          |CREATE TABLE t PARTITIONED BY (ds string)
+          |ROW FORMAT SERDE 'org.apache.hadoop.hive.serde2.avro.AvroSerDe'
+          |WITH SERDEPROPERTIES ('avro.schema.literal'='$originalSchema')
+          |STORED AS
+          |INPUTFORMAT 'org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.io.avro.AvroContainerInputFormat'
+          |OUTPUTFORMAT 'org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.io.avro.AvroContainerOutputFormat'
+        """.stripMargin)
+      sql("INSERT INTO t partition (ds='1983-04-27') VALUES ('col1_value', 'col2_value')")
+      val evolvedSchema =
+        """
+          |{
+          |  "namespace": "test",
+          |  "name": "some_schema",
+          |  "type": "record",
+          |  "fields": [
+          |    {
+          |      "name": "col2",
+          |      "type": "string"
+          |    }
+          |  ]
+          |}
+        """.stripMargin
+      sql(s"ALTER TABLE t SET SERDEPROPERTIES ('avro.schema.literal'='$evolvedSchema')")
+      sql("INSERT INTO t partition (ds='1981-01-07') VALUES ('col2_value')")
+      checkAnswer(spark.table("t"), Row("col2_value", "1981-01-07")
+        :: Row("col2_value", "1983-04-27") :: Nil)
+    }
+  }
+
   test("append data to hive serde table") {
     withTable("t", "t1") {
       Seq(1 -> "a").toDF("i", "j")