diff --git a/datafusion/core/src/physical_plan/join_utils.rs b/datafusion/core/src/physical_plan/join_utils.rs
index b2cc5654a69..1c0440db80d 100644
--- a/datafusion/core/src/physical_plan/join_utils.rs
+++ b/datafusion/core/src/physical_plan/join_utils.rs
@@ -156,6 +156,27 @@ impl JoinFilter {
     }
 }
 
+/// Returns the output field given the input field. Outer joins may
+/// insert nulls even if the input was not null
+///
+fn output_join_field(old_field: &Field, join_type: &JoinType, is_left: bool) -> Field {
+    let force_nullable = match join_type {
+        JoinType::Inner => false,
+        JoinType::Left => !is_left, // right input is padded with nulls
+        JoinType::Right => is_left, // left input is padded with nulls
+        JoinType::Full => true,     // both inputs can be padded with nulls
+        JoinType::Semi => false,    // doesn't introduce nulls
+        JoinType::Anti => false,    // doesn't introduce nulls (or can it??)
+    };
+
+    if force_nullable {
+        // Could cleanup after https://github.com/apache/arrow-rs/issues/1934
+        Field::new(old_field.name(), old_field.data_type().clone(), true)
+    } else {
+        old_field.clone()
+    }
+}
+
 /// Creates a schema for a join operation.
 /// The fields from the left side are first
 pub fn build_join_schema(
@@ -165,8 +186,12 @@ pub fn build_join_schema(
 ) -> (Schema, Vec<ColumnIndex>) {
     let (fields, column_indices): (Vec<Field>, Vec<ColumnIndex>) = match join_type {
         JoinType::Inner | JoinType::Left | JoinType::Full | JoinType::Right => {
-            let left_fields =
-                left.fields().iter().cloned().enumerate().map(|(index, f)| {
+            let left_fields = left
+                .fields()
+                .iter()
+                .map(|f| output_join_field(f, join_type, true))
+                .enumerate()
+                .map(|(index, f)| {
                     (
                         f,
                         ColumnIndex {
@@ -175,21 +200,20 @@ pub fn build_join_schema(
                         },
                     )
                 });
-            let right_fields =
-                right
-                    .fields()
-                    .iter()
-                    .cloned()
-                    .enumerate()
-                    .map(|(index, f)| {
-                        (
-                            f,
-                            ColumnIndex {
-                                index,
-                                side: JoinSide::Right,
-                            },
-                        )
-                    });
+            let right_fields = right
+                .fields()
+                .iter()
+                .map(|f| output_join_field(f, join_type, false))
+                .enumerate()
+                .map(|(index, f)| {
+                    (
+                        f,
+                        ColumnIndex {
+                            index,
+                            side: JoinSide::Right,
+                        },
+                    )
+                });
 
             // left then right
             left_fields.chain(right_fields).unzip()
@@ -323,6 +347,7 @@ impl<T: 'static> OnceFut<T> {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
+    use arrow::datatypes::DataType;
 
     fn check(left: &[Column], right: &[Column], on: &[(Column, Column)]) -> Result<()> {
         let left = left
@@ -382,4 +407,59 @@ mod tests {
 
         assert!(check(&left, &right, on).is_ok());
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_join_schema() -> Result<()> {
+        let a = Schema::new(vec![Field::new("a", DataType::Int32, false)]);
+        let a_nulls = Schema::new(vec![Field::new("a", DataType::Int32, true)]);
+        let b = Schema::new(vec![Field::new("b", DataType::Int32, false)]);
+        let b_nulls = Schema::new(vec![Field::new("b", DataType::Int32, true)]);
+
+        let cases = vec![
+            (&a, &b, JoinType::Inner, &a, &b),
+            (&a, &b_nulls, JoinType::Inner, &a, &b_nulls),
+            (&a_nulls, &b, JoinType::Inner, &a_nulls, &b),
+            (&a_nulls, &b_nulls, JoinType::Inner, &a_nulls, &b_nulls),
+            // right input of a `LEFT` join can be null, regardless of input nullness
+            (&a, &b, JoinType::Left, &a, &b_nulls),
+            (&a, &b_nulls, JoinType::Left, &a, &b_nulls),
+            (&a_nulls, &b, JoinType::Left, &a_nulls, &b_nulls),
+            (&a_nulls, &b_nulls, JoinType::Left, &a_nulls, &b_nulls),
+            // left input of a `RIGHT` join can be null, regardless of input nullness
+            (&a, &b, JoinType::Right, &a_nulls, &b),
+            (&a, &b_nulls, JoinType::Right, &a_nulls, &b_nulls),
+            (&a_nulls, &b, JoinType::Right, &a_nulls, &b),
+            (&a_nulls, &b_nulls, JoinType::Right, &a_nulls, &b_nulls),
+            // Either input of a `FULL` join can be null
+            (&a, &b, JoinType::Full, &a_nulls, &b_nulls),
+            (&a, &b_nulls, JoinType::Full, &a_nulls, &b_nulls),
+            (&a_nulls, &b, JoinType::Full, &a_nulls, &b_nulls),
+            (&a_nulls, &b_nulls, JoinType::Full, &a_nulls, &b_nulls),
+        ];
+
+        for (left_in, right_in, join_type, left_out, right_out) in cases {
+            let (schema, _) = build_join_schema(left_in, right_in, &join_type);
+
+            let expected_fields = left_out
+                .fields()
+                .iter()
+                .cloned()
+                .chain(right_out.fields().iter().cloned())
+                .collect();
+
+            let expected_schema = Schema::new(expected_fields);
+            assert_eq!(
+                schema,
+                expected_schema,
+                "Mismatch with left_in={}:{}, right_in={}:{}, join_type={:?}",
+                left_in.fields()[0].name(),
+                left_in.fields()[0].is_nullable(),
+                right_in.fields()[0].name(),
+                right_in.fields()[0].is_nullable(),
+                join_type
+            );
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }