diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/command/createDataSourceTables.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/command/createDataSourceTables.scala
index 70e5108d938b..7614a270117a 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/command/createDataSourceTables.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/command/createDataSourceTables.scala
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import java.util.regex.Pattern
 import scala.collection.mutable
 import scala.util.control.NonFatal
 
+import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Path
+
 import org.apache.spark.internal.Logging
 import org.apache.spark.sql._
 import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.TableIdentifier
@@ -354,7 +356,27 @@ object CreateDataSourceTableUtils extends Logging {
         tableType = tableType,
         schema = Nil,
         storage = CatalogStorageFormat(
-          locationUri = None,
+          // We don't want Hive metastore to implicitly create a table directory,
+          // which may be not the one Data Source table is referring to,
+          // yet which will be left behind when the table is dropped for an external table
+          locationUri = if (new CaseInsensitiveMap(options).get("path").isDefined) {
+            val path = new Path(new CaseInsensitiveMap(options).get("path").get)
+            val fs = path.getFileSystem(sparkSession.sessionState.newHadoopConf())
+            if (fs.exists(path)) {
+              // if the provided path exists, Hive metastore only takes directory
+              // as table data location
+              if (fs.getFileStatus(path).isDirectory) {
+                Some(path.toUri.toString)
+              } else {
+                Some(path.getParent.toUri.toString)
+              }
+            } else {
+              // If the path does not exists yet, it is assumed to be directory
+              Some(path.toUri.toString)
+            }
+          } else {
+            None
+          },
           inputFormat = None,
           outputFormat = None,
           serde = None,
diff --git a/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/MetastoreDataSourcesSuite.scala b/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/MetastoreDataSourcesSuite.scala
index b507018e58d1..a6c387383c5b 100644
--- a/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/MetastoreDataSourcesSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/MetastoreDataSourcesSuite.scala
@@ -1104,4 +1104,24 @@ class MetastoreDataSourcesSuite extends QueryTest with SQLTestUtils with TestHiv
       }
     }
   }
+
+  test("SPARK-15269: non-hive compative table") {
+    withTempPath { dir =>
+      val path = dir.getCanonicalPath
+      val df = spark.range(1).toDF()
+
+      val hadoopPath = new Path(path, "data")
+      val fs = hadoopPath.getFileSystem(spark.sessionState.newHadoopConf())
+      val qualified = hadoopPath.makeQualified(fs.getUri, fs.getWorkingDirectory)
+      fs.delete(qualified, true)
+      df.write.mode(SaveMode.Overwrite).json(qualified.toUri.toString)
+
+      withTable("ddl_test1") {
+        sql(s"CREATE TABLE ddl_test1 USING json OPTIONS (PATH '${qualified.toUri.toString}')")
+        sql("DROP TABLE ddl_test1")
+        sql(s"CREATE TABLE ddl_test1 USING json AS SELECT 10 AS a")
+        checkAnswer(sql("select * from ddl_test1"), Seq(Row(10)))
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }