diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/CacheManager.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/CacheManager.scala
index 0ea806d6cb50..700c7986dea9 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/CacheManager.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/CacheManager.scala
@@ -114,13 +114,13 @@ class CacheManager extends Logging {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Un-cache all the cache entries that refer to the given plan.
+   * Un-cache the cache entry that refers to the given plan.
    */
   def uncacheQuery(spark: SparkSession, plan: LogicalPlan, blocking: Boolean): Unit = writeLock {
     val it = cachedData.iterator()
     while (it.hasNext) {
       val cd = it.next()
-      if (cd.plan.find(_.sameResult(plan)).isDefined) {
+      if (plan.sameResult(cd.plan)) {
         cd.cachedRepresentation.cachedColumnBuffers.unpersist(blocking)
         it.remove()
       }
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/DatasetCacheSuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/DatasetCacheSuite.scala
index e0561ee2797a..40f07e37fe0d 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/DatasetCacheSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/DatasetCacheSuite.scala
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ class DatasetCacheSuite extends QueryTest with SharedSQLContext {
     // joined Dataset should not be persisted
     val joined = ds1.joinWith(ds2, $"a.value" === $"b.value")
     assert(joined.storageLevel == StorageLevel.NONE)
+    // cleanup
+    ds1.unpersist()
+    assert(ds1.storageLevel == StorageLevel.NONE, "The Dataset ds1 should not be cached.")
+
   }
 
   test("persist and unpersist") {
@@ -58,7 +62,7 @@ class DatasetCacheSuite extends QueryTest with SharedSQLContext {
       2, 3, 4)
     // Drop the cache.
     cached.unpersist()
-    assert(cached.storageLevel == StorageLevel.NONE, "The Dataset should not be cached.")
+    assert(cached.storageLevel == StorageLevel.NONE, "The Dataset cached should not be cached.")
   }
 
   test("persist and then rebind right encoder when join 2 datasets") {
@@ -80,6 +84,24 @@ class DatasetCacheSuite extends QueryTest with SharedSQLContext {
     assert(ds2.storageLevel == StorageLevel.NONE, "The Dataset ds2 should not be cached.")
   }
 
+  test("SPARK-21478: persist parent and child Dataset and unpersist parent Dataset") {
+    val ds1 = Seq(1).toDF()
+    ds1.persist()
+    ds1.count()
+    assert(ds1.storageLevel.useMemory)
+
+    val ds2 = ds1.select($"value" * 2)
+    ds2.persist()
+    ds2.count()
+    assert(ds2.storageLevel.useMemory)
+
+    ds1.unpersist()
+    assert(ds1.storageLevel == StorageLevel.NONE, "The Dataset ds1 should not be cached.")
+    assert(ds2.storageLevel.useMemory, "The Dataset ds2 should be cached.")
+    ds2.unpersist()
+    assert(ds2.storageLevel == StorageLevel.NONE, "The Dataset ds2 should not be cached.")
+  }
+
   test("persist and then groupBy columns asKey, map") {
     val ds = Seq(("a", 10), ("a", 20), ("b", 1), ("b", 2), ("c", 1)).toDS()
     val grouped = ds.groupByKey(_._1)