diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/SparkSubmitArguments.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/SparkSubmitArguments.scala
index f9b2343167618..32619035e3674 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/SparkSubmitArguments.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/SparkSubmitArguments.scala
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ private[deploy] class SparkSubmitArguments(args: Seq[String], env: Map[String, S
   var executorCores: String = null
   var totalExecutorCores: String = null
   var propertiesFile: String = null
+  private var extraPropertiesFiles: Boolean = false
   var driverMemory: String = null
   var driverExtraClassPath: String = null
   var driverExtraLibraryPath: String = null
@@ -87,27 +88,6 @@ private[deploy] class SparkSubmitArguments(args: Seq[String], env: Map[String, S
 
   override protected def logName: String = classOf[SparkSubmitArguments].getName
 
-  /** Default properties present in the currently defined defaults file. */
-  lazy val defaultSparkProperties: HashMap[String, String] = {
-    val defaultProperties = new HashMap[String, String]()
-    if (verbose) {
-      logInfo(log"Using properties file: ${MDC(PATH, propertiesFile)}")
-    }
-    Option(propertiesFile).foreach { filename =>
-      val properties = Utils.getPropertiesFromFile(filename)
-      properties.foreach { case (k, v) =>
-        defaultProperties(k) = v
-      }
-      // Property files may contain sensitive information, so redact before printing
-      if (verbose) {
-        Utils.redact(properties).foreach { case (k, v) =>
-          logInfo(log"Adding default property: ${MDC(KEY, k)}=${MDC(VALUE, v)}")
-        }
-      }
-    }
-    defaultProperties
-  }
-
   // Set parameters from command line arguments
   parse(args.asJava)
 
@@ -123,31 +103,43 @@ private[deploy] class SparkSubmitArguments(args: Seq[String], env: Map[String, S
   validateArguments()
 
   /**
-   * Merge values from the default properties file with those specified through --conf.
-   * When this is called, `sparkProperties` is already filled with configs from the latter.
+   * Load properties from the file with the given path into `sparkProperties`.
+   * No-op if the file path is null
    */
-  private def mergeDefaultSparkProperties(): Unit = {
-    // Honor --conf before the specified properties file and defaults file
-    defaultSparkProperties.foreach { case (k, v) =>
-      if (!sparkProperties.contains(k)) {
-        sparkProperties(k) = v
+  private def loadPropertiesFromFile(filePath: String): Unit = {
+    if (filePath != null) {
+      if (verbose) {
+        logInfo(log"Using properties file: ${MDC(PATH, filePath)}")
       }
-    }
-
-    // Also load properties from `spark-defaults.conf` if they do not exist in the properties file
-    // and --conf list
-    val defaultSparkConf = Utils.getDefaultPropertiesFile(env)
-    Option(defaultSparkConf).foreach { filename =>
-      val properties = Utils.getPropertiesFromFile(filename)
+      val properties = Utils.getPropertiesFromFile(filePath)
       properties.foreach { case (k, v) =>
         if (!sparkProperties.contains(k)) {
           sparkProperties(k) = v
         }
       }
+      // Property files may contain sensitive information, so redact before printing
+      if (verbose) {
+        Utils.redact(properties).foreach { case (k, v) =>
+          logInfo(log"Adding default property: ${MDC(KEY, k)}=${MDC(VALUE, v)}")
+        }
+      }
     }
+  }
 
-    if (propertiesFile == null) {
-      propertiesFile = defaultSparkConf
+  /**
+   * Merge values from the default properties file with those specified through --conf.
+   * When this is called, `sparkProperties` is already filled with configs from the latter.
+   */
+  private def mergeDefaultSparkProperties(): Unit = {
+    // Honor --conf before the specified properties file and defaults file
+    loadPropertiesFromFile(propertiesFile)
+
+    // Also load properties from `spark-defaults.conf` if they do not exist in the properties file
+    // and --conf list when:
+    //   - no input properties file is specified
+    //   - input properties file is specified, but `--extra-properties-files` flag is set
+    if (propertiesFile == null || extraPropertiesFiles) {
+      loadPropertiesFromFile(Utils.getDefaultPropertiesFile(env))
     }
   }
 
@@ -405,6 +397,9 @@ private[deploy] class SparkSubmitArguments(args: Seq[String], env: Map[String, S
       case PROPERTIES_FILE =>
         propertiesFile = value
 
+      case EXTRA_PROPERTIES_FILES =>
+        extraPropertiesFiles = true
+
       case KILL_SUBMISSION =>
         submissionToKill = value
         if (action != null) {
@@ -548,6 +543,8 @@ private[deploy] class SparkSubmitArguments(args: Seq[String], env: Map[String, S
         |  --conf, -c PROP=VALUE       Arbitrary Spark configuration property.
         |  --properties-file FILE      Path to a file from which to load extra properties. If not
         |                              specified, this will look for conf/spark-defaults.conf.
+        |  --extra-properties-files    Whether to load properties from conf/spark-defaults.conf,
+        |                              even if --properties-file is specified.
         |
         |  --driver-memory MEM         Memory for driver (e.g. 1000M, 2G) (Default: ${mem_mb}M).
         |  --driver-java-options       Extra Java options to pass to the driver.
diff --git a/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/SparkSubmitSuite.scala b/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/SparkSubmitSuite.scala
index 42373fae649be..4e2849e9baa78 100644
--- a/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/SparkSubmitSuite.scala
+++ b/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/SparkSubmitSuite.scala
@@ -1113,19 +1113,41 @@ class SparkSubmitSuite
     }
   }
 
-  test("SPARK-48392: Allow both spark-defaults.conf and properties file") {
-    forConfDir(Map("spark.executor.memory" -> "3g")) { path =>
-      withPropertyFile("spark-conf.properties", Map("spark.executor.cores" -> "16")) { propsFile =>
+  test("SPARK-48392: load spark-defaults.conf when --extra-properties-files is set") {
+    forConfDir(Map("spark.executor.memory" -> "3g", "spark.driver.memory" -> "3g")) { path =>
+      withPropertyFile("spark-conf.properties",
+          Map("spark.executor.cores" -> "16", "spark.driver.memory" -> "4g")) { propsFile =>
         val unusedJar = TestUtils.createJarWithClasses(Seq.empty)
         val args = Seq(
           "--class", SimpleApplicationTest.getClass.getName.stripSuffix("$"),
           "--name", "testApp",
           "--master", "local",
           "--properties-file", propsFile,
+          "--extra-properties-files",
           unusedJar.toString)
         val appArgs = new SparkSubmitArguments(args, env = Map("SPARK_CONF_DIR" -> path))
+        appArgs.executorCores should be("16")
         appArgs.executorMemory should be("3g")
+        appArgs.driverMemory should be("4g")
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  test("SPARK-48392: should skip spark-defaults.conf when --extra-properties-files is not set") {
+    forConfDir(Map("spark.executor.memory" -> "3g", "spark.driver.memory" -> "3g")) { path =>
+      withPropertyFile("spark-conf.properties",
+        Map("spark.executor.cores" -> "16", "spark.driver.memory" -> "4g")) { propsFile =>
+        val unusedJar = TestUtils.createJarWithClasses(Seq.empty)
+        val args = Seq(
+          "--class", SimpleApplicationTest.getClass.getName.stripSuffix("$"),
+          "--name", "testApp",
+          "--master", "local",
+          "--properties-file", propsFile,
+          unusedJar.toString)
+        val appArgs = new SparkSubmitArguments(args, env = Map("SPARK_CONF_DIR" -> path))
         appArgs.executorCores should be("16")
+        appArgs.driverMemory should be("4g")
+        appArgs.executorMemory should be(null)
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/launcher/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/launcher/SparkSubmitOptionParser.java b/launcher/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/launcher/SparkSubmitOptionParser.java
index df4fccd0f01e7..50cf465784d72 100644
--- a/launcher/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/launcher/SparkSubmitOptionParser.java
+++ b/launcher/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/launcher/SparkSubmitOptionParser.java
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class SparkSubmitOptionParser {
   protected final String PACKAGES = "--packages";
   protected final String PACKAGES_EXCLUDE = "--exclude-packages";
   protected final String PROPERTIES_FILE = "--properties-file";
+  protected final String EXTRA_PROPERTIES_FILES = "--extra-properties-files";
   protected final String PROXY_USER = "--proxy-user";
   protected final String PY_FILES = "--py-files";
   protected final String REPOSITORIES = "--repositories";
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ class SparkSubmitOptionParser {
     { USAGE_ERROR },
     { VERBOSE, "-v" },
     { VERSION },
+    { EXTRA_PROPERTIES_FILES },
   };
 
   /**