diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/SparkStrategies.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/SparkStrategies.scala
index af0029cb84..3f6a0345bc 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/SparkStrategies.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/SparkStrategies.scala
@@ -354,10 +354,10 @@ private[sql] abstract class SparkStrategies extends QueryPlanner[SparkPlan] {
       case c: CreateTableUsingAsSelect if !c.temporary =>
         sys.error("Tables created with SQLContext must be TEMPORARY. Use a HiveContext instead.")
 
-      case LogicalDescribeCommand(table, isExtended) =>
+      case describe @ LogicalDescribeCommand(table, isExtended) =>
         val resultPlan = self.sqlContext.executePlan(table).executedPlan
         ExecutedCommand(
-          RunnableDescribeCommand(resultPlan, resultPlan.output, isExtended)) :: Nil
+          RunnableDescribeCommand(resultPlan, describe.output, isExtended)) :: Nil
 
       case _ => Nil
     }
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/sources/DDLTestSuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/sources/DDLTestSuite.scala
index 6664e8d64c..f5106f67a0 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/sources/DDLTestSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/sources/DDLTestSuite.scala
@@ -99,4 +99,10 @@ class DDLTestSuite extends DataSourceTest {
         Row("arrayType", "array<string>", ""),
         Row("structType", "struct<f1:string,f2:int>", "")
       ))
+
+  test("SPARK-7686 DescribeCommand should have correct physical plan output attributes") {
+    val attributes = sql("describe ddlPeople").queryExecution.executedPlan.output
+    assert(attributes.map(_.name) === Seq("col_name", "data_type", "comment"))
+    assert(attributes.map(_.dataType).toSet === Set(StringType))
+  }
 }