diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/streaming/StreamExecution.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/streaming/StreamExecution.scala
index 66fb5a4bdeb7..4d05af0b6035 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/streaming/StreamExecution.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/streaming/StreamExecution.scala
@@ -217,10 +217,7 @@ class StreamExecution(
     } finally {
       state = TERMINATED
       sparkSession.streams.notifyQueryTermination(StreamExecution.this)
-      postEvent(new QueryTerminated(
-        this.toInfo,
-        exception.map(_.getMessage),
-        exception.map(_.getStackTrace.toSeq).getOrElse(Nil)))
+      postEvent(new QueryTerminated(this.toInfo, exception.map(_.cause).map(Utils.exceptionString)))
       terminationLatch.countDown()
     }
   }
diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/streaming/StreamingQueryException.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/streaming/StreamingQueryException.scala
index 90f95ca9d422..bd3e5a5618ec 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/streaming/StreamingQueryException.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/streaming/StreamingQueryException.scala
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ import org.apache.spark.sql.execution.streaming.{Offset, StreamExecution}
 
 /**
  * :: Experimental ::
- * Exception that stopped a [[StreamingQuery]].
+ * Exception that stopped a [[StreamingQuery]]. Use `cause` get the actual exception
+ * that caused the failure.
  * @param query      Query that caused the exception
  * @param message     Message of this exception
  * @param cause       Internal cause of this exception
diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/streaming/StreamingQueryListener.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/streaming/StreamingQueryListener.scala
index 3b3cead3a66d..db606abb8ce4 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/streaming/StreamingQueryListener.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/streaming/StreamingQueryListener.scala
@@ -108,6 +108,5 @@ object StreamingQueryListener {
   @Experimental
   class QueryTerminated private[sql](
       val queryInfo: StreamingQueryInfo,
-      val exception: Option[String],
-      val stackTrace: Seq[StackTraceElement]) extends Event
+      val exception: Option[String]) extends Event
 }
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/streaming/StreamingQueryListenerSuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/streaming/StreamingQueryListenerSuite.scala
index 7f4d28cf0598..77602e8167fa 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/streaming/StreamingQueryListenerSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/streaming/StreamingQueryListenerSuite.scala
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@ class StreamingQueryListenerSuite extends StreamTest with BeforeAndAfter {
             assert(status.id === query.id)
             assert(status.sourceStatuses(0).offsetDesc === Some(LongOffset(0).toString))
             assert(status.sinkStatus.offsetDesc === CompositeOffset.fill(LongOffset(0)).toString)
-            assert(listener.terminationStackTrace.isEmpty)
             assert(listener.terminationException === None)
           }
           listener.checkAsyncErrors()
@@ -147,7 +146,7 @@ class StreamingQueryListenerSuite extends StreamTest with BeforeAndAfter {
     }
   }
 
-  test("exception should be reported in QueryTerminated") {
+  testQuietly("exception should be reported in QueryTerminated") {
     val listener = new QueryStatusCollector
     withListenerAdded(listener) {
       val input = MemoryStream[Int]
@@ -159,8 +158,11 @@ class StreamingQueryListenerSuite extends StreamTest with BeforeAndAfter {
           spark.sparkContext.listenerBus.waitUntilEmpty(10000)
           assert(listener.terminationStatus !== null)
           assert(listener.terminationException.isDefined)
+          // Make sure that the exception message reported through listener
+          // contains the actual exception and relevant stack trace
+          assert(!listener.terminationException.get.contains("StreamingQueryException"))
           assert(listener.terminationException.get.contains("java.lang.ArithmeticException"))
-          assert(listener.terminationStackTrace.nonEmpty)
+          assert(listener.terminationException.get.contains("StreamingQueryListenerSuite"))
         }
       )
     }
@@ -205,8 +207,7 @@ class StreamingQueryListenerSuite extends StreamTest with BeforeAndAfter {
     val exception = new RuntimeException("exception")
     val queryQueryTerminated = new StreamingQueryListener.QueryTerminated(
       queryTerminatedInfo,
-      Some(exception.getMessage),
-      exception.getStackTrace)
+      Some(exception.getMessage))
     val json =
       JsonProtocol.sparkEventToJson(queryQueryTerminated)
     val newQueryTerminated = JsonProtocol.sparkEventFromJson(json)
@@ -262,7 +263,6 @@ class StreamingQueryListenerSuite extends StreamTest with BeforeAndAfter {
     @volatile var startStatus: StreamingQueryInfo = null
     @volatile var terminationStatus: StreamingQueryInfo = null
     @volatile var terminationException: Option[String] = null
-    @volatile var terminationStackTrace: Seq[StackTraceElement] = null
 
     val progressStatuses = new ConcurrentLinkedQueue[StreamingQueryInfo]
 
@@ -296,7 +296,6 @@ class StreamingQueryListenerSuite extends StreamTest with BeforeAndAfter {
         assert(startStatus != null, "onQueryTerminated called before onQueryStarted")
         terminationStatus = queryTerminated.queryInfo
         terminationException = queryTerminated.exception
-        terminationStackTrace = queryTerminated.stackTrace
       }
       asyncTestWaiter.dismiss()
     }