diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/types/Decimal.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/types/Decimal.scala
index 4b1462b23e3a..cb468c523f36 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/types/Decimal.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/types/Decimal.scala
@@ -602,7 +602,8 @@ object Decimal {
       val bigDecimal = stringToJavaBigDecimal(str)
       // We fast fail because constructing a very large JavaBigDecimal to Decimal is very slow.
       // For example: Decimal("6.0790316E+25569151")
-      if (numDigitsInIntegralPart(bigDecimal) > DecimalType.MAX_PRECISION) {
+      if (numDigitsInIntegralPart(bigDecimal) > DecimalType.MAX_PRECISION &&
+          !SQLConf.get.allowNegativeScaleOfDecimalEnabled) {
         null
       } else {
         Decimal(bigDecimal)
@@ -618,7 +619,8 @@ object Decimal {
       val bigDecimal = stringToJavaBigDecimal(str)
       // We fast fail because constructing a very large JavaBigDecimal to Decimal is very slow.
       // For example: Decimal("6.0790316E+25569151")
-      if (numDigitsInIntegralPart(bigDecimal) > DecimalType.MAX_PRECISION) {
+      if (numDigitsInIntegralPart(bigDecimal) > DecimalType.MAX_PRECISION &&
+          !SQLConf.get.allowNegativeScaleOfDecimalEnabled) {
         throw QueryExecutionErrors.outOfDecimalTypeRangeError(str)
       } else {
         Decimal(bigDecimal)
diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/types/DecimalSuite.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/types/DecimalSuite.scala
index 57449f5b6dc6..5433c561a037 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/types/DecimalSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/types/DecimalSuite.scala
@@ -299,4 +299,19 @@ class DecimalSuite extends SparkFunSuite with PrivateMethodTester with SQLHelper
       assert(Decimal.fromStringANSI(UTF8String.fromString(string)) === Decimal(string))
     }
   }
+
+  test("SPARK-37451: Performance improvement regressed String to Decimal cast") {
+    val values = Array("7.836725755512218E38")
+    for (string <- values) {
+      assert(Decimal.fromString(UTF8String.fromString(string)) === null)
+      intercept[ArithmeticException](Decimal.fromStringANSI(UTF8String.fromString(string)))
+    }
+
+    withSQLConf(SQLConf.LEGACY_ALLOW_NEGATIVE_SCALE_OF_DECIMAL_ENABLED.key -> "true") {
+      for (string <- values) {
+        assert(Decimal.fromString(UTF8String.fromString(string)) === Decimal(string))
+        assert(Decimal.fromStringANSI(UTF8String.fromString(string)) === Decimal(string))
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }