diff --git a/datafusion/physical-plan/src/coalesce_partitions.rs b/datafusion/physical-plan/src/coalesce_partitions.rs
index 9290d725165e..339955461243 100644
--- a/datafusion/physical-plan/src/coalesce_partitions.rs
+++ b/datafusion/physical-plan/src/coalesce_partitions.rs
@@ -351,11 +351,14 @@ impl ExecutionPlan for CoalescePartitionsExec {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use crate::test::exec::{
-        BlockingExec, PanicExec, assert_strong_count_converges_to_zero,
+        BarrierExec, BlockingExec, PanicExec, assert_strong_count_converges_to_zero,
     };
     use crate::test::{self, assert_is_pending};
     use crate::{collect, common};
 
+    use std::time::Duration;
+
+    use arrow::array::RecordBatch;
     use arrow::datatypes::{DataType, Field, Schema};
 
     use futures::FutureExt;
@@ -390,6 +393,45 @@ mod tests {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn drops_input_plan_after_input_streams_start() -> Result<()> {
+        let task_ctx = Arc::new(TaskContext::default());
+        let schema =
+            Arc::new(Schema::new(vec![Field::new("a", DataType::Float32, true)]));
+        let input_partitions = 2;
+        let batch = RecordBatch::new_empty(Arc::clone(&schema));
+        let input = Arc::new(
+            BarrierExec::new(vec![vec![batch]; input_partitions], schema)
+                .without_start_barrier()
+                .with_finish_barrier()
+                .with_log(false),
+        );
+        let refs = Arc::downgrade(&input);
+
+        let input_plan: Arc<BarrierExec> = Arc::clone(&input);
+        let coalesce = CoalescePartitionsExec::new(input_plan);
+        let stream = coalesce.execute(0, task_ctx)?;
+        drop(coalesce);
+
+        tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(5), async {
+            // Why not `wait_finish` here: that releases the barrier which lets the input tasks
+            // finish, which drops the input Arcs and hides the bug.
+            while !input.is_finish_barrier_reached() {
+                tokio::task::yield_now().await;
+            }
+        })
+        .await
+        .expect("input streams should reach pending");
+
+        drop(input);
+
+        assert_strong_count_converges_to_zero(refs).await;
+
+        drop(stream);
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_drop_cancel() -> Result<()> {
         let task_ctx = Arc::new(TaskContext::default());
diff --git a/datafusion/physical-plan/src/stream.rs b/datafusion/physical-plan/src/stream.rs
index 4b7e707fcced..9139a6dd0479 100644
--- a/datafusion/physical-plan/src/stream.rs
+++ b/datafusion/physical-plan/src/stream.rs
@@ -330,6 +330,11 @@ impl RecordBatchReceiverStreamBuilder {
         context: Arc<TaskContext>,
     ) {
         let output = self.tx();
+        let input_display = if log::log_enabled!(log::Level::Debug) {
+            displayable(input.as_ref()).one_line().to_string()
+        } else {
+            String::new()
+        };
 
         self.inner.spawn(async move {
             let mut stream = match input.execute(partition, context) {
@@ -338,14 +343,18 @@ impl RecordBatchReceiverStreamBuilder {
                     // is no place to send the error and no reason to continue.
                     output.send(Err(e)).await.ok();
                     debug!(
-                        "Stopping execution: error executing input: {}",
-                        displayable(input.as_ref()).one_line()
+                        "Stopping execution: error executing input: {input_display}",
                     );
                     return Ok(());
                 }
                 Ok(stream) => stream,
             };
 
+            // Drop the input early, as soon as we're done with it.
+            // Holding on to it can cause delays in cancelling the child plan when the query is
+            // cancelled.
+            drop(input);
+
             // Transfer batches from inner stream to the output tx
             // immediately.
             while let Some(item) = stream.next().await {
@@ -355,8 +364,7 @@ impl RecordBatchReceiverStreamBuilder {
                 // place to send the error and no reason to continue.
                 if output.send(item).await.is_err() {
                     debug!(
-                        "Stopping execution: output is gone, plan cancelling: {}",
-                        displayable(input.as_ref()).one_line()
+                        "Stopping execution: output is gone, plan cancelling: {input_display}",
                     );
                     return Ok(());
                 }
@@ -364,10 +372,7 @@ impl RecordBatchReceiverStreamBuilder {
                 // Stop after the first error is encountered (Don't
                 // drive all streams to completion)
                 if is_err {
-                    debug!(
-                        "Stopping execution: plan returned error: {}",
-                        displayable(input.as_ref()).one_line()
-                    );
+                    debug!("Stopping execution: plan returned error: {input_display}");
                     return Ok(());
                 }
             }