diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/trees/TreeNode.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/trees/TreeNode.scala
index 0369129393a082122be6a28e180ddb198e422bd6..cd04bdf02cf840e140a5b59375cef9a8b59fc392 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/trees/TreeNode.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/trees/TreeNode.scala
@@ -187,6 +187,14 @@ abstract class TreeNode[BaseType <: TreeNode[BaseType]] {
         } else {
           arg
         }
+      case Some(arg: TreeNode[_]) if children contains arg =>
+        val newChild = arg.asInstanceOf[BaseType].transformDown(rule)
+        if (!(newChild fastEquals arg)) {
+          changed = true
+          Some(newChild)
+        } else {
+          Some(arg)
+        }
       case m: Map[_,_] => m
       case args: Traversable[_] => args.map {
         case arg: TreeNode[_] if children contains arg =>
@@ -231,6 +239,14 @@ abstract class TreeNode[BaseType <: TreeNode[BaseType]] {
         } else {
           arg
         }
+      case Some(arg: TreeNode[_]) if children contains arg =>
+        val newChild = arg.asInstanceOf[BaseType].transformUp(rule)
+        if (!(newChild fastEquals arg)) {
+          changed = true
+          Some(newChild)
+        } else {
+          Some(arg)
+        }
       case m: Map[_,_] => m
       case args: Traversable[_] => args.map {
         case arg: TreeNode[_] if children contains arg =>
@@ -273,7 +289,8 @@ abstract class TreeNode[BaseType <: TreeNode[BaseType]] {
     } catch {
       case e: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException =>
         throw new TreeNodeException(
-          this, s"Failed to copy node.  Is otherCopyArgs specified correctly for $nodeName?")
+          this, s"Failed to copy node.  Is otherCopyArgs specified correctly for $nodeName? "
+            + s"Exception message: ${e.getMessage}.")
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/trees/TreeNodeSuite.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/trees/TreeNodeSuite.scala
index 1ddc41a731ff5047419c4d2f2c7c7285922490e9..6344874538d675e78ec94dafee098965f05cadb7 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/trees/TreeNodeSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/trees/TreeNodeSuite.scala
@@ -22,6 +22,17 @@ import scala.collection.mutable.ArrayBuffer
 import org.scalatest.FunSuite
 
 import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.expressions._
+import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.types.{StringType, NullType}
+
+case class Dummy(optKey: Option[Expression]) extends Expression {
+  def children = optKey.toSeq
+  def references = Set.empty[Attribute]
+  def nullable = true
+  def dataType = NullType
+  override lazy val resolved = true
+  type EvaluatedType = Any
+  def eval(input: Row) = null.asInstanceOf[Any]
+}
 
 class TreeNodeSuite extends FunSuite {
   test("top node changed") {
@@ -75,4 +86,20 @@ class TreeNodeSuite extends FunSuite {
 
     assert(expected === actual)
   }
+
+  test("transform works on nodes with Option children") {
+    val dummy1 = Dummy(Some(Literal("1", StringType)))
+    val dummy2 = Dummy(None)
+    val toZero: PartialFunction[Expression, Expression] =  { case Literal(_, _) => Literal(0) }
+
+    var actual = dummy1 transformDown toZero
+    assert(actual === Dummy(Some(Literal(0))))
+
+    actual = dummy1 transformUp toZero
+    assert(actual === Dummy(Some(Literal(0))))
+
+    actual = dummy2 transform toZero
+    assert(actual === Dummy(None))
+  }
+
 }