diff --git a/python/pyspark/sql/session.py b/python/pyspark/sql/session.py
index 5bdd663c62934..22bbb73134314 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/sql/session.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/sql/session.py
@@ -610,12 +610,19 @@ def create(self) -> "SparkSession":
                 from pyspark.core.context import SparkContext
 
                 with self._lock:
-                    # Build SparkConf from options
-                    sparkConf = SparkConf()
-                    for key, value in self._options.items():
-                        sparkConf.set(key, str(value))
-
-                    sc = SparkContext.getOrCreate(sparkConf)
+                    instantiated_session = SparkSession._instantiatedSession
+                    # Get SparkContext
+                    if (
+                        instantiated_session is not None
+                        and instantiated_session._sc._jsc is not None
+                    ):
+                        sc = instantiated_session._sc
+                    else:
+                        sparkConf = SparkConf()
+                        for key, value in self._options.items():
+                            sparkConf.set(key, value)
+                        # This SparkContext may be an existing one.
+                        sc = SparkContext.getOrCreate(sparkConf)
                     jSparkSessionClass = SparkSession._get_j_spark_session_class(sc._jvm)
                     # Create a new SparkSession in the JVM
                     jSparkSession = jSparkSessionClass.builder().config(self._options).create()
diff --git a/python/pyspark/sql/tests/test_session.py b/python/pyspark/sql/tests/test_session.py
index 3606056f6793d..fb86deb33a2da 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/sql/tests/test_session.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/sql/tests/test_session.py
@@ -616,6 +616,32 @@ def test_create_sessions_share_spark_context(self):
         finally:
             session2.stop()
 
+    def test_create_does_not_construct_spark_conf_when_session_exists(self):
+        """Ensure SparkConf() is not called when a valid session already exists."""
+        self.session = self._get_builder().create()
+        with unittest.mock.patch("pyspark.sql.session.SparkConf") as mock_spark_conf:
+            session2 = self._get_builder().create()
+            try:
+                mock_spark_conf.assert_not_called()
+                self.assertIs(session2.sparkContext, self.session.sparkContext)
+            finally:
+                session2.stop()
+
+    def test_create_applies_mutable_conf_to_second_session(self):
+        """
+        Ensure that mutable SQL configs passed to create() are applied per-session
+        even when a valid SparkSession already exists.
+        """
+        key = "spark.sql.shuffle.partitions"
+        self.session = self._get_builder().config(key, "5").create()
+        self.assertEqual(self.session.conf.get(key), "5")
+        session2 = self._get_builder().config(key, "7").create()
+        try:
+            self.assertEqual(session2.conf.get(key), "7")
+            self.assertIs(session2.sparkContext, self.session.sparkContext)
+        finally:
+            session2.stop()
+
 
 class SparkSessionProfileTests(unittest.TestCase, PySparkErrorTestUtils):
     def setUp(self):