diff --git a/datafusion/catalog-listing/src/table.rs b/datafusion/catalog-listing/src/table.rs
index 38456944075fc..a01e4c5a1f72e 100644
--- a/datafusion/catalog-listing/src/table.rs
+++ b/datafusion/catalog-listing/src/table.rs
@@ -674,6 +674,7 @@ impl TableProvider for ListingTable {
             insert_op,
             keep_partition_by_columns,
             file_extension: self.options().format.get_ext(),
+            single_file_output: None, // Use extension heuristic for table inserts
         };
 
         // For writes, we only use user-specified ordering (no file groups to derive from)
diff --git a/datafusion/core/src/dataframe/mod.rs b/datafusion/core/src/dataframe/mod.rs
index 1e9f72501e4cc..96c57049fd35d 100644
--- a/datafusion/core/src/dataframe/mod.rs
+++ b/datafusion/core/src/dataframe/mod.rs
@@ -2048,11 +2048,17 @@ impl DataFrame {
                 .build()?
         };
 
+        // Build copy options, including single_file_output if explicitly set
+        let mut copy_options: HashMap<String, String> = HashMap::new();
+        if options.single_file_output {
+            copy_options.insert("single_file_output".to_string(), "true".to_string());
+        }
+
         let plan = LogicalPlanBuilder::copy_to(
             plan,
             path.into(),
             file_type,
-            HashMap::new(),
+            copy_options,
             options.partition_by,
         )?
         .build()?;
@@ -2116,11 +2122,17 @@ impl DataFrame {
                 .build()?
         };
 
+        // Build copy options, including single_file_output if explicitly set
+        let mut copy_options: HashMap<String, String> = HashMap::new();
+        if options.single_file_output {
+            copy_options.insert("single_file_output".to_string(), "true".to_string());
+        }
+
         let plan = LogicalPlanBuilder::copy_to(
             plan,
             path.into(),
             file_type,
-            Default::default(),
+            copy_options,
             options.partition_by,
         )?
         .build()?;
diff --git a/datafusion/core/src/dataframe/parquet.rs b/datafusion/core/src/dataframe/parquet.rs
index 6edf628e2d6d6..da2bddb623476 100644
--- a/datafusion/core/src/dataframe/parquet.rs
+++ b/datafusion/core/src/dataframe/parquet.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 // specific language governing permissions and limitations
 // under the License.
 
+use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use crate::datasource::file_format::{
@@ -84,11 +85,17 @@ impl DataFrame {
                 .build()?
         };
 
+        // Build copy options, including single_file_output if explicitly set
+        let mut copy_options = HashMap::<String, String>::new();
+        if options.single_file_output {
+            copy_options.insert("single_file_output".to_string(), "true".to_string());
+        }
+
         let plan = LogicalPlanBuilder::copy_to(
             plan,
             path.into(),
             file_type,
-            Default::default(),
+            copy_options,
             options.partition_by,
         )?
         .build()?;
@@ -324,4 +331,52 @@ mod tests {
 
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    /// Test that single_file_output works for paths WITHOUT file extensions.
+    /// This verifies the fix for the regression where extension heuristics
+    /// ignored the explicit with_single_file_output(true) setting.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_single_file_output_without_extension() -> Result<()> {
+        use arrow::array::Int32Array;
+        use arrow::datatypes::{DataType, Field, Schema};
+        use arrow::record_batch::RecordBatch;
+
+        let ctx = SessionContext::new();
+        let tmp_dir = TempDir::new()?;
+
+        // Path WITHOUT .parquet extension - this is the key scenario
+        let output_path = tmp_dir.path().join("data_no_ext");
+        let output_path_str = output_path.to_str().unwrap();
+
+        let df = ctx.read_batch(RecordBatch::try_new(
+            Arc::new(Schema::new(vec![Field::new("id", DataType::Int32, false)])),
+            vec![Arc::new(Int32Array::from(vec![1, 2, 3]))],
+        )?)?;
+
+        // Explicitly request single file output
+        df.write_parquet(
+            output_path_str,
+            DataFrameWriteOptions::new().with_single_file_output(true),
+            None,
+        )
+        .await?;
+
+        // Verify: output should be a FILE, not a directory
+        assert!(
+            output_path.is_file(),
+            "Expected single file at {:?}, but got is_file={}, is_dir={}",
+            output_path,
+            output_path.is_file(),
+            output_path.is_dir()
+        );
+
+        // Verify the file is readable as parquet
+        let file = std::fs::File::open(&output_path)?;
+        let reader = parquet::file::reader::SerializedFileReader::new(file)?;
+        let metadata = reader.metadata();
+        assert_eq!(metadata.num_row_groups(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(metadata.file_metadata().num_rows(), 3);
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/datafusion/core/src/datasource/file_format/parquet.rs b/datafusion/core/src/datasource/file_format/parquet.rs
index 47ce519f01289..dd63440ff3359 100644
--- a/datafusion/core/src/datasource/file_format/parquet.rs
+++ b/datafusion/core/src/datasource/file_format/parquet.rs
@@ -1547,6 +1547,7 @@ mod tests {
             insert_op: InsertOp::Overwrite,
             keep_partition_by_columns: false,
             file_extension: "parquet".into(),
+            single_file_output: None,
         };
         let parquet_sink = Arc::new(ParquetSink::new(
             file_sink_config,
@@ -1638,6 +1639,7 @@ mod tests {
             insert_op: InsertOp::Overwrite,
             keep_partition_by_columns: false,
             file_extension: "parquet".into(),
+            single_file_output: None,
         };
         let parquet_sink = Arc::new(ParquetSink::new(
             file_sink_config,
@@ -1728,6 +1730,7 @@ mod tests {
                 insert_op: InsertOp::Overwrite,
                 keep_partition_by_columns: false,
                 file_extension: "parquet".into(),
+                single_file_output: None,
             };
             let parquet_sink = Arc::new(ParquetSink::new(
                 file_sink_config,
diff --git a/datafusion/core/src/physical_planner.rs b/datafusion/core/src/physical_planner.rs
index 94c8fd510a382..c062166312920 100644
--- a/datafusion/core/src/physical_planner.rs
+++ b/datafusion/core/src/physical_planner.rs
@@ -549,8 +549,30 @@ impl DefaultPhysicalPlanner {
                     }
                 };
 
+                // Parse single_file_output option if explicitly set
+                let single_file_output = match source_option_tuples
+                    .get("single_file_output")
+                    .map(|v| v.trim())
+                {
+                    None => None,
+                    Some("true") => Some(true),
+                    Some("false") => Some(false),
+                    Some(value) => {
+                        return Err(DataFusionError::Configuration(format!(
+                            "provided value for 'single_file_output' was not recognized: \"{value}\""
+                        )));
+                    }
+                };
+
+                // Filter out sink-related options that are not format options
+                let format_options: HashMap<String, String> = source_option_tuples
+                    .iter()
+                    .filter(|(k, _)| k.as_str() != "single_file_output")
+                    .map(|(k, v)| (k.clone(), v.clone()))
+                    .collect();
+
                 let sink_format = file_type_to_format(file_type)?
-                    .create(session_state, source_option_tuples)?;
+                    .create(session_state, &format_options)?;
 
                 // Determine extension based on format extension and compression
                 let file_extension = match sink_format.compression_type() {
@@ -571,6 +593,7 @@ impl DefaultPhysicalPlanner {
                     insert_op: InsertOp::Append,
                     keep_partition_by_columns,
                     file_extension,
+                    single_file_output,
                 };
 
                 let ordering = input_exec.properties().output_ordering().cloned();
diff --git a/datafusion/datasource/src/file_sink_config.rs b/datafusion/datasource/src/file_sink_config.rs
index 643831a1199f8..8c5bc560780f6 100644
--- a/datafusion/datasource/src/file_sink_config.rs
+++ b/datafusion/datasource/src/file_sink_config.rs
@@ -112,6 +112,11 @@ pub struct FileSinkConfig {
     pub keep_partition_by_columns: bool,
     /// File extension without a dot(.)
     pub file_extension: String,
+    /// Override for single file output behavior.
+    /// - `None`: use extension heuristic (path with extension = single file)
+    /// - `Some(true)`: force single file output at exact path
+    /// - `Some(false)`: force directory output with generated filenames
+    pub single_file_output: Option<bool>,
 }
 
 impl FileSinkConfig {
diff --git a/datafusion/datasource/src/write/demux.rs b/datafusion/datasource/src/write/demux.rs
index bec5b8b0bff0e..921c1f3b41b55 100644
--- a/datafusion/datasource/src/write/demux.rs
+++ b/datafusion/datasource/src/write/demux.rs
@@ -106,8 +106,11 @@ pub(crate) fn start_demuxer_task(
     let file_extension = config.file_extension.clone();
     let base_output_path = config.table_paths[0].clone();
     let task = if config.table_partition_cols.is_empty() {
-        let single_file_output = !base_output_path.is_collection()
-            && base_output_path.file_extension().is_some();
+        // Use explicit single_file_output if set, otherwise fall back to extension heuristic
+        let single_file_output = config.single_file_output.unwrap_or_else(|| {
+            !base_output_path.is_collection()
+                && base_output_path.file_extension().is_some()
+        });
         SpawnedTask::spawn(async move {
             row_count_demuxer(
                 tx,
diff --git a/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/from_proto.rs b/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/from_proto.rs
index 3cfc796700dae..12b683cb15244 100644
--- a/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/from_proto.rs
+++ b/datafusion/proto/src/physical_plan/from_proto.rs
@@ -737,6 +737,8 @@ impl TryFrom<&protobuf::FileSinkConfig> for FileSinkConfig {
             insert_op,
             keep_partition_by_columns: conf.keep_partition_by_columns,
             file_extension: conf.file_extension.clone(),
+            // For deserialized plans, use extension heuristic (backward compatible)
+            single_file_output: None,
         })
     }
 }
diff --git a/datafusion/proto/tests/cases/roundtrip_physical_plan.rs b/datafusion/proto/tests/cases/roundtrip_physical_plan.rs
index b54b7030fc52a..33f7ec6b881e8 100644
--- a/datafusion/proto/tests/cases/roundtrip_physical_plan.rs
+++ b/datafusion/proto/tests/cases/roundtrip_physical_plan.rs
@@ -1475,6 +1475,7 @@ fn roundtrip_json_sink() -> Result<()> {
         insert_op: InsertOp::Overwrite,
         keep_partition_by_columns: true,
         file_extension: "json".into(),
+        single_file_output: None,
     };
     let data_sink = Arc::new(JsonSink::new(
         file_sink_config,
@@ -1513,6 +1514,7 @@ fn roundtrip_csv_sink() -> Result<()> {
         insert_op: InsertOp::Overwrite,
         keep_partition_by_columns: true,
         file_extension: "csv".into(),
+        single_file_output: None,
     };
     let data_sink = Arc::new(CsvSink::new(
         file_sink_config,
@@ -1570,6 +1572,7 @@ fn roundtrip_parquet_sink() -> Result<()> {
         insert_op: InsertOp::Overwrite,
         keep_partition_by_columns: true,
         file_extension: "parquet".into(),
+        single_file_output: None,
     };
     let data_sink = Arc::new(ParquetSink::new(
         file_sink_config,