diff --git a/datafusion/core/src/execution/context.rs b/datafusion/core/src/execution/context.rs
index 0873895f79f65..c2ac3c2e9ff05 100644
--- a/datafusion/core/src/execution/context.rs
+++ b/datafusion/core/src/execution/context.rs
@@ -1475,9 +1475,18 @@ pub fn default_session_builder(config: SessionConfig) -> SessionState {
 impl SessionState {
     /// Returns new SessionState using the provided configuration and runtime
     pub fn with_config_rt(config: SessionConfig, runtime: Arc<RuntimeEnv>) -> Self {
+        let catalog_list = Arc::new(MemoryCatalogList::new()) as Arc<dyn CatalogList>;
+        Self::with_config_rt_and_catalog_list(config, runtime, catalog_list)
+    }
+
+    /// Returns new SessionState using the provided configuration, runtime and catalog list.
+    pub fn with_config_rt_and_catalog_list(
+        config: SessionConfig,
+        runtime: Arc<RuntimeEnv>,
+        catalog_list: Arc<dyn CatalogList>,
+    ) -> Self {
         let session_id = Uuid::new_v4().to_string();
 
-        let catalog_list = Arc::new(MemoryCatalogList::new()) as Arc<dyn CatalogList>;
         if config.create_default_catalog_and_schema() {
             let default_catalog = MemoryCatalogProvider::new();