diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/joins/SortMergeJoinExec.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/joins/SortMergeJoinExec.scala
index 96d23ba7557b3..c565f914ab677 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/joins/SortMergeJoinExec.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/joins/SortMergeJoinExec.scala
@@ -681,26 +681,29 @@ case class SortMergeJoinExec(
       val cond = BindReferences.bindReference(
         condition.get, streamedPlan.output ++ bufferedPlan.output).genCode(ctx)
       // Evaluate the columns those used by condition before loop
-      val before =
-        s"""
-           |boolean $loaded = false;
-           |$streamedBefore
-         """.stripMargin
-
-      val loadStreamed =
-        s"""
-           |if (!$loaded) {
-           |  $loaded = true;
-           |  $streamedAfter
-           |}
+      val before = joinType match {
+        case LeftAnti =>
+          // No need to initialize `loaded` variable for Left Anti join.
+          streamedBefore.trim
+        case _ =>
+          s"""
+             |boolean $loaded = false;
+             |$streamedBefore
          """.stripMargin
+      }
 
       val loadStreamedAfterCondition = joinType match {
         case LeftAnti =>
           // No need to evaluate columns not used by condition from streamed side, as for Left Anti
           // join, streamed row with match is not outputted.
           ""
-        case _ => loadStreamed
+        case _ =>
+          s"""
+             |if (!$loaded) {
+             |  $loaded = true;
+             |  $streamedAfter
+             |}
+         """.stripMargin
       }
 
       val loadBufferedAfterCondition = joinType match {
@@ -722,7 +725,7 @@ case class SortMergeJoinExec(
            |$loadStreamedAfterCondition
            |$loadBufferedAfterCondition
          """.stripMargin
-      (before, checking.trim, loadStreamed)
+      (before, checking.trim, streamedAfter.trim)
     } else {
       (evaluateVariables(streamedVars), "", "")
     }