diff --git a/datafusion-examples/examples/external_dependency/query-aws-s3.rs b/datafusion-examples/examples/external_dependency/query-aws-s3.rs
index 9c4d76703c9c4..da2d7e4879f99 100644
--- a/datafusion-examples/examples/external_dependency/query-aws-s3.rs
+++ b/datafusion-examples/examples/external_dependency/query-aws-s3.rs
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
     df.show().await?;
 
     // dynamic query by the file path
-    ctx.enable_url_table();
+    let ctx = ctx.enable_url_table();
     let df = ctx
         .sql(format!(r#"SELECT * FROM '{}' LIMIT 10"#, &path).as_str())
         .await?;
diff --git a/datafusion/core/src/execution/context/mod.rs b/datafusion/core/src/execution/context/mod.rs
index 27c0e9c832227..53eb7c431b475 100644
--- a/datafusion/core/src/execution/context/mod.rs
+++ b/datafusion/core/src/execution/context/mod.rs
@@ -343,11 +343,17 @@ impl SessionContext {
         }
     }
 
-    /// Enable dynamic file querying for the current session.
+    /// Enable querying local files as tables.
     ///
-    /// This allows queries to directly access arbitrary file names via SQL like
-    /// `SELECT * from 'my_file.parquet'`
-    /// so it should only be enabled for systems that such access is not a security risk
+    /// This feature is security sensitive and should only be enabled for
+    /// systems that wish to permit direct access to the file system from SQL.
+    ///
+    /// When enabled, this feature permits direct access to arbitrary files via
+    /// SQL like
+    ///
+    /// ```sql
+    /// SELECT * from 'my_file.parquet'
+    /// ```
     ///
     /// See [DynamicFileCatalog] for more details
     ///
@@ -356,7 +362,8 @@ impl SessionContext {
     /// # use datafusion::{error::Result, assert_batches_eq};
     /// # #[tokio::main]
     /// # async fn main() -> Result<()> {
-    /// let ctx = SessionContext::new().enable_url_table();
+    /// let ctx = SessionContext::new()
+    ///   .enable_url_table(); // permit local file access
     /// let results = ctx
     ///   .sql("SELECT a, MIN(b) FROM 'tests/data/example.csv' as example GROUP BY a LIMIT 100")
     ///   .await?
@@ -375,21 +382,60 @@ impl SessionContext {
     /// # Ok(())
     /// # }
     /// ```
-    pub fn enable_url_table(&self) -> Self {
-        let state_ref = self.state();
+    pub fn enable_url_table(self) -> Self {
+        let current_catalog_list = Arc::clone(self.state.read().catalog_list());
         let factory = Arc::new(DynamicListTableFactory::new(SessionStore::new()));
         let catalog_list = Arc::new(DynamicFileCatalog::new(
-            Arc::clone(state_ref.catalog_list()),
+            current_catalog_list,
             Arc::clone(&factory) as Arc<dyn UrlTableFactory>,
         ));
-        let new_state = SessionStateBuilder::new_from_existing(self.state())
+        let ctx: SessionContext = self
+            .into_state_builder()
             .with_catalog_list(catalog_list)
-            .build();
-        let ctx = SessionContext::new_with_state(new_state);
+            .build()
+            .into();
+        // register new state with the factory
         factory.session_store().with_state(ctx.state_weak_ref());
         ctx
     }
 
+    /// Convert the current `SessionContext` into a [`SessionStateBuilder`]
+    ///
+    /// This is useful to switch back to `SessionState` with custom settings such as
+    /// [`Self::enable_url_table`].
+    ///
+    /// Avoids cloning the SessionState if possible.
+    ///
+    /// # Example
+    /// ```
+    /// # use std::sync::Arc;
+    /// # use datafusion::prelude::*;
+    /// # use datafusion::execution::SessionStateBuilder;
+    /// # use datafusion_optimizer::push_down_filter::PushDownFilter;
+    /// let my_rule = PushDownFilter{}; // pretend it is a new rule
+    /// // Create a new builder with a custom optimizer rule
+    /// let context: SessionContext = SessionStateBuilder::new()
+    ///   .with_optimizer_rule(Arc::new(my_rule))
+    ///   .build()
+    ///   .into();
+    /// // Enable local file access and convert context back to a builder
+    /// let builder = context
+    ///   .enable_url_table()
+    ///   .into_state_builder();
+    /// ```
+    pub fn into_state_builder(self) -> SessionStateBuilder {
+        let SessionContext {
+            session_id: _,
+            session_start_time: _,
+            state,
+        } = self;
+        let state = match Arc::try_unwrap(state) {
+            Ok(rwlock) => rwlock.into_inner(),
+            Err(state) => state.read().clone(),
+        };
+        SessionStateBuilder::from(state)
+    }
+
     /// Returns the time this `SessionContext` was created
     pub fn session_start_time(&self) -> DateTime<Utc> {
         self.session_start_time
@@ -1496,6 +1542,12 @@ impl From<SessionState> for SessionContext {
     }
 }
 
+impl From<SessionContext> for SessionStateBuilder {
+    fn from(session: SessionContext) -> Self {
+        session.into_state_builder()
+    }
+}
+
 /// A planner used to add extensions to DataFusion logical and physical plans.
 #[async_trait]
 pub trait QueryPlanner {