diff --git a/datafusion/physical-expr/src/expressions/column.rs b/datafusion/physical-expr/src/expressions/column.rs
index b7b5895db6d3..62da8ff9ed44 100644
--- a/datafusion/physical-expr/src/expressions/column.rs
+++ b/datafusion/physical-expr/src/expressions/column.rs
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ use arrow::{
     datatypes::{DataType, Schema},
     record_batch::RecordBatch,
 };
-use datafusion_common::plan_err;
 use datafusion_common::{internal_err, DataFusionError, Result};
 use datafusion_expr::ColumnarValue;
 
@@ -176,7 +175,7 @@ impl PhysicalExpr for UnKnownColumn {
 
     /// Evaluate the expression
     fn evaluate(&self, _batch: &RecordBatch) -> Result<ColumnarValue> {
-        plan_err!("UnKnownColumn::evaluate() should not be called")
+        internal_err!("UnKnownColumn::evaluate() should not be called")
     }
 
     fn children(&self) -> Vec<Arc<dyn PhysicalExpr>> {
diff --git a/datafusion/physical-expr/src/expressions/no_op.rs b/datafusion/physical-expr/src/expressions/no_op.rs
index 497fb42fe4df..95e6879a6c2d 100644
--- a/datafusion/physical-expr/src/expressions/no_op.rs
+++ b/datafusion/physical-expr/src/expressions/no_op.rs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ use arrow::{
 
 use crate::physical_expr::down_cast_any_ref;
 use crate::PhysicalExpr;
-use datafusion_common::{plan_err, DataFusionError, Result};
+use datafusion_common::{internal_err, DataFusionError, Result};
 use datafusion_expr::ColumnarValue;
 
 /// A place holder expression, can not be evaluated.
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ impl PhysicalExpr for NoOp {
     }
 
     fn evaluate(&self, _batch: &RecordBatch) -> Result<ColumnarValue> {
-        plan_err!("NoOp::evaluate() should not be called")
+        internal_err!("NoOp::evaluate() should not be called")
     }
 
     fn children(&self) -> Vec<Arc<dyn PhysicalExpr>> {
diff --git a/datafusion/physical-expr/src/sort_expr.rs b/datafusion/physical-expr/src/sort_expr.rs
index 74179ba5947c..3b3221289d31 100644
--- a/datafusion/physical-expr/src/sort_expr.rs
+++ b/datafusion/physical-expr/src/sort_expr.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ use crate::PhysicalExpr;
 
 use arrow::compute::kernels::sort::{SortColumn, SortOptions};
 use arrow::record_batch::RecordBatch;
-use datafusion_common::plan_err;
+use datafusion_common::exec_err;
 use datafusion_common::{DataFusionError, Result};
 use datafusion_expr::ColumnarValue;
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ impl PhysicalSortExpr {
         let array_to_sort = match value_to_sort {
             ColumnarValue::Array(array) => array,
             ColumnarValue::Scalar(scalar) => {
-                return plan_err!(
+                return exec_err!(
                     "Sort operation is not applicable to scalar value {scalar}"
                 );
             }