diff --git a/parser/error_test.go b/parser/error_test.go
index 9d185cc..c888677 100644
--- a/parser/error_test.go
+++ b/parser/error_test.go
@@ -47,3 +47,58 @@ func TestParseError_ExpectedTokenKind(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, []TokenKind{TokenKindRParen}, pe.Expected)
 	require.True(t, strings.HasPrefix(pe.Error(), "line "))
 }
+
+// TestParseError_LexerErrorSurfaced guards that a lexing failure mid-statement
+// is reported as itself. Most parser call sites discard consumeToken's error
+// and then read the nil current token as end of input, which used to produce
+// misleading messages like "unexpected token kind: <eof>" — or, worse, silent
+// success when the statement looked complete at the point of failure.
+func TestParseError_LexerErrorSurfaced(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		input string
+		want  string
+	}{
+		{"SELECT 0x", "invalid number"},
+		{"SELECT 'unterminated", "invalid string"},
+		{"SELECT `unclosed", "unclosed quoted identifier"},
+		// the statement is already well-formed when the bad token appears,
+		// so this parsed successfully before
+		{"SELECT 1 'oops", "invalid string"},
+		// here the failed lex leaves the offset past the opening backtick, so
+		// the retained input re-lexes cleanly to EOF and parsing reaches the
+		// success path; the recorded error must still fail the parse
+		{"SELECT 1 `bad", "unclosed quoted identifier"},
+		// the failure is in a later statement
+		{"SELECT 1; SELECT 'bad; SELECT 2", "invalid string"},
+	}
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		_, err := NewParser(c.input).ParseStmts()
+		require.Error(t, err, "input %q", c.input)
+		require.Contains(t, err.Error(), c.want, "input %q", c.input)
+
+		var pe *ParseError
+		require.True(t, errors.As(err, &pe), "input %q: expected a *ParseError, got %T", c.input, err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestParseError_LexerErrorPosition guards that the reported position points
+// at the offending token, not wherever the parser noticed the nil token.
+func TestParseError_LexerErrorPosition(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := NewParser("SELECT 0x").ParseStmts()
+	require.Error(t, err)
+
+	var pe *ParseError
+	require.True(t, errors.As(err, &pe))
+	require.Equal(t, Pos(7), pe.Pos) // byte offset of "0x"
+	require.Equal(t, 1, pe.Line)
+	require.Equal(t, 8, pe.Column)
+}
+
+// TestParseError_LookaheadLexerErrorRollback guards that a lexer error hit
+// only during backtracked lookahead does not leak into an otherwise
+// successful parse.
+func TestParseError_LookaheadLexerErrorRollback(t *testing.T) {
+	stmts, err := NewParser("SELECT 1").ParseStmts()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, stmts, 1)
+}
diff --git a/parser/lexer.go b/parser/lexer.go
index 3cdea6a..a6205de 100644
--- a/parser/lexer.go
+++ b/parser/lexer.go
@@ -77,6 +77,16 @@ func (t *Token) ToString() string {
 type lexerState struct {
 	offset       int    // byte offset into input of the next unread character
 	currentToken *Token // current lookahead token; nil at end of input
+
+	// lastError remembers the first lexing failure (invalid number,
+	// unterminated string, unclosed quoted identifier, ...) together with the
+	// offset it occurred at. Many parser call sites discard consumeToken's
+	// return value and then read the nil currentToken as end of input; the
+	// parser consults lastError to report the real cause instead of a
+	// misleading EOF. It lives in lexerState so backtracking via
+	// restoreState automatically clears errors hit only during lookahead.
+	lastError    error
+	lastErrorPos int
 }
 
 type Lexer struct {
@@ -314,12 +324,15 @@ func (l *Lexer) skipComments() {
 
 func (l *Lexer) peekToken() (*Token, error) {
 	savedState := l.saveState()
-	if err := l.consumeToken(); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
+	err := l.consumeToken()
 	token := l.currentToken
-
+	// restore on the error path too: a failed lookahead must not leave the
+	// offset advanced or a lexer error recorded for input the parser has not
+	// actually reached yet
 	l.restoreState(savedState)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	return token, nil
 }
 
@@ -331,7 +344,24 @@ func (l *Lexer) hasPrecedenceToken(last *Token) bool {
 		last.Kind == TokenKindString)
 }
 
+// consumeToken advances to the next token, recording the first lexing failure
+// in lexerState so it survives call sites that discard the returned error.
 func (l *Lexer) consumeToken() error {
+	if err := l.nextToken(); err != nil {
+		if l.lastError == nil {
+			l.lastError = err
+			pos := l.offset
+			if pos > len(l.input) {
+				pos = len(l.input)
+			}
+			l.lastErrorPos = pos
+		}
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (l *Lexer) nextToken() error {
 	// replace the current token; keep the previous one to disambiguate unary +/-
 	prevToken := l.currentToken
 	l.currentToken = nil
diff --git a/parser/parser_common.go b/parser/parser_common.go
index 18b927b..dda9cfa 100644
--- a/parser/parser_common.go
+++ b/parser/parser_common.go
@@ -407,7 +407,16 @@ func (p *Parser) wrapError(err error) error {
 	}
 
 	var pe *ParseError
-	if !errors.As(err, &pe) {
+	if lexErr := p.lexer.lastError; lexErr != nil {
+		// A lexing failure was swallowed by a call site that discards
+		// consumeToken's error; the parser then read the nil current token as
+		// end of input and failed with a misleading message. Report the
+		// lexer's own error at the offset it happened instead.
+		pe = &ParseError{
+			Pos: Pos(p.lexer.lastErrorPos),
+			Msg: lexErr.Error(),
+		}
+	} else if !errors.As(err, &pe) {
 		pe = &ParseError{
 			Pos: p.Pos(),
 			Got: p.current(),
diff --git a/parser/parser_table.go b/parser/parser_table.go
index 0380b75..cc3f709 100644
--- a/parser/parser_table.go
+++ b/parser/parser_table.go
@@ -1493,6 +1493,14 @@ func (p *Parser) ParseStmts() ([]Expr, error) {
 		}
 		stmts = append(stmts, stmt)
 	}
+	// A lexing failure recorded by a call site that discarded the error must
+	// not be silently accepted just because parsing reached end of input: a
+	// failed lex can leave the offset advanced (e.g. past the opening quote
+	// of an unclosed identifier), so the retained input re-lexes cleanly and
+	// never re-triggers the error.
+	if lexErr := p.lexer.lastError; lexErr != nil {
+		return nil, p.wrapError(lexErr)
+	}
 	return stmts, nil
 }