diff --git a/sql/v2/parser/expression_visitor.go b/sql/v2/parser/expression_visitor.go
index 8ca5fd07e..4fb863ac2 100644
--- a/sql/v2/parser/expression_visitor.go
+++ b/sql/v2/parser/expression_visitor.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 package parser
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -175,9 +176,13 @@ func (v *expressionVisitor) VisitLikeExpression(ctx *gen.LikeExpressionContext)
 	if patternContext.DQUOTED_STRING_LITERAL() != nil {
 		// Parse double quoted string
 		pattern = dQuotedStringToString(patternContext.DQUOTED_STRING_LITERAL().GetText())
-	} else {
+	} else if patternContext.SQUOTED_STRING_LITERAL() != nil {
 		// Parse single quoted string
 		pattern = sQuotedStringToString(patternContext.SQUOTED_STRING_LITERAL().GetText())
+	} else {
+		// not a string, return an error
+		v.parsingErrors = append(v.parsingErrors, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse LIKE expression: the pattern was not a string literal"))
+		return noopExpression{}
 	}
 
 	likeExpression, err := expression.NewLikeExpression(v.Visit(ctx.Expression()).(cesql.Expression), pattern)
diff --git a/sql/v2/test/tck/like_expression.yaml b/sql/v2/test/tck/like_expression.yaml
index b6bc5a18b..31e202638 100644
--- a/sql/v2/test/tck/like_expression.yaml
+++ b/sql/v2/test/tck/like_expression.yaml
@@ -115,4 +115,11 @@ tests:
     result: false
   - name: With type coercion from bool (4)
     expression: "FALSE LIKE 'fal%'"
-    result: true 
+    result: true
+
+  - name: Invalid string literal in comparison causes parse error
+    expression: "x LIKE 123"
+    result: false
+    error: parse
+    eventOverrides:
+      x: "123"