diff --git a/docs/changelog/124958.yaml b/docs/changelog/124958.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..be7f646b7dcae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/124958.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+pr: 124958
+summary: Catch parsing exception
+area: ES|QL
+type: bug
+issues:
+ - 119025
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/parser/EsqlParser.java b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/parser/EsqlParser.java
index 5912f1fe58bcd..2f12ac8a2f21e 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/parser/EsqlParser.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/parser/EsqlParser.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.telemetry.PlanTelemetry;
 
 import java.util.BitSet;
+import java.util.EmptyStackException;
 import java.util.function.BiFunction;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
@@ -111,6 +112,9 @@ private <T> T invokeParser(
             return result.apply(new AstBuilder(new ExpressionBuilder.ParsingContext(params, metrics)), tree);
         } catch (StackOverflowError e) {
             throw new ParsingException("ESQL statement is too large, causing stack overflow when generating the parsing tree: [{}]", query);
+            // likely thrown by an invalid popMode (such as extra closing parenthesis)
+        } catch (EmptyStackException ese) {
+            throw new ParsingException("Invalid query [{}]", query);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/parser/StatementParserTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/parser/StatementParserTests.java
index d16a0e0a28e22..49f645defc626 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/parser/StatementParserTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/parser/StatementParserTests.java
@@ -2966,4 +2966,11 @@ public void testInvalidJoinPatterns() {
             );
         }
     }
+
+    public void testUnclosedParenthesis() {
+        String[] queries = { "row ]", "from source | eval x = [1,2,3]]" };
+        for (String q : queries) {
+            expectError(q, "Invalid query");
+        }
+    }
 }