diff --git a/docs/generated/sql/bnf/joined_table.bnf b/docs/generated/sql/bnf/joined_table.bnf
index 93e776320852..ae7815f56fd6 100644
--- a/docs/generated/sql/bnf/joined_table.bnf
+++ b/docs/generated/sql/bnf/joined_table.bnf
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 joined_table ::=
 	'(' joined_table ')'
-	| table_ref 'CROSS' 'JOIN' table_ref
+	| table_ref 'CROSS' opt_join_hint 'JOIN' table_ref
 	| table_ref ( 'FULL' ( 'OUTER' |  ) | 'LEFT' ( 'OUTER' |  ) | 'RIGHT' ( 'OUTER' |  ) | 'INNER' ) opt_join_hint 'JOIN' table_ref ( 'USING' '(' ( ( name ) ( ( ',' name ) )* ) ')' | 'ON' a_expr )
 	| table_ref 'JOIN' table_ref ( 'USING' '(' ( ( name ) ( ( ',' name ) )* ) ')' | 'ON' a_expr )
 	| table_ref 'NATURAL' ( 'FULL' ( 'OUTER' |  ) | 'LEFT' ( 'OUTER' |  ) | 'RIGHT' ( 'OUTER' |  ) | 'INNER' ) opt_join_hint 'JOIN' table_ref
diff --git a/docs/generated/sql/bnf/stmt_block.bnf b/docs/generated/sql/bnf/stmt_block.bnf
index 4f039ecbde38..62029d41a46b 100644
--- a/docs/generated/sql/bnf/stmt_block.bnf
+++ b/docs/generated/sql/bnf/stmt_block.bnf
@@ -2024,7 +2024,7 @@ opt_alias_clause ::=
 
 joined_table ::=
 	'(' joined_table ')'
-	| table_ref 'CROSS' 'JOIN' table_ref
+	| table_ref 'CROSS' opt_join_hint 'JOIN' table_ref
 	| table_ref join_type opt_join_hint 'JOIN' table_ref join_qual
 	| table_ref 'JOIN' table_ref join_qual
 	| table_ref 'NATURAL' join_type opt_join_hint 'JOIN' table_ref
@@ -2161,18 +2161,18 @@ char_aliases ::=
 window_definition ::=
 	window_name 'AS' window_specification
 
-join_type ::=
-	'FULL' join_outer
-	| 'LEFT' join_outer
-	| 'RIGHT' join_outer
-	| 'INNER'
-
 opt_join_hint ::=
 	'HASH'
 	| 'MERGE'
 	| 'LOOKUP'
 	| 
 
+join_type ::=
+	'FULL' join_outer
+	| 'LEFT' join_outer
+	| 'RIGHT' join_outer
+	| 'INNER'
+
 join_qual ::=
 	'USING' '(' name_list ')'
 	| 'ON' a_expr
diff --git a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/execbuilder/testdata/join b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/execbuilder/testdata/join
index 23a42e0564ec..55513211219e 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/opt/exec/execbuilder/testdata/join
+++ b/pkg/sql/opt/exec/execbuilder/testdata/join
@@ -1469,6 +1469,45 @@ render               ·               ·
 ·                    table           twocolumn@primary
 ·                    spans           ALL
 
+# Test that we can force a merge join using the NATURAL syntax.
+query TTT
+EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM onecolumn NATURAL INNER MERGE JOIN twocolumn
+----
+render               ·               ·
+ └── join            ·               ·
+      │              type            inner
+      │              equality        (x) = (x)
+      │              mergeJoinOrder  +"(x=x)"
+      ├── sort       ·               ·
+      │    │         order           +x
+      │    └── scan  ·               ·
+      │              table           onecolumn@primary
+      │              spans           ALL
+      └── sort       ·               ·
+           │         order           +x
+           └── scan  ·               ·
+·                    table           twocolumn@primary
+·                    spans           ALL
+
+# Test that we can force a merge join using the CROSS syntax.
+query TTT
+EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM onecolumn CROSS MERGE JOIN twocolumn WHERE onecolumn.x = twocolumn.x
+----
+join            ·               ·
+ │              type            inner
+ │              equality        (x) = (x)
+ │              mergeJoinOrder  +"(x=x)"
+ ├── sort       ·               ·
+ │    │         order           +x
+ │    └── scan  ·               ·
+ │              table           onecolumn@primary
+ │              spans           ALL
+ └── sort       ·               ·
+      │         order           +x
+      └── scan  ·               ·
+·               table           twocolumn@primary
+·               spans           ALL
+
 statement error LOOKUP can only be used with INNER or LEFT joins
 EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM onecolumn RIGHT LOOKUP JOIN twocolumn USING(x)
 
diff --git a/pkg/sql/parser/parse_test.go b/pkg/sql/parser/parse_test.go
index 0b7503d52ec5..3a82e0b26763 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/parser/parse_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/parser/parse_test.go
@@ -938,6 +938,7 @@ func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
 		{`SELECT a FROM t1 INNER JOIN t2 ON a = b`},
 		{`SELECT a FROM t1 INNER HASH JOIN t2 ON a = b`},
 		{`SELECT a FROM t1 CROSS JOIN t2`},
+		{`SELECT a FROM t1 CROSS LOOKUP JOIN t2`},
 		{`SELECT a FROM t1 NATURAL JOIN t2`},
 		{`SELECT a FROM t1 NATURAL INNER MERGE JOIN t2`},
 		{`SELECT a FROM t1 INNER JOIN t2 USING (a)`},
diff --git a/pkg/sql/parser/sql.y b/pkg/sql/parser/sql.y
index 1a1b68eecc05..e7f69e57028f 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/parser/sql.y
+++ b/pkg/sql/parser/sql.y
@@ -6053,9 +6053,9 @@ joined_table:
   {
     $$.val = &tree.ParenTableExpr{Expr: $2.tblExpr()}
   }
-| table_ref CROSS JOIN table_ref
+| table_ref CROSS opt_join_hint JOIN table_ref
   {
-    $$.val = &tree.JoinTableExpr{JoinType: tree.AstCross, Left: $1.tblExpr(), Right: $4.tblExpr()}
+    $$.val = &tree.JoinTableExpr{JoinType: tree.AstCross, Left: $1.tblExpr(), Right: $5.tblExpr(), Hint: $3}
   }
 | table_ref join_type opt_join_hint JOIN table_ref join_qual
   {
diff --git a/pkg/sql/stats/automatic_stats.go b/pkg/sql/stats/automatic_stats.go
index 1341eaec40f5..34654e1f83aa 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/stats/automatic_stats.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/stats/automatic_stats.go
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ func (r *Refresher) maybeRefreshStats(
 
 		// Log other errors but don't automatically reschedule the refresh, since
 		// that could lead to endless retries.
-		log.Errorf(ctx, "failed to create statistics on table %d: %v", tableID, err)
+		log.Warningf(ctx, "failed to create statistics on table %d: %v", tableID, err)
 		return
 	}
 }