diff --git a/pkg/sql/alter_database.go b/pkg/sql/alter_database.go
index b908c746b596..2456f60b0cd8 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/alter_database.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/alter_database.go
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ func (n *alterDatabaseAddRegionNode) startExec(params runParams) error {
 				n.n.Region.String(),
 				n.n.Name.String(),
 			),
-			"you must add a PRIMARY REGION first using ALTER DATABASE %s SET PRIMARY REGION %s",
+			"you must add a PRIMARY REGION first using ALTER DATABASE %s PRIMARY REGION %s",
 			n.n.Name.String(),
 			n.n.Region.String(),
 		)
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ func (p *planner) AlterDatabaseDropRegion(
 			return nil, errors.WithHintf(
 				errors.Newf("cannot drop region %q", dbDesc.RegionConfig.PrimaryRegion),
 				"You must designate another region as the primary region using "+
-					"ALTER DATABASE %s SET PRIMARY REGION <region name> or remove all other regions before "+
+					"ALTER DATABASE %s PRIMARY REGION <region name> or remove all other regions before "+
 					"attempting to drop region %q", dbDesc.GetName(), n.Region,
 			)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/multiregion b/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/multiregion
index ba44af4601fc..2bbd0372eb7d 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/multiregion
+++ b/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/multiregion
@@ -881,7 +881,7 @@ ALTER DATABASE non_multi_region_db DROP REGION "ca-central-1"
 statement ok
 CREATE DATABASE drop_region_db PRIMARY REGION "ca-central-1" REGIONS "ap-southeast-2", "us-east-1"
 
-statement error pq: cannot drop region "ca-central-1"\nHINT: You must designate another region as the primary region using ALTER DATABASE drop_region_db SET PRIMARY REGION <region name> or remove all other regions before attempting to drop region "ca-central-1"
+statement error pq: cannot drop region "ca-central-1"\nHINT: You must designate another region as the primary region using ALTER DATABASE drop_region_db PRIMARY REGION <region name> or remove all other regions before attempting to drop region "ca-central-1"
 ALTER DATABASE drop_region_db DROP REGION "ca-central-1"
 
 statement ok
@@ -931,7 +931,7 @@ CREATE TABLE start_off_non_multi_region.public.t(a INT);
 ALTER DATABASE start_off_non_multi_region PRIMARY REGION "ca-central-1";
 ALTER DATABASE start_off_non_multi_region ADD REGION "ap-southeast-2"
 
-statement error pq: cannot drop region "ca-central-1"\nHINT: You must designate another region as the primary region using ALTER DATABASE start_off_non_multi_region SET PRIMARY REGION <region name> or remove all other regions before attempting to drop region "ca-central-1"
+statement error pq: cannot drop region "ca-central-1"\nHINT: You must designate another region as the primary region using ALTER DATABASE start_off_non_multi_region PRIMARY REGION <region name> or remove all other regions before attempting to drop region "ca-central-1"
 ALTER DATABASE start_off_non_multi_region DROP REGION "ca-central-1"
 
 statement ok
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@ statement ok
 ALTER DATABASE drop_primary_regions_db DROP REGION "ca-central-1"
 
 # Cannot drop the primary region yet, as there are other regions in the db.
-statement error pq: cannot drop region "us-east-1"\nHINT: You must designate another region as the primary region using ALTER DATABASE drop_primary_regions_db SET PRIMARY REGION <region name> or remove all other regions before attempting to drop region "us-east-1"
+statement error pq: cannot drop region "us-east-1"\nHINT: You must designate another region as the primary region using ALTER DATABASE drop_primary_regions_db PRIMARY REGION <region name> or remove all other regions before attempting to drop region "us-east-1"
 ALTER DATABASE drop_primary_regions_db DROP REGION "us-east-1"
 
 statement ok
diff --git a/pkg/sql/parser/parse_test.go b/pkg/sql/parser/parse_test.go
index e419b870b4dd..8e0b644b50fa 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/parser/parse_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/parser/parse_test.go
@@ -1830,6 +1830,9 @@ func TestParse2(t *testing.T) {
 			`CREATE DATABASE a PRIMARY REGION = "us-west-1"`,
 			`CREATE DATABASE a PRIMARY REGION "us-west-1"`,
 		},
+		{`ALTER DATABASE a SET PRIMARY REGION "us-west-1"`,
+			`ALTER DATABASE a PRIMARY REGION "us-west-1"`},
+
 		{`CREATE TABLE a (b INT) WITH (fillfactor=100)`,
 			`CREATE TABLE a (b INT8)`},
 		{`CREATE TABLE a (b INT, UNIQUE INDEX foo (b))`,
diff --git a/pkg/sql/parser/sql.y b/pkg/sql/parser/sql.y
index 278865832e67..4c1b01858494 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/parser/sql.y
+++ b/pkg/sql/parser/sql.y
@@ -1476,7 +1476,7 @@ alter_sequence_options_stmt:
 // ALTER DATABASE <name> CONVERT TO SCHEMA WITH PARENT <name>
 // ALTER DATABASE <name> ADD REGIONS <regions>
 // ALTER DATABASE <name> DROP REGIONS <regions>
-// ALTER DATABASE <name> SET PRIMARY REGION <region>
+// ALTER DATABASE <name> PRIMARY REGION <region>
 // ALTER DATABASE <name> SURVIVE <failure type>
 // %SeeAlso: WEBDOCS/alter-database.html
 alter_database_stmt:
@@ -1533,6 +1533,14 @@ alter_database_primary_region_stmt:
       PrimaryRegion: tree.Name($4),
     }
   }
+| ALTER DATABASE database_name SET primary_region_clause
+  {
+    /* SKIP DOC */
+    $$.val = &tree.AlterDatabasePrimaryRegion{
+      Name: tree.Name($3),
+      PrimaryRegion: tree.Name($5),
+    }
+  }
 
 // %Help: ALTER RANGE - change the parameters of a range
 // %Category: DDL