diff --git a/pkg/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/BUILD.bazel
index 619b6d40fd48..64e01f3a9015 100644
--- a/pkg/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/BUILD.bazel
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ ALL_TESTS = [
     "//pkg/sql/rowenc:rowenc_test",
     "//pkg/sql/rowexec:rowexec_test",
     "//pkg/sql/rowflow:rowflow_test",
+    "//pkg/sql/scanner:scanner_test",
     "//pkg/sql/schemachange:schemachange_test",
     "//pkg/sql/schemachanger/scbuild:scbuild_test",
     "//pkg/sql/schemachanger/scexec:scexec_test",
diff --git a/pkg/cli/clisqlclient/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/cli/clisqlclient/BUILD.bazel
index a058b5bd2ac6..b28dbda7b142 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/clisqlclient/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/cli/clisqlclient/BUILD.bazel
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ go_library(
         "//pkg/cli/clicfg",
         "//pkg/cli/clierror",
         "//pkg/security/pprompt",
-        "//pkg/sql/parser",
+        "//pkg/sql/scanner",
         "//pkg/util/version",
         "@com_github_cockroachdb_cockroach_go//crdb",
         "@com_github_cockroachdb_errors//:errors",
diff --git a/pkg/cli/clisqlclient/make_query.go b/pkg/cli/clisqlclient/make_query.go
index cb7a13cc6f37..9b7435da0fd4 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/clisqlclient/make_query.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/clisqlclient/make_query.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"database/sql/driver"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/parser"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/scanner"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/errors"
 )
 
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ type QueryFn func(conn Conn) (rows Rows, isMultiStatementQuery bool, err error)
 // function that can be applied to a connection object.
 func MakeQuery(query string, parameters ...driver.Value) QueryFn {
 	return func(conn Conn) (Rows, bool, error) {
-		isMultiStatementQuery := parser.HasMultipleStatements(query)
+		isMultiStatementQuery, _ := scanner.HasMultipleStatements(query)
 		// driver.Value is an alias for interface{}, but must adhere to a restricted
 		// set of types when being passed to driver.Queryer.Query (see
 		// driver.IsValue). We use driver.DefaultParameterConverter to perform the
diff --git a/pkg/sql/parser/parse.go b/pkg/sql/parser/parse.go
index 75eeb3992505..e07e656cfe98 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/parser/parse.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/parser/parse.go
@@ -264,26 +264,6 @@ func ParseOneWithInt(sql string, nakedIntType *types.T) (Statement, error) {
 	return p.parseOneWithInt(sql, nakedIntType)
 }
 
-// HasMultipleStatements returns true if the sql string contains more than one
-// statements.
-func HasMultipleStatements(sql string) bool {
-	var p Parser
-	p.scanner.Init(sql)
-	defer p.scanner.Cleanup()
-	count := 0
-	for {
-		_, _, done := p.scanOneStmt()
-		if done {
-			break
-		}
-		count++
-		if count > 1 {
-			return true
-		}
-	}
-	return false
-}
-
 // ParseQualifiedTableName parses a possibly qualified table name. The
 // table name must contain one or more name parts, using the full
 // input SQL syntax: each name part containing special characters, or
diff --git a/pkg/sql/scanner/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/sql/scanner/BUILD.bazel
index 85c6fbc81a9c..e93034fab94d 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/scanner/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/sql/scanner/BUILD.bazel
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "go_library")
+load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "go_library", "go_test")
 
 go_library(
     name = "scanner",
@@ -7,3 +7,9 @@ go_library(
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
     deps = ["//pkg/sql/lexbase"],
 )
+
+go_test(
+    name = "scanner_test",
+    srcs = ["scan_test.go"],
+    embed = [":scanner"],
+)
diff --git a/pkg/sql/scanner/scan.go b/pkg/sql/scanner/scan.go
index c9505339d5ae..f2418c027723 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/scanner/scan.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/scanner/scan.go
@@ -998,3 +998,69 @@ outer:
 	lval.SetStr(s.finishString(buf))
 	return true
 }
+
+// HasMultipleStatements returns true if the sql string contains more than one
+// statements. An error is returned if an invalid token was encountered.
+func HasMultipleStatements(sql string) (multipleStmt bool, err error) {
+	var s Scanner
+	var lval fakeSym
+	s.Init(sql)
+	count := 0
+	for {
+		done, hasToks, err := s.scanOne(&lval)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, err
+		}
+		if hasToks {
+			count++
+		}
+		if done || count > 1 {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	return count > 1, nil
+}
+
+// scanOne is a simplified version of (*Parser).scanOneStmt() for use
+// by HasMultipleStatements().
+func (s *Scanner) scanOne(lval *fakeSym) (done, hasToks bool, err error) {
+	// Scan the first token.
+	for {
+		s.Scan(lval)
+		if lval.id == 0 {
+			return true, false, nil
+		}
+		if lval.id != ';' {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	for {
+		if lval.id == lexbase.ERROR {
+			return true, true, fmt.Errorf("scan error: %s", lval.s)
+		}
+		s.Scan(lval)
+		if lval.id == 0 || lval.id == ';' {
+			return (lval.id == 0), true, nil
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// fakeSym is a simplified symbol type for use by
+// HasMultipleStatements.
+type fakeSym struct {
+	id  int32
+	pos int32
+	s   string
+}
+
+var _ ScanSymType = (*fakeSym)(nil)
+
+func (s fakeSym) ID() int32                 { return s.id }
+func (s *fakeSym) SetID(id int32)           { s.id = id }
+func (s fakeSym) Pos() int32                { return s.pos }
+func (s *fakeSym) SetPos(p int32)           { s.pos = p }
+func (s fakeSym) Str() string               { return s.s }
+func (s *fakeSym) SetStr(v string)          { s.s = v }
+func (s fakeSym) UnionVal() interface{}     { return nil }
+func (s fakeSym) SetUnionVal(v interface{}) {}
diff --git a/pkg/sql/scanner/scan_test.go b/pkg/sql/scanner/scan_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..8612ec49050c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/sql/scanner/scan_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+// Copyright 2021 The Cockroach Authors.
+//
+// Use of this software is governed by the Business Source License
+// included in the file licenses/BSL.txt.
+//
+// As of the Change Date specified in that file, in accordance with
+// the Business Source License, use of this software will be governed
+// by the Apache License, Version 2.0, included in the file
+// licenses/APL.txt.
+
+package scanner
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestHasMultipleStatements(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		in       string
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{`a b c`, false},
+		{`a; b c`, true},
+		{`a b; b c`, true},
+		{`a b; b c;`, true},
+		{`a b;`, false},
+		{`SELECT 123; SELECT 123`, true},
+		{`SELECT 123; SELECT 123;`, true},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		actual, err := HasMultipleStatements(tc.in)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+		}
+
+		if actual != tc.expected {
+			t.Errorf("%q: expected %v, got %v", tc.in, tc.expected, actual)
+		}
+	}
+}