diff --git a/spec/compiler/build_tables/build_parse_table_spec.cc b/spec/compiler/build_tables/build_parse_table_spec.cc
index 040f318d..c50bf8c1 100644
--- a/spec/compiler/build_tables/build_parse_table_spec.cc
+++ b/spec/compiler/build_tables/build_parse_table_spec.cc
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@ describe("building parse tables", []() {
         })));
     });
 
+    it("ensures that the built-in 'ERROR' symbol is in the symbol set", [&]() {
+        auto result = build_parse_table(parse_grammar, lex_grammar);
+        AssertThat(result.first.symbols, Contains(rules::ERROR()));
+    });
+
     it("accepts the input when EOF occurs after the start rule", [&]() {
         auto result = build_parse_table(parse_grammar, lex_grammar);
 
diff --git a/src/compiler/build_tables/build_parse_table.cc b/src/compiler/build_tables/build_parse_table.cc
index 9319fdcd..89ecd877 100644
--- a/src/compiler/build_tables/build_parse_table.cc
+++ b/src/compiler/build_tables/build_parse_table.cc
@@ -127,6 +127,8 @@ namespace tree_sitter {
                 ParseItem start_item(rules::START(), make_shared<Symbol>(0), 0);
                 add_parse_state(item_set_closure(start_item, { rules::END_OF_INPUT() }, grammar));
 
+                parse_table.symbols.insert(rules::ERROR());
+
                 while (!item_sets_to_process.empty()) {
                     auto pair = item_sets_to_process.back();
                     ParseItemSet &item_set = pair.first;