diff --git a/posthog/hogql/hogql.py b/posthog/hogql/hogql.py
index dc16b3cf8e9f6..8e216b1654b46 100644
--- a/posthog/hogql/hogql.py
+++ b/posthog/hogql/hogql.py
@@ -6,15 +6,15 @@
 
 
 def translate_hogql(query: str, context: HogQLContext, dialect: Literal["hogql", "clickhouse"] = "clickhouse") -> str:
-    """Translate a HogQL expression into a Clickhouse expression."""
+    """Translate a HogQL expression into a Clickhouse expression. Raises if any placeholders found."""
     if query == "":
         raise ValueError("Empty query")
 
     try:
         if context.select_team_id:
-            node = parse_select(query)
+            node = parse_select(query, no_placeholders=True)
         else:
-            node = parse_expr(query)
+            node = parse_expr(query, no_placeholders=True)
     except SyntaxError as err:
         raise ValueError(f"SyntaxError: {err.msg}")
     except NotImplementedError as err:
diff --git a/posthog/hogql/parser.py b/posthog/hogql/parser.py
index a8347a36a0035..a2646a16d6973 100644
--- a/posthog/hogql/parser.py
+++ b/posthog/hogql/parser.py
@@ -7,22 +7,27 @@
 from posthog.hogql.grammar.HogQLLexer import HogQLLexer
 from posthog.hogql.grammar.HogQLParser import HogQLParser
 from posthog.hogql.parse_string import parse_string, parse_string_literal
-from posthog.hogql.placeholders import replace_placeholders
+from posthog.hogql.placeholders import assert_no_placeholders, replace_placeholders
 
 
-def parse_expr(expr: str, placeholders: Optional[Dict[str, ast.Expr]] = None) -> ast.Expr:
+def parse_expr(expr: str, placeholders: Optional[Dict[str, ast.Expr]] = None, no_placeholders=False) -> ast.Expr:
     parse_tree = get_parser(expr).expr()
     node = HogQLParseTreeConverter().visit(parse_tree)
     if placeholders:
         return replace_placeholders(node, placeholders)
+    elif no_placeholders:
+        assert_no_placeholders(node)
+
     return node
 
 
-def parse_select(statement: str, placeholders: Optional[Dict[str, ast.Expr]] = None) -> ast.Expr:
+def parse_select(statement: str, placeholders: Optional[Dict[str, ast.Expr]] = None, no_placeholders=False) -> ast.Expr:
     parse_tree = get_parser(statement).select()
     node = HogQLParseTreeConverter().visit(parse_tree)
     if placeholders:
         node = replace_placeholders(node, placeholders)
+    elif no_placeholders:
+        assert_no_placeholders(node)
     return node
 
 
diff --git a/posthog/hogql/placeholders.py b/posthog/hogql/placeholders.py
index a3b543e2a0804..0399f6dc2d498 100644
--- a/posthog/hogql/placeholders.py
+++ b/posthog/hogql/placeholders.py
@@ -16,3 +16,12 @@ def visit_placeholder(self, node):
         if node.field in self.placeholders:
             return self.placeholders[node.field]
         raise ValueError(f"Placeholder '{node.field}' not found in provided dict: {', '.join(list(self.placeholders))}")
+
+
+def assert_no_placeholders(node: ast.Expr):
+    AssertNoPlaceholders().visit(node)
+
+
+class AssertNoPlaceholders(EverythingVisitor):
+    def visit_placeholder(self, node):
+        raise ValueError(f"Placeholder '{node.field}' not allowed in this context")
diff --git a/posthog/hogql/test/test_placeholders.py b/posthog/hogql/test/test_placeholders.py
index 4211c00238dfc..b7a8211c2ada4 100644
--- a/posthog/hogql/test/test_placeholders.py
+++ b/posthog/hogql/test/test_placeholders.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from posthog.hogql import ast
 from posthog.hogql.parser import parse_expr
-from posthog.hogql.placeholders import replace_placeholders
+from posthog.hogql.placeholders import assert_no_placeholders, replace_placeholders
 from posthog.test.base import BaseTest
 
 
@@ -17,6 +17,15 @@ def test_replace_placeholders_simple(self):
             ast.Constant(value="bar"),
         )
 
+    def test_replace_placeholders_error(self):
+        expr = ast.Placeholder(field="foo")
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError) as context:
+            replace_placeholders(expr, {})
+        self.assertTrue("Placeholder 'foo' not found in provided dict:" in str(context.exception))
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError) as context:
+            replace_placeholders(expr, {"bar": ast.Constant(value=123)})
+        self.assertTrue("Placeholder 'foo' not found in provided dict: bar" in str(context.exception))
+
     def test_replace_placeholders_comparison(self):
         expr = parse_expr("timestamp < {timestamp}")
         self.assertEqual(
@@ -36,3 +45,9 @@ def test_replace_placeholders_comparison(self):
                 right=ast.Constant(value=123),
             ),
         )
+
+    def test_assert_no_placeholders(self):
+        expr = ast.Placeholder(field="foo")
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError) as context:
+            assert_no_placeholders(expr)
+        self.assertTrue("Placeholder 'foo' not allowed in this context" in str(context.exception))