Index: src/alter.c
==================================================================
--- src/alter.c
+++ src/alter.c
@@ -124,10 +124,11 @@
       do {
         z += n;
         n = sqlite3GetToken(z, &token);
       }while( token==TK_SPACE );
 
+      if( token==TK_ILLEGAL ) break;
       zParent = sqlite3DbStrNDup(db, (const char *)z, n);
       if( zParent==0 ) break;
       sqlite3Dequote(zParent);
       if( 0==sqlite3StrICmp((const char *)zOld, zParent) ){
         char *zOut = sqlite3MPrintf(db, "%s%.*s\"%w\"", 

Index: test/alter.test
==================================================================
--- test/alter.test
+++ test/alter.test
@@ -910,7 +910,16 @@
          NULL, 'lmnop');
 } {{}}
 do_execsql_test alter-17.10 {
   SELECT sqlite_rename_parent(NULL,'abc','xyz');
 } {{}}
+do_execsql_test alter-17.11 {
+  SELECT sqlite_rename_parent('create references ''','abc','xyz');
+} {{create references '}}
+do_execsql_test alter-17.12 {
+  SELECT sqlite_rename_parent('create references "abc"123" ','abc','xyz');
+} {{create references "xyz"123" }}
+do_execsql_test alter-17.13 {
+  SELECT sqlite_rename_parent("references '''",'abc','xyz');
+} {{references '''}}
 
 finish_test