diff --git a/HISTORY.md b/HISTORY.md
index 55329f44..3168298f 100644
--- a/HISTORY.md
+++ b/HISTORY.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## v8.2.1
+
+* [FIX] Return an error when an empty identifier is encountered [#115](https://github.com/doug-martin/goqu/issues/118)
+
 ## v8.2.0
 
 * [FIX] Fix reflection errors related to nil pointers and unexported fields [#118](https://github.com/doug-martin/goqu/issues/118)
diff --git a/exp/exp.go b/exp/exp.go
index 3bd69160..e150cd22 100644
--- a/exp/exp.go
+++ b/exp/exp.go
@@ -262,6 +262,9 @@ type (
 		// Returns a new IdentifierExpression with the column set to *
 		//   I("my_table").All() //"my_table".*
 		All() IdentifierExpression
+
+		// Returns true if schema table and identifier are all zero values.
+		IsEmpty() bool
 	}
 	InsertExpression interface {
 		Expression
diff --git a/exp/ident.go b/exp/ident.go
index 2c4534d5..d0b9a7af 100644
--- a/exp/ident.go
+++ b/exp/ident.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func ParseIdentifier(ident string) IdentifierExpression {
 	return NewIdentifierExpression("", "", ident)
 }
 
-func NewIdentifierExpression(schema, table, col string) IdentifierExpression {
+func NewIdentifierExpression(schema, table string, col interface{}) IdentifierExpression {
 	return identifier{}.Schema(schema).Table(table).Col(col)
 }
 
@@ -77,6 +77,21 @@ func (i identifier) Expression() Expression { return i }
 // Qualifies the epression with a * literal (e.g. "table".*)
 func (i identifier) All() IdentifierExpression { return i.Col("*") }
 
+func (i identifier) IsEmpty() bool {
+	isEmpty := i.schema == "" && i.table == ""
+	if isEmpty {
+		switch t := i.col.(type) {
+		case nil:
+			return true
+		case string:
+			return t == ""
+		default:
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+	return isEmpty
+}
+
 // Gets the column identifier
 func (i identifier) GetCol() interface{} { return i.col }
 
diff --git a/issues_test.go b/issues_test.go
index 564d9e19..11039d73 100644
--- a/issues_test.go
+++ b/issues_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package goqu_test
 
 import (
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -14,6 +15,10 @@ type githubIssuesSuite struct {
 	suite.Suite
 }
 
+func (gis *githubIssuesSuite) AfterTest(suiteName, testName string) {
+	goqu.SetColumnRenameFunction(strings.ToLower)
+}
+
 // Test for https://github.com/doug-martin/goqu/issues/49
 func (gis *githubIssuesSuite) TestIssue49() {
 	t := gis.T()
@@ -36,6 +41,20 @@ func (gis *githubIssuesSuite) TestIssue49() {
 	assert.Equal(t, `SELECT * FROM "table"`, sql)
 }
 
+// Test for https://github.com/doug-martin/goqu/issues/115
+func (gis *githubIssuesSuite) TestIssue115() {
+
+	type TestStruct struct {
+		Field string
+	}
+	goqu.SetColumnRenameFunction(func(col string) string {
+		return ""
+	})
+
+	_, _, err := goqu.Insert("test").Rows(TestStruct{Field: "hello"}).ToSQL()
+	gis.EqualError(err, `goqu: a empty identifier was encountered, please specify a "schema", "table" or "column"`)
+}
+
 // Test for https://github.com/doug-martin/goqu/issues/118
 func (gis *githubIssuesSuite) TestIssue118_withEmbeddedStructWithoutExportedFields() {
 	// struct is in a custom package
diff --git a/sql_dialect.go b/sql_dialect.go
index 5cfee69d..fb051b99 100644
--- a/sql_dialect.go
+++ b/sql_dialect.go
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ var (
 	errNoSourceForTruncate          = errors.New("no source found when generating truncate sql")
 	errReturnNotSupported           = errors.New("adapter does not support RETURNING clause")
 	errNoSetValuesForUpdate         = errors.New("no set values found when generating UPDATE sql")
+	errEmptyIdentifier              = errors.New(`a empty identifier was encountered, please specify a "schema", "table" or "column"`)
 )
 
 func notSupportedFragmentErr(sqlType string, f SQLFragmentType) error {
@@ -898,6 +899,10 @@ func (d *sqlDialect) appendableExpressionSQL(b sb.SQLBuilder, a exp.AppendableEx
 
 // Quotes an identifier (e.g. "col", "table"."col"
 func (d *sqlDialect) quoteIdentifier(b sb.SQLBuilder, ident exp.IdentifierExpression) {
+	if ident.IsEmpty() {
+		b.SetError(errEmptyIdentifier)
+		return
+	}
 	schema, table, col := ident.GetSchema(), ident.GetTable(), ident.GetCol()
 	if schema != d.dialectOptions.EmptyString {
 		b.WriteRunes(d.dialectOptions.QuoteRune).
diff --git a/sql_dialect_test.go b/sql_dialect_test.go
index 8afe4476..0df9a43f 100644
--- a/sql_dialect_test.go
+++ b/sql_dialect_test.go
@@ -1867,6 +1867,12 @@ func (dts *dialectTestSuite) TestLiteral_IdentifierExpression() {
 	d := sqlDialect{dialect: "test", dialectOptions: DefaultDialectOptions()}
 
 	b := sb.NewSQLBuilder(false)
+	d.Literal(b.Clear(), exp.NewIdentifierExpression("", "", ""))
+	dts.assertErrorSQL(b, `goqu: a empty identifier was encountered, please specify a "schema", "table" or "column"`)
+
+	d.Literal(b.Clear(), exp.NewIdentifierExpression("", "", nil))
+	dts.assertErrorSQL(b, `goqu: a empty identifier was encountered, please specify a "schema", "table" or "column"`)
+
 	d.Literal(b.Clear(), exp.NewIdentifierExpression("", "", "col"))
 	dts.assertNotPreparedSQL(b, `"col"`)