diff --git a/docs/sql-migration-guide.md b/docs/sql-migration-guide.md
index 0e03eac410..de60aed748 100644
--- a/docs/sql-migration-guide.md
+++ b/docs/sql-migration-guide.md
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ license: |
 
   - In Spark 3.1, `path` option cannot coexist when the following methods are called with path parameter(s): `DataFrameReader.load()`, `DataFrameWriter.save()`, `DataStreamReader.load()`, or `DataStreamWriter.start()`. In addition, `paths` option cannot coexist for `DataFrameReader.load()`. For example, `spark.read.format("csv").option("path", "/tmp").load("/tmp2")` or `spark.read.option("path", "/tmp").csv("/tmp2")` will throw `org.apache.spark.sql.AnalysisException`. In Spark version 3.0 and below, `path` option is overwritten if one path parameter is passed to above methods; `path` option is added to the overall paths if multiple path parameters are passed to `DataFrameReader.load()`. To restore the behavior before Spark 3.1, you can set `spark.sql.legacy.pathOptionBehavior.enabled` to `true`.
 
+  - In Spark 3.1, incomplete interval literals, e.g. `INTERVAL '1'`, `INTERVAL '1 DAY 2'` will fail with IllegalArgumentException. In Spark 3.0, they result `NULL`s.
+
 ## Upgrading from Spark SQL 3.0 to 3.0.1
 
 - In Spark 3.0, JSON datasource and JSON function `schema_of_json` infer TimestampType from string values if they match to the pattern defined by the JSON option `timestampFormat`. Since version 3.0.1, the timestamp type inference is disabled by default. Set the JSON option `inferTimestamp` to `true` to enable such type inference.
diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/util/IntervalUtils.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/util/IntervalUtils.scala
index b1d4c119fa..f716ca1777 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/util/IntervalUtils.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/util/IntervalUtils.scala
@@ -736,7 +736,10 @@ object IntervalUtils {
     val result = state match {
       case UNIT_SUFFIX | UNIT_END | TRIM_BEFORE_SIGN =>
         new CalendarInterval(months, days, microseconds)
-      case _ => null
+      case TRIM_BEFORE_VALUE => throwIAE(s"expect a number after '$currentWord' but hit EOL")
+      case VALUE | VALUE_FRACTIONAL_PART =>
+        throwIAE(s"expect a unit name after '$currentWord' but hit EOL")
+      case _ => throwIAE(s"unknown error when parsing '$currentWord'")
     }
 
     result
diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/util/IntervalUtilsSuite.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/util/IntervalUtilsSuite.scala
index d560d1048b..c313b54687 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/util/IntervalUtilsSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/util/IntervalUtilsSuite.scala
@@ -77,6 +77,19 @@ class IntervalUtilsSuite extends SparkFunSuite with SQLHelper {
     }
   }
 
+  test("string to interval: interval with dangling parts should not results null") {
+    checkFromInvalidString("+", "expect a number after '+' but hit EOL")
+    checkFromInvalidString("-", "expect a number after '-' but hit EOL")
+    checkFromInvalidString("+ 2", "expect a unit name after '2' but hit EOL")
+    checkFromInvalidString("- 1", "expect a unit name after '1' but hit EOL")
+    checkFromInvalidString("1", "expect a unit name after '1' but hit EOL")
+    checkFromInvalidString("1.2", "expect a unit name after '1.2' but hit EOL")
+    checkFromInvalidString("1 day 2", "expect a unit name after '2' but hit EOL")
+    checkFromInvalidString("1 day 2.2", "expect a unit name after '2.2' but hit EOL")
+    checkFromInvalidString("1 day -", "expect a number after '-' but hit EOL")
+    checkFromInvalidString("-.", "expect a unit name after '-.' but hit EOL")
+  }
+
   test("string to interval: multiple units") {
     Seq(
       "-1 MONTH 1 day -1 microseconds" -> new CalendarInterval(-1, 1, -1),
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/resources/sql-tests/inputs/interval.sql b/sql/core/src/test/resources/sql-tests/inputs/interval.sql
index 2f6a2c9fef..e925c4508f 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/resources/sql-tests/inputs/interval.sql
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/resources/sql-tests/inputs/interval.sql
@@ -198,3 +198,11 @@ SELECT
   to_json(from_json('{"a":"1 days"}', 'a interval')),
   to_json(map('a', interval 25 month 100 day 130 minute)),
   from_json(to_json(map('a', interval 25 month 100 day 130 minute)), 'a interval');
+
+select interval '+';
+select interval '+.';
+select interval '1';
+select interval '1.2';
+select interval '- 2';
+select interval '1 day -';
+select interval '1 day 1';
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/resources/sql-tests/results/ansi/interval.sql.out b/sql/core/src/test/resources/sql-tests/results/ansi/interval.sql.out
index cf8a72ed01..33d918bbeb 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/resources/sql-tests/results/ansi/interval.sql.out
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/resources/sql-tests/results/ansi/interval.sql.out
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 -- Automatically generated by SQLQueryTestSuite
--- Number of queries: 100
+-- Number of queries: 107
 
 
 -- !query
@@ -1024,3 +1024,101 @@ SELECT
 struct<from_json({"a":"1 days"}):struct<a:interval>,to_json(from_json({"a":"1 days"})):string,to_json(map(a, INTERVAL '2 years 1 months 100 days 2 hours 10 minutes')):string,from_json(to_json(map(a, INTERVAL '2 years 1 months 100 days 2 hours 10 minutes'))):struct<a:interval>>
 -- !query output
 {"a":1 days}	{"a":"1 days"}	{"a":"2 years 1 months 100 days 2 hours 10 minutes"}	{"a":2 years 1 months 100 days 2 hours 10 minutes}
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '+'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: +(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '+'
+-------^^^
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '+.'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: +.(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '+.'
+-------^^^
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '1'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: 1(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '1'
+-------^^^
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '1.2'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: 1.2(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '1.2'
+-------^^^
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '- 2'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: - 2(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '- 2'
+-------^^^
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '1 day -'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: 1 day -(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '1 day -'
+-------^^^
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '1 day 1'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: 1 day 1(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '1 day 1'
+-------^^^
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/resources/sql-tests/results/interval.sql.out b/sql/core/src/test/resources/sql-tests/results/interval.sql.out
index 99b2a6ff7e..898be09a40 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/resources/sql-tests/results/interval.sql.out
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/resources/sql-tests/results/interval.sql.out
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 -- Automatically generated by SQLQueryTestSuite
--- Number of queries: 100
+-- Number of queries: 107
 
 
 -- !query
@@ -1012,3 +1012,101 @@ SELECT
 struct<from_json({"a":"1 days"}):struct<a:interval>,to_json(from_json({"a":"1 days"})):string,to_json(map(a, INTERVAL '2 years 1 months 100 days 2 hours 10 minutes')):string,from_json(to_json(map(a, INTERVAL '2 years 1 months 100 days 2 hours 10 minutes'))):struct<a:interval>>
 -- !query output
 {"a":1 days}	{"a":"1 days"}	{"a":"2 years 1 months 100 days 2 hours 10 minutes"}	{"a":2 years 1 months 100 days 2 hours 10 minutes}
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '+'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: +(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '+'
+-------^^^
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '+.'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: +.(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '+.'
+-------^^^
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '1'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: 1(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '1'
+-------^^^
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '1.2'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: 1.2(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '1.2'
+-------^^^
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '- 2'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: - 2(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '- 2'
+-------^^^
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '1 day -'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: 1 day -(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '1 day -'
+-------^^^
+
+
+-- !query
+select interval '1 day 1'
+-- !query schema
+struct<>
+-- !query output
+org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
+
+Cannot parse the INTERVAL value: 1 day 1(line 1, pos 7)
+
+== SQL ==
+select interval '1 day 1'
+-------^^^