diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 0814ecb..530cfc0 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -571,16 +571,18 @@ pub struct SqliteStatement<'conn> {
     conn: &'conn SqliteConnection,
     stmt: *mut ffi::sqlite3_stmt,
     needs_reset: bool,
+    column_count: c_int,
 }
 
 impl<'conn> SqliteStatement<'conn> {
     fn new(conn: &SqliteConnection, stmt: *mut ffi::sqlite3_stmt) -> SqliteStatement {
-        SqliteStatement{ conn: conn, stmt: stmt, needs_reset: false }
+        SqliteStatement{ conn: conn, stmt: stmt, needs_reset: false,
+            column_count: unsafe { ffi::sqlite3_column_count(stmt) }}
     }
 
     /// Get all the column names in the result set of the prepared statement.
     pub fn column_names(&self) -> Vec<&str> {
-        let n = unsafe { ffi::sqlite3_column_count(self.stmt) };
+        let n = self.column_count;
         let mut cols = Vec::with_capacity(n as usize);
         for i in 0..n {
             let slice = unsafe {
@@ -626,7 +628,14 @@ impl<'conn> SqliteStatement<'conn> {
             self.needs_reset = true;
             let r = ffi::sqlite3_step(self.stmt);
             match r {
-                ffi::SQLITE_DONE => Ok(self.conn.changes()),
+                ffi::SQLITE_DONE => {
+                    if self.column_count != 0 {
+                        Err(SqliteError{ code: ffi::SQLITE_MISUSE,
+                            message: "Unexpected column count - did you mean to call query?".to_string() })
+                    } else {
+                        Ok(self.conn.changes())
+                    }
+                },
                 ffi::SQLITE_ROW => Err(SqliteError{ code: r,
                     message: "Unexpected row result - did you mean to call query?".to_string() }),
                 _ => Err(self.conn.decode_result(r).unwrap_err()),
@@ -895,7 +904,7 @@ impl<'stmt> SqliteRow<'stmt> {
                 message: "Cannot get values from a row after advancing to next row".to_string() });
         }
         unsafe {
-            if idx < 0 || idx >= ffi::sqlite3_column_count(self.stmt.stmt) {
+            if idx < 0 || idx >= self.stmt.column_count {
                 return Err(SqliteError{ code: ffi::SQLITE_MISUSE,
                     message: "Invalid column index".to_string() });
             }
@@ -993,6 +1002,14 @@ mod test {
         assert_eq!(3i32, db.query_row("SELECT SUM(x) FROM foo", &[], |r| r.get(0)).unwrap());
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_execute_select() {
+        let db = checked_memory_handle();
+        let err = db.execute("SELECT 1 WHERE 1 < ?", &[&1i32]).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(err.code == ffi::SQLITE_MISUSE);
+        assert!(err.message == "Unexpected column count - did you mean to call query?");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_prepare_column_names() {
         let db = checked_memory_handle();