diff --git a/R/tbl-sql.R b/R/tbl-sql.R
index ef27ac25b..b32ef97f4 100644
--- a/R/tbl-sql.R
+++ b/R/tbl-sql.R
@@ -21,18 +21,32 @@ tbl_sql <- function(subclass,
                     check_from = deprecated()) {
   # Can't use check_dots_used(), #1429
   check_character(vars, allow_null = TRUE)
-
   if (lifecycle::is_present(check_from)) {
     lifecycle::deprecate_warn("2.5.0", "tbl_sql(check_from)")
   }
 
-  from <- as_table_source(from, con = src$con)
-  vars <- vars %||% dbplyr_query_fields(src$con, from)
+  is_suspicious <- is_bare_string(from) && grepl(".", from, fixed = TRUE)
+  source <- as_table_source(from, con = src$con)
+
+  withCallingHandlers(
+    vars <- vars %||% dbplyr_query_fields(src$con, source),
+    error = function(err) {
+      if (!is_suspicious) return()
+
+      cli::cli_abort(
+        c(
+          "Failed to find table {source}.",
+          i = "Did you mean {.code from = I({.str {from}})}?"
+        ),
+        parent = err
+      )
+    }
+  )
 
   dplyr::make_tbl(
     c(subclass, "sql", "lazy"),
     src = src,
-    lazy_query = lazy_query_remote(from, vars)
+    lazy_query = lazy_query_remote(source, vars)
   )
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/tbl-sql.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/tbl-sql.md
index d07493dc3..ada327233 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/tbl-sql.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/tbl-sql.md
@@ -11,6 +11,20 @@
       2     2     2
       3     3     1
 
+# useful error if missing I()
+
+    Code
+      tbl(src_memdb(), "foo.bar")
+    Condition
+      Error in `tbl_sql()`:
+      ! Failed to find table `foo.bar`.
+      i Did you mean `from = I("foo.bar")`?
+      Caused by error in `db_query_fields.DBIConnection()`:
+      ! Can't query fields.
+      i Using SQL: SELECT * FROM `foo.bar` AS `q05` WHERE (0 = 1)
+      Caused by error:
+      ! no such table: foo.bar
+
 # check_from is deprecated
 
     Code
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-tbl-sql.R b/tests/testthat/test-tbl-sql.R
index 01c8bd948..407b6c101 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-tbl-sql.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-tbl-sql.R
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ test_that("can distinguish 'schema.table' from 'schema'.'table'", {
   expect_equal(as.character(tbl_vars(df)), c("a", "b", "c"))
 })
 
+test_that("useful error if missing I()", {
+  expect_snapshot(
+    tbl(src_memdb(), "foo.bar"),
+    error = TRUE
+  )
+})
+
 test_that("check_from is deprecated", {
   con <- local_sqlite_connection()
   DBI::dbExecute(con, "CREATE TABLE x (y)")