apache/cassandra · error · InvalidRequestException

Keyspace name '%s' doesn't match table name '%s'

Error message

Keyspace name '%s' doesn't match table name '%s'

What it means

CREATE INDEX validates that the keyspace explicitly given in the table name matches the resolved keyspace (from table name, index name, or session keyspace). A fully-qualified table name whose keyspace disagrees with the resolved one is rejected as ambiguous/inconsistent.

Source

Thrown at src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/schema/CreateIndexStatement.java:383

                   List<IndexTarget.Raw> rawIndexTargets,
                   IndexAttributes attrs,
                   boolean ifNotExists)
        {
            this.tableName = tableName;
            this.indexName = indexName;
            this.rawIndexTargets = rawIndexTargets;
            this.attrs = attrs;
            this.ifNotExists = ifNotExists;
        }

        public CreateIndexStatement prepare(ClientState state)
        {
            String keyspaceName = tableName.hasKeyspace()
                                ? tableName.getKeyspace()
                                : indexName.hasKeyspace() ? indexName.getKeyspace() : state.getKeyspace();

            if (tableName.hasKeyspace() && !keyspaceName.equals(tableName.getKeyspace()))
                throw ire(KEYSPACE_DOES_NOT_MATCH_TABLE, keyspaceName, tableName);

            if (indexName.hasKeyspace() && !keyspaceName.equals(indexName.getKeyspace()))
                throw ire(KEYSPACE_DOES_NOT_MATCH_INDEX, keyspaceName, tableName);
            
            // Set the configured default 2i implementation if one isn't specified with USING:
            if (attrs.customClass == null)
            {
                if (DatabaseDescriptor.getDefaultSecondaryIndexEnabled())
                    attrs.customClass = DatabaseDescriptor.getDefaultSecondaryIndex();
                else
                    // However, operators may require an implementation be specified
                    throw ire(MUST_SPECIFY_INDEX_IMPLEMENTATION);
            }
            
            // If we explicitly specify the index type "legacy_local_table", we can just clear the custom class, and the
            // non-custom 2i creation process will begin. Otherwise, if an index type has been specified with 
            // USING, make sure the appropriate custom index is created.
            if (attrs.customClass != null)

View on GitHub (pinned to 88fd0f6a0e)

Solutions

1. Remove the keyspace qualifier from the table name, or make it match the session keyspace.
2. Fully qualify BOTH the table and the index with the same keyspace: CREATE INDEX ks.idx ON ks.t(col).
3. Fix the cqlsh/script session: USE <correct_keyspace>; before running the statement.

Example fix

// before (session is on ks2)
CREATE INDEX ON ks1.t (col);

// after
USE ks1;
CREATE INDEX ON t (col);

if (tableName.includesKeyspace() && session.getLoggedKeyspace() != null && !tableName.getKeyspace().equals(session.getLoggedKeyspace())) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Table keyspace disagrees with session keyspace");

try { session.execute(ddl); } catch (InvalidQueryException e) { if (e.getMessage().startsWith("Keyspace name")) { /* strip keyspace qualifiers or align with USE */ } else throw e; }

When it happens

Trigger: Run e.g. `CREATE INDEX ON otherks.t (col)` while the statement resolves a different keyspaceName — specifically when tableName.hasKeyspace() and that keyspace differs from the computed keyspaceName (which can come from the index name or the session's USE keyspace).

Common situations: Copy-pasting a statement from one environment/namespace to another; scripts with a hardcoded keyspace in the table name executed against a session connected to a different keyspace; confusion between keyspace qualifiers on the table vs index name.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Must be a positive integer", "Invalid value", "Unsupported": the invalid-argument-value error family, when a library rejects the value you pass — this error's family across 35 libraries.

Related errors

• Keyspace name '%s' doesn't match index name '%s'
• Keyspace %s doesn't exist
• Missing mandatory option '%s'
• Unable to use given strategy class: LocalStrategy is reserve
• Can not create a keyspace with MetaReplicationStrategy

AI-assisted analysis of apache/cassandra@88fd0f6a0e (2026-09-10). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6a0be2cb3370a5a7. Report an issue: GitHub.