Index: ext/rtree/rtree.c
==================================================================
--- ext/rtree/rtree.c
+++ ext/rtree/rtree.c
@@ -3010,10 +3010,15 @@
   char *zSql;
   sqlite3_stmt *p;
   int rc;
   i64 nRow = 0;
 
+  if( sqlite3_table_column_metadata(db,pRtree->zDb,"sqlite_stat1",
+          0,0,0,0,0,0)==SQLITE_ERROR ){
+    pRtree->nRowEst = RTREE_DEFAULT_ROWEST;
+    return SQLITE_OK;
+  }
   zSql = sqlite3_mprintf(zFmt, pRtree->zDb, pRtree->zName);
   if( zSql==0 ){
     rc = SQLITE_NOMEM;
   }else{
     rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(db, zSql, -1, &p, 0);

Index: ext/rtree/rtreeC.test
==================================================================
--- ext/rtree/rtreeC.test
+++ ext/rtree/rtreeC.test
@@ -346,11 +346,7 @@
   0 0 1 {SCAN TABLE xdir} 
   0 1 0 {SCAN TABLE rt VIRTUAL TABLE INDEX 2:B0D1}
   0 2 2 {SCAN TABLE ydir} 
   2 4
 }
-
-finish_test
-
-
 
 finish_test

ADDED   ext/rtree/rtreeG.test
Index: ext/rtree/rtreeG.test
==================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ ext/rtree/rtreeG.test
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+# 2016-05-32
+#
+# The author disclaims copyright to this source code.  In place of
+# a legal notice, here is a blessing:
+#
+#    May you do good and not evil.
+#    May you find forgiveness for yourself and forgive others.
+#    May you share freely, never taking more than you give.
+#
+#***********************************************************************
+# This file contains tests for the r-tree module.
+#
+# Verify that no invalid SQL is run during initialization
+
+if {![info exists testdir]} {
+  set testdir [file join [file dirname [info script]] .. .. test]
+} 
+source $testdir/tester.tcl
+ifcapable !rtree { finish_test ; return }
+
+db close
+sqlite3_shutdown
+test_sqlite3_log [list lappend ::log]
+set ::log [list]
+sqlite3 db test.db
+
+
+set ::log {}
+do_execsql_test rtreeG-1.1 {
+  CREATE VIRTUAL TABLE t1 USING rtree(id,x0,x1,y0,y1);
+} {}
+do_test rtreeG-1.1log {
+  set ::log
+} {}
+
+do_execsql_test rtreeG-1.2 {
+  INSERT INTO t1 VALUES(1,10,15,5,23),(2,20,21,5,23),(3,10,15,20,30);
+  SELECT id from t1 WHERE x0>8 AND x1<16 AND y0>2 AND y1<25;
+} {1}
+do_test rtreeG-1.2log {
+  set ::log
+} {}
+
+db close
+sqlite3 db test.db
+do_execsql_test rtreeG-1.3 {
+  SELECT id from t1 WHERE x0>8 AND x1<16 AND y0>2 AND y1<25;
+} {1}
+do_test rtreeG-1.3log {
+  set ::log
+} {}
+
+do_execsql_test rtreeG-1.4 {
+  DROP TABLE t1;
+} {}
+do_test rtreeG-1.4log {
+  set ::log
+} {}
+
+db close
+sqlite3_shutdown
+test_sqlite3_log
+sqlite3_initialize
+sqlite3 db test.db
+
+finish_test