diff --git a/ibis/backends/athena/__init__.py b/ibis/backends/athena/__init__.py
index acfd47432d6f..c1d656ac8450 100644
--- a/ibis/backends/athena/__init__.py
+++ b/ibis/backends/athena/__init__.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import contextlib
 import getpass
 import os
+import re
 import sys
 import tempfile
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -159,11 +160,7 @@ def create_table(
         if location is None:
             location = f"{self._s3_staging_dir}/{name}"
 
-        property_list = [
-            sge.ExternalProperty(),
-            sge.FileFormatProperty(this=compiler.v[stored_as]),
-            sge.LocationProperty(this=sge.convert(location)),
-        ]
+        property_list = []
 
         for k, v in (properties or {}).items():
             name = sg.to_identifier(k)
@@ -196,6 +193,9 @@ def create_table(
             ).from_(compiler.to_sqlglot(table).subquery())
         else:
             select = None
+            property_list.append(sge.ExternalProperty())
+            property_list.append(sge.FileFormatProperty(this=compiler.v[stored_as]))
+            property_list.append(sge.LocationProperty(this=sge.convert(location)))
 
         create_stmt = sge.Create(
             kind="TABLE",
@@ -287,8 +287,20 @@ def get_schema(
     def _safe_raw_sql(self, query, *args, unload: bool = True, **kwargs):
         with contextlib.suppress(AttributeError):
             query = query.sql(self.dialect)
-        with self.con.cursor(unload=unload) as cur:
-            yield cur.execute(query, *args, **kwargs)
+        try:
+            with self.con.cursor(unload=unload) as cur:
+                yield cur.execute(query, *args, **kwargs)
+        except pyathena.error.OperationalError as e:
+            # apparently unload=True and can just nope out and not tell you
+            # why, but unload=False is "fine"
+            #
+            # if the error isn't this opaque "internal" error, then we raise the original
+            # exception, otherwise try to execute the query again with unload=False
+            if unload and re.search("ErrorCode: INTERNAL_ERROR_QUERY_ENGINE", str(e)):
+                with self.con.cursor(unload=False) as cur:
+                    yield cur.execute(query, *args, **kwargs)
+            else:
+                raise
 
     def list_catalogs(self, like: str | None = None) -> list[str]:
         response = self.con.client.list_data_catalogs()
diff --git a/ibis/backends/tests/errors.py b/ibis/backends/tests/errors.py
index 7c601bf075a8..0c06dcbf8d12 100644
--- a/ibis/backends/tests/errors.py
+++ b/ibis/backends/tests/errors.py
@@ -186,11 +186,3 @@
     from pyathena.error import OperationalError as PyAthenaOperationalError
 except ImportError:
     PyAthenaDatabaseError = PyAthenaOperationalError = None
-
-
-try:
-    from botocore.errorfactory import (
-        InvalidRequestException as BotoInvalidRequestException,
-    )
-except ImportError:
-    BotoInvalidRequestException = None
diff --git a/ibis/backends/tests/test_client.py b/ibis/backends/tests/test_client.py
index 4664f927d133..382c7c227731 100644
--- a/ibis/backends/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/ibis/backends/tests/test_client.py
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 import ibis.expr.operations as ops
 from ibis.backends.conftest import ALL_BACKENDS
 from ibis.backends.tests.errors import (
-    BotoInvalidRequestException,
     DatabricksServerOperationError,
     ExaQueryError,
     ImpalaHiveServer2Error,
@@ -97,11 +96,6 @@ def _create_temp_table_with_schema(backend, con, temp_table_name, schema, data=N
     ids=["no_schema", "dict_schema", "tuples", "schema"],
 )
 @pytest.mark.notimpl(["druid"])
-@pytest.mark.notimpl(
-    ["athena"],
-    raises=BotoInvalidRequestException,
-    reason="create table requires a location",
-)
 @pytest.mark.notimpl(
     ["flink"],
     reason="Flink backend supports creating only TEMPORARY VIEW for in-memory data.",
@@ -952,6 +946,7 @@ def test_self_join_memory_table(backend, con, monkeypatch):
                         "sqlite",
                         "trino",
                         "databricks",
+                        "athena",
                     ]
                 )
             ],
@@ -982,6 +977,7 @@ def test_self_join_memory_table(backend, con, monkeypatch):
                         "sqlite",
                         "trino",
                         "databricks",
+                        "athena",
                     ],
                     raises=com.UnsupportedOperationError,
                     reason="we don't materialize datasets to avoid perf footguns",
@@ -1033,7 +1029,6 @@ def test_self_join_memory_table(backend, con, monkeypatch):
     ],
 )
 @pytest.mark.notimpl(["druid"])
-@pytest.mark.notimpl(["athena"], raises=BotoInvalidRequestException)
 @pytest.mark.notimpl(
     ["flink"],
     reason="Flink backend supports creating only TEMPORARY VIEW for in-memory data.",
@@ -1417,7 +1412,6 @@ def create_and_destroy_db(con):
     reason="unclear whether Flink supports cross catalog/database inserts",
     raises=Py4JJavaError,
 )
-@pytest.mark.notimpl(["athena"])
 def test_insert_with_database_specified(con_create_database):
     con = con_create_database
 
@@ -1604,7 +1598,6 @@ def test_schema_with_caching(alltypes):
     ["druid"], raises=NotImplementedError, reason="doesn't support create_table"
 )
 @pytest.mark.notyet(["polars"], reason="Doesn't support insert")
-@pytest.mark.notyet(["athena"])
 @pytest.mark.notyet(
     ["datafusion"], reason="Doesn't support table creation from records"
 )
@@ -1698,7 +1691,6 @@ def test_no_accidental_cross_database_table_load(con_create_database):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.notyet(["druid"], reason="can't create tables")
-@pytest.mark.notimpl(["athena"], reason="can't create tables correctly in some cases")
 @pytest.mark.notyet(
     ["flink"], reason="can't create non-temporary tables from in-memory data"
 )