diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/Analyzer.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/Analyzer.scala
index fc895d60fad9f..5f6c1a3949eab 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/Analyzer.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/Analyzer.scala
@@ -678,6 +678,7 @@ class Analyzer(override val catalogManager: CatalogManager) extends RuleExecutor
      * Construct [[Aggregate]] operator from Cube/Rollup/GroupingSets.
      */
     private def constructAggregate(
+        operator: LogicalPlan,
         selectedGroupByExprs: Seq[Seq[Expression]],
         groupByExprs: Seq[Expression],
         aggregationExprs: Seq[NamedExpression],
@@ -687,6 +688,10 @@ class Analyzer(override val catalogManager: CatalogManager) extends RuleExecutor
         throw QueryCompilationErrors.groupingSizeTooLargeError(GroupingID.dataType.defaultSize * 8)
       }
 
+      if (groupByExprs.exists(_.exists(_.isInstanceOf[Generator]))) {
+        throw QueryCompilationErrors.generatorOutsideSelectError(operator)
+      }
+
       // Expand works by setting grouping expressions to null as determined by the
       // `selectedGroupByExprs`. To prevent these null values from being used in an aggregate
       // instead of the original value we need to create new aliases for all group by expressions
@@ -748,7 +753,7 @@ class Analyzer(override val catalogManager: CatalogManager) extends RuleExecutor
         ResolveAggregateFunctions.resolveExprsWithAggregate(Seq(cond), aggForResolving)
 
       // Push the aggregate expressions into the aggregate (if any).
-      val newChild = constructAggregate(selectedGroupByExprs, groupByExprs,
+      val newChild = constructAggregate(h, selectedGroupByExprs, groupByExprs,
         aggregate.aggregateExpressions ++ extraAggExprs, aggregate.child)
 
       // Since the output exprId will be changed in the constructed aggregate, here we build an
@@ -783,9 +788,9 @@ class Analyzer(override val catalogManager: CatalogManager) extends RuleExecutor
       case a if !a.childrenResolved => a
 
       // Ensure group by expressions and aggregate expressions have been resolved.
-      case Aggregate(GroupingAnalytics(selectedGroupByExprs, groupByExprs), aggExprs, child, _)
+      case a @ Aggregate(GroupingAnalytics(selectedGroupByExprs, groupByExprs), aggExprs, child, _)
         if aggExprs.forall(_.resolved) =>
-        constructAggregate(selectedGroupByExprs, groupByExprs, aggExprs, child)
+        constructAggregate(a, selectedGroupByExprs, groupByExprs, aggExprs, child)
 
       // We should make sure all expressions in condition have been resolved.
       case f @ Filter(cond, child) if hasGroupingFunction(cond) && cond.resolved =>
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SQLQuerySuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SQLQuerySuite.scala
index 4121ba67bd3bf..138a29c6ae804 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SQLQuerySuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SQLQuerySuite.scala
@@ -4934,6 +4934,34 @@ class SQLQuerySuite extends QueryTest with SharedSparkSession with AdaptiveSpark
 
     checkAnswer(df, Row("a"))
   }
+
+  test("SPARK-51901: Disallow generator functions in grouping sets") {
+    checkError(
+      exception = intercept[AnalysisException] {
+        sql("select * group by grouping sets (inline(array(struct('col'))))")
+      },
+      condition = "UNSUPPORTED_GENERATOR.OUTSIDE_SELECT",
+      parameters = Map(
+        "plan" -> "'Aggregate [groupingsets(Vector(0), inline(array(struct(col1, col))))]"
+      )
+    )
+
+    checkError(
+      exception = intercept[AnalysisException] {
+        sql("select * group by grouping sets (explode(array('col')))")
+      },
+      condition = "UNSUPPORTED_GENERATOR.OUTSIDE_SELECT",
+      parameters = Map("plan" -> "'Aggregate [groupingsets(Vector(0), explode(array(col)))]")
+    )
+
+    checkError(
+      exception = intercept[AnalysisException] {
+        sql("select * group by grouping sets (posexplode(array('col')))")
+      },
+      condition = "UNSUPPORTED_GENERATOR.OUTSIDE_SELECT",
+      parameters = Map("plan" -> "'Aggregate [groupingsets(Vector(0), posexplode(array(col)))]")
+    )
+  }
 }
 
 case class Foo(bar: Option[String])