diff --git a/sqlglot/expressions.py b/sqlglot/expressions.py
index ae298c08dc..9f7a65381f 100644
--- a/sqlglot/expressions.py
+++ b/sqlglot/expressions.py
@@ -1224,6 +1224,7 @@ def with_(
         append: bool = True,
         dialect: DialectType = None,
         copy: bool = True,
+        scalar: bool = False,
         **opts,
     ) -> Q:
         """
@@ -1244,6 +1245,7 @@ def with_(
                 Otherwise, this resets the expressions.
             dialect: the dialect used to parse the input expression.
             copy: if `False`, modify this expression instance in-place.
+            scalar: if `True`, this is a scalar common table expression.
             opts: other options to use to parse the input expressions.
 
         Returns:
@@ -1258,6 +1260,7 @@ def with_(
             append=append,
             dialect=dialect,
             copy=copy,
+            scalar=scalar,
             **opts,
         )
 
@@ -7036,11 +7039,15 @@ def _apply_cte_builder(
     append: bool = True,
     dialect: DialectType = None,
     copy: bool = True,
+    scalar: bool = False,
     **opts,
 ) -> E:
     alias_expression = maybe_parse(alias, dialect=dialect, into=TableAlias, **opts)
-    as_expression = maybe_parse(as_, dialect=dialect, **opts)
-    cte = CTE(this=as_expression, alias=alias_expression, materialized=materialized)
+    as_expression = maybe_parse(as_, dialect=dialect, copy=copy, **opts)
+    if scalar and not isinstance(as_expression, Subquery):
+        # scalar CTE must be wrapped in a subquery
+        as_expression = Subquery(this=as_expression)
+    cte = CTE(this=as_expression, alias=alias_expression, materialized=materialized, scalar=scalar)
     return _apply_child_list_builder(
         cte,
         instance=instance,
diff --git a/tests/test_build.py b/tests/test_build.py
index bd0962183e..64d1e96152 100644
--- a/tests/test_build.py
+++ b/tests/test_build.py
@@ -822,6 +822,22 @@ def test_build(self):
                 lambda: exp.union("SELECT 1", "SELECT 2", "SELECT 3", "SELECT 4"),
                 "SELECT 1 UNION SELECT 2 UNION SELECT 3 UNION SELECT 4",
             ),
+            (
+                lambda: select("x")
+                .with_("var1", as_=select("x").from_("tbl2").subquery(), scalar=True)
+                .from_("tbl")
+                .where("x > var1"),
+                "WITH (SELECT x FROM tbl2) AS var1 SELECT x FROM tbl WHERE x > var1",
+                "clickhouse",
+            ),
+            (
+                lambda: select("x")
+                .with_("var1", as_=select("x").from_("tbl2"), scalar=True)
+                .from_("tbl")
+                .where("x > var1"),
+                "WITH (SELECT x FROM tbl2) AS var1 SELECT x FROM tbl WHERE x > var1",
+                "clickhouse",
+            ),
         ]:
             with self.subTest(sql):
                 self.assertEqual(expression().sql(dialect[0] if dialect else None), sql)