diff --git a/conn.go b/conn.go
index 5eb17df..907001a 100644
--- a/conn.go
+++ b/conn.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"database/sql/driver"
 	"errors"
+	"regexp"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
@@ -48,10 +49,9 @@ func (c *conn) runQuery(ctx context.Context, query string) (driver.Rows, error)
 	}
 
 	return newRows(rowsConfig{
-		Athena:  c.athena,
-		QueryID: queryID,
-		// todo add check for ddl queries to not skip header(#10)
-		SkipHeader: true,
+		Athena:     c.athena,
+		QueryID:    queryID,
+		SkipHeader: isDDLQuery(query),
 	})
 }
 
@@ -136,3 +136,11 @@ func (c *conn) Exec(query string, args []driver.Value) (driver.Result, error) {
 
 var _ driver.Queryer = (*conn)(nil)
 var _ driver.Execer = (*conn)(nil)
+
+// supported DDL statements by Athena
+// https://docs.aws.amazon.com/athena/latest/ug/language-reference.html
+var ddlQueryRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`(?i)^(ALTER|CREATE|DESCRIBE|DROP|MSCK|SHOW)`)
+
+func isDDLQuery(query string) bool {
+	return ddlQueryRegex.Match([]byte(query))
+}
diff --git a/db_test.go b/db_test.go
index 8583810..738c987 100644
--- a/db_test.go
+++ b/db_test.go
@@ -126,6 +126,25 @@ func TestOpen(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err, "Query")
 }
 
+func TestDDLQuery(t *testing.T) {
+	harness := setup(t)
+	defer harness.teardown()
+
+	rows := harness.mustQuery("show tables")
+
+	output := make([]string, 0)
+	for rows.Next() {
+		var table string
+
+		err := rows.Scan(&table)
+		assert.NoError(t, err, "rows.Scan()")
+
+		output = append(output, table)
+	}
+
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(output), "query output")
+}
+
 type dummyRow struct {
 	NullValue     *struct{}       `json:"nullValue"`
 	SmallintType  int             `json:"smallintType"`