diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index c3eed6fde..e5edcccaf 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #Nmap Changelog ($Id$); -*-text-*-
 
+o [NSE][GH#1478] Updated script ftp-syst to prevent potential endless looping.
+  [nnposter]
+
 o [NSE][GH#1457] New script, ubiquiti-discovery, which extracts information from
   the Ubiquiti Discovery service and assists version detection. [Tom Sellers]
 
diff --git a/scripts/ftp-syst.nse b/scripts/ftp-syst.nse
index 39a6b9f3f..af9a18b7d 100644
--- a/scripts/ftp-syst.nse
+++ b/scripts/ftp-syst.nse
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ action = function(host, port)
 
   -- SYST
   local auth_done = false
-  local syst
+  local syst = nil
   repeat
     if not socket:send("SYST\r\n") then
       return nil
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ action = function(host, port)
       if status then
         auth_done = true
       end
+    else
+      stdnse.debug1("SYST error: %d %s", code, message)
+      break
     end
   until not auth_done