diff --git a/jvm/src/test/scala/scala/xml/XMLTest.scala b/jvm/src/test/scala/scala/xml/XMLTest.scala
index 201557503..401f0e00a 100644
--- a/jvm/src/test/scala/scala/xml/XMLTest.scala
+++ b/jvm/src/test/scala/scala/xml/XMLTest.scala
@@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ class XMLTestJVM {
   import scala.xml.parsing._
   @UnitTest
   def dontLoop: Unit = {
-    val xml = "<!DOCTYPE xmeml SYSTEM> <xmeml> <sequence> </sequence> </xmeml> "
+    val xml = "<!DOCTYPE xmeml SYSTEM 'uri'> <xmeml> <sequence> </sequence> </xmeml> "
     val sink = new PrintStream(new ByteArrayOutputStream())
     (Console withOut sink) {
       (Console withErr sink) {
@@ -765,4 +765,65 @@ class XMLTestJVM {
     val formatted = pp.format(x)
     assertEquals(x, XML.loadString(formatted))
   }
+
+  def toSource(s: String) = new scala.io.Source {
+    val iter = s.iterator
+    override def reportError(pos: Int, msg: String, out: java.io.PrintStream = Console.err): Unit = {}
+  }
+
+  @UnitTest
+  def xTokenTest {
+    val x = xml.parsing.ConstructingParser.fromSource(toSource("a"), false)
+    assertEquals((): Unit, x.xToken('b'))
+  }
+
+  @UnitTest(expected = classOf[FatalError])
+  def xCharDataFailure {
+    val x = xml.parsing.ConstructingParser.fromSource(toSource(""), false)
+
+    x.xCharData
+  }
+
+  @UnitTest(expected = classOf[FatalError])
+  def xCommentFailure {
+    val x = xml.parsing.ConstructingParser.fromSource(toSource(""), false)
+
+    x.xComment
+  }
+
+  @UnitTest
+  def xmlProcInstrTest {
+    val x = xml.parsing.ConstructingParser.fromSource(toSource("aa"), false)
+
+    assertEquals(new UnprefixedAttribute("aa", Text(""), Null), x.xmlProcInstr)
+  }
+
+  @UnitTest(expected = classOf[FatalError])
+  def notationDeclFailure {
+    val x = xml.parsing.ConstructingParser.fromSource(toSource(""), false)
+
+    x.notationDecl
+  }
+
+  @UnitTest
+  def pubidLiteralTest {
+    val x = xml.parsing.ConstructingParser.fromSource(toSource(""), false)
+
+    assertEquals("", x.pubidLiteral)
+  }
+
+  @UnitTest
+  def xAttributeValueTest {
+    val x = xml.parsing.ConstructingParser.fromSource(toSource("'"), false)
+
+    assertEquals("", x.xAttributeValue)
+  }
+
+  @UnitTest
+  def xEntityValueTest {
+    val x = xml.parsing.ConstructingParser.fromSource(toSource(""), false)
+
+    assertEquals("", x.xEntityValue)
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/shared/src/main/scala/scala/xml/parsing/MarkupParser.scala b/shared/src/main/scala/scala/xml/parsing/MarkupParser.scala
index 81d5b82cc..0b2f0d567 100755
--- a/shared/src/main/scala/scala/xml/parsing/MarkupParser.scala
+++ b/shared/src/main/scala/scala/xml/parsing/MarkupParser.scala
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ trait MarkupParser extends MarkupParserCommon with TokenTests {
       } else sb.append(ch)
       nextch()
     }
-    throw truncatedError("broken comment")
+    truncatedError("broken comment")
   }
 
   /* todo: move this into the NodeBuilder class */
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ trait MarkupParser extends MarkupParserCommon with TokenTests {
       new PublicID(pubID, sysID)
     } else {
       reportSyntaxError("PUBLIC or SYSTEM expected")
-      scala.sys.error("died parsing notationdecl")
+      truncatedError("died parsing notationdecl")
     }
     xSpaceOpt()
     xToken('>')
diff --git a/shared/src/main/scala/scala/xml/parsing/MarkupParserCommon.scala b/shared/src/main/scala/scala/xml/parsing/MarkupParserCommon.scala
index a6b2ec187..00d94a4fe 100644
--- a/shared/src/main/scala/scala/xml/parsing/MarkupParserCommon.scala
+++ b/shared/src/main/scala/scala/xml/parsing/MarkupParserCommon.scala
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import Utility.SU
  *  All members should be accessed through those.
  */
 private[scala] trait MarkupParserCommon extends TokenTests {
-  protected def unreachable = scala.sys.error("Cannot be reached.")
+  protected def unreachable = truncatedError("Cannot be reached.")
 
   // type HandleType       // MarkupHandler, SymbolicXMLBuilder
   type InputType // Source, CharArrayReader
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ private[scala] trait MarkupParserCommon extends TokenTests {
     val buf = new StringBuilder
     while (ch != endCh && !eof) {
       // well-formedness constraint
-      if (ch == '<') return errorAndResult("'<' not allowed in attrib value", "")
+      if (ch == '<') reportSyntaxError("'<' not allowed in attrib value")
       else if (ch == SU) truncatedError("")
       else buf append ch_returning_nextch
     }
@@ -241,11 +241,11 @@ private[scala] trait MarkupParserCommon extends TokenTests {
       val head = until.head
       val rest = until.tail
 
-      while (true) {
+      while (!eof) {
         if (ch == head && peek(rest))
           return handler(positioner(), sb.toString)
         else if (ch == SU || eof)
-          truncatedError("") // throws TruncatedXMLControl in compiler
+          truncatedError(s"died parsing until $until") // throws TruncatedXMLControl in compiler
 
         sb append ch
         nextch()