diff --git a/C/iopreds.c b/C/iopreds.c
index e5ec5e220..ea06e76fe 100644
--- a/C/iopreds.c
+++ b/C/iopreds.c
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ STATIC_PROTO (Int GetArgSizeFromChar, (Term *));
 
 
 
-static int parser_error_style = FAIL_ON_PARSER_ERROR;
+static int parser_error_style = EXCEPTION_ON_PARSER_ERROR;
 
 #if EMACS
 static int first_char;
@@ -2900,7 +2900,7 @@ p_read (void)
 	Error(SYNTAX_ERROR,syntax_error(tokstart),ErrorMessage);
 	return(FALSE);
       } else if (parser_error_style == FAIL_ON_PARSER_ERROR) {
-	return (FALSE);
+	return(FALSE);
       } else {
 	Error(SYNTAX_ERROR,syntax_error(tokstart),"SYNTAX ERROR");
 	return(FALSE);
diff --git a/changes4.3.html b/changes4.3.html
index 2db8189a4..09da322a2 100644
--- a/changes4.3.html
+++ b/changes4.3.html
@@ -16,14 +16,13 @@
 
 <h2>Yap-4.3.22:</h2>
 <ul>
+	<li>FIXED: default syntax error mode should be error.</li>
 	<li>NEW: atom garbage collector.</li>
 	<li>FIXED: recover space for logical update semantics.</li>
 	<li>FIXED: smash references to deleted entries with logical
 	update semantics.</li>
 	<li>FIXED: make instance of deleted fail for logical
 	update semantics.</li>
-	<li>FIXED: smash references to deleted references for logical
-	update semantics.</li>
 	<li>FIXED: garbage_collect should call do_gc with P, not CP.</li>
 	<li>FIXED: use YAPSHAREDIR as in manual (Ashwin Srinivasan).</li>
 	<li>FIXED: warning message about unify_extension.</li>
diff --git a/pl/boot.yap b/pl/boot.yap
index d0df11f88..8f5e0fe97 100644
--- a/pl/boot.yap
+++ b/pl/boot.yap
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ read_sig.
 	(
 	    '$get_value'('$break',0)
 	->
-	    '$set_read_error_handler'(fail),
+	    '$set_read_error_handler'(error),
 	    % after an abort, make sure all spy points are gone.
 	    '$clean_debugging_info',
 	    % simple trick to find out if this is we are booting from Prolog.