diff --git a/parser.c b/parser.c
index f74afd50..2e70e621 100644
--- a/parser.c
+++ b/parser.c
@@ -6706,7 +6706,11 @@ xmlParseElementDecl(xmlParserCtxtPtr ctxt) {
 
 	SKIP(9);
 	if (!IS_BLANK_CH(CUR)) {
+	    {
 	    xmlFatalErrMsg(ctxt, XML_ERR_SPACE_REQUIRED, "Space required after 'ELEMENT'\n");
+    if ((1))
+        return -1;
+}
 	}
         SKIP_BLANKS;
         name = xmlParseName(ctxt);