diff --git a/src/intrprtr.c b/src/intrprtr.c
index 9763b76dab8..92b872026d4 100644
--- a/src/intrprtr.c
+++ b/src/intrprtr.c
@@ -1804,7 +1804,10 @@ static Obj ConvertFloatLiteralEager(Obj str)
         SET_LEN_STRING(str, len - 2);
         chars[len - 2] = '\0';
     }
-    return CALL_2ARGS(CONVERT_FLOAT_LITERAL_EAGER, str, ObjsChar[(UInt)mark]);
+    Obj res = CALL_2ARGS(CONVERT_FLOAT_LITERAL_EAGER, str, ObjsChar[(UInt)mark]);
+    if (res == Fail)
+        ErrorQuit("failed to convert float literal", 0, 0);
+    return res;
 }
 
 void            IntrFloatExpr (
diff --git a/tst/testinstall/float.tst b/tst/testinstall/float.tst
index 38446591c4b..4f7b238673f 100644
--- a/tst/testinstall/float.tst
+++ b/tst/testinstall/float.tst
@@ -237,6 +237,27 @@ false
 gap> EqFloat(0.0,0.0/0.0);
 false
 
+#
+# float literals in the REPL
+#
+gap> 1.1;
+1.1
+gap> 1.1_;
+1.1
+gap> 1.x1;
+Syntax error: Badly formed number in stream:1
+1.x1;
+  ^
+gap> 1.1xx;
+Syntax error: Badly formed number in stream:1
+1.1xx;
+   ^
+
+# The following is potentially correct, *if* there is a conversion handler for
+# 'x' installed, which normally isn't the case.
+gap> 1.1x;
+Error, failed to convert float literal
+
 #
 # float literal expressions in functions
 #