diff --git a/simgear/io/DAVMultiStatus.cxx b/simgear/io/DAVMultiStatus.cxx
index 53b34b67..a805a214 100644
--- a/simgear/io/DAVMultiStatus.cxx
+++ b/simgear/io/DAVMultiStatus.cxx
@@ -183,7 +183,8 @@ class DAVMultiStatus::DAVMultiStatusPrivate
 {
 public:
   DAVMultiStatusPrivate() :
-  parserInited(false)
+      parserInited(false),
+      valid(false)
   {
     rootResource = NULL;
   }
@@ -287,6 +288,7 @@ public:
   }
   
   bool parserInited;
+  bool valid;
   XML_Parser xmlParser;
   DAVResource* rootResource;
   
@@ -366,13 +368,21 @@ void DAVMultiStatus::parseXML(const char* data, int size)
     
     XML_ParserFree(_d->xmlParser);
     _d->parserInited = false;
+    _d->valid = false;
   }
 }
 
 void DAVMultiStatus::finishParse()
 {
   if (_d->parserInited) {
-    XML_Parse(_d->xmlParser, NULL, 0, true);
+    if (!XML_Parse(_d->xmlParser, NULL, 0, true)) {
+        SG_LOG(SG_IO, SG_WARN, "DAV parse error:" << XML_ErrorString(XML_GetErrorCode(_d->xmlParser))
+               << " at line:" << XML_GetCurrentLineNumber(_d->xmlParser)
+               << " column " << XML_GetCurrentColumnNumber(_d->xmlParser));
+        _d->valid = false;
+    } else {
+        _d->valid = true;
+    }
     XML_ParserFree(_d->xmlParser);
   }
   
@@ -384,4 +394,9 @@ DAVResource* DAVMultiStatus::resource()
   return _d->rootResource;
 }
 
+bool DAVMultiStatus::isValid() const
+{
+    return _d->valid;
+}
+
 
diff --git a/simgear/io/DAVMultiStatus.hxx b/simgear/io/DAVMultiStatus.hxx
index 862bf9d0..d415e5ae 100644
--- a/simgear/io/DAVMultiStatus.hxx
+++ b/simgear/io/DAVMultiStatus.hxx
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@ public:
     
     void finishParse();
     
+    bool isValid() const;
+    
     DAVResource* resource();
   
   class DAVMultiStatusPrivate;
diff --git a/simgear/io/SVNRepository.cxx b/simgear/io/SVNRepository.cxx
index 62173ff9..b74df28c 100644
--- a/simgear/io/SVNRepository.cxx
+++ b/simgear/io/SVNRepository.cxx
@@ -173,7 +173,11 @@ namespace { // anonmouse
       {
         if (responseCode() == 207) {
           _davStatus.finishParse();
-          _repo->propFindComplete(this, (DAVCollection*) _davStatus.resource());
+          if (_davStatus.isValid()) {
+              _repo->propFindComplete(this, (DAVCollection*) _davStatus.resource());
+          } else {
+              _repo->propFindFailed(this, SVNRepository::SVN_ERROR_SOCKET);
+          }
         }
       }