diff --git a/usr.bin/ftp/cmds.c b/usr.bin/ftp/cmds.c
index f991d57f0ba3..c4b68b4d6847 100644
--- a/usr.bin/ftp/cmds.c
+++ b/usr.bin/ftp/cmds.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: cmds.c,v 1.67 1999/10/01 06:18:32 lukem Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: cmds.c,v 1.68 1999/10/01 08:01:12 lukem Exp $	*/
 
 /*-
  * Copyright (c) 1998, 1999 The NetBSD Foundation, Inc.
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
 #if 0
 static char sccsid[] = "@(#)cmds.c	8.6 (Berkeley) 10/9/94";
 #else
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: cmds.c,v 1.67 1999/10/01 06:18:32 lukem Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: cmds.c,v 1.68 1999/10/01 08:01:12 lukem Exp $");
 #endif
 #endif /* not lint */
 
@@ -717,7 +717,8 @@ status(argc, argv)
 	    "Socket buffer sizes: send %d, receive %d.\n",
 	    sndbuf_size, rcvbuf_size);
 	fprintf(ttyout, "Use of PORT cmds: %s.\n", onoff(sendport));
-	fprintf(ttyout, "Use of EPSV/EPRT cmds for IPv4: %s.\n", onoff(epsv4));
+	fprintf(ttyout, "Use of EPSV/EPRT cmds for IPv4: %s%s.\n", onoff(epsv4),
+	    epsv4bad ? " (disabled for this connection)" : "");
 #ifndef NO_EDITCOMPLETE
 	fprintf(ttyout, "Command line editing: %s.\n", onoff(editing));
 #endif /* !NO_EDITCOMPLETE */
@@ -1619,6 +1620,7 @@ disconnect(argc, argv)
 	cout = NULL;
 	connected = 0;
 	data = -1;
+	epsv4bad = 0;
 	if (!proxy) {
 		macnum = 0;
 	}
@@ -2035,6 +2037,17 @@ setpassive(argc, argv)
 	    verbose ? "Passive mode" : NULL);
 }
 
+void
+setepsv4(argc, argv)
+	int argc;
+	char *argv[];
+{
+
+	code = togglevar(argc, argv, &epsv4,
+	    verbose ? "EPSV/EPRT on IPv4" : NULL);
+	epsv4bad = 0;
+}
+
 void
 setsunique(argc, argv)
 	int argc;
@@ -2454,14 +2467,3 @@ setxferbuf(argc, argv)
 	fprintf(ttyout, "Socket buffer sizes: send %d, receive %d.\n",
 	    sndbuf_size, rcvbuf_size);
 }
-
-
-void
-setepsv4(argc, argv)
-	int argc;
-	char *argv[];
-{
-
-	code = togglevar(argc, argv, &epsv4,
-	    verbose ? "EPSV/EPRT on IPv4" : NULL);
-}
diff --git a/usr.bin/ftp/ftp.1 b/usr.bin/ftp/ftp.1
index b539127ebf15..c78862787349 100644
--- a/usr.bin/ftp/ftp.1
+++ b/usr.bin/ftp/ftp.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.\" 	$NetBSD: ftp.1,v 1.49 1999/10/01 05:08:32 lukem Exp $
+.\" 	$NetBSD: ftp.1,v 1.50 1999/10/01 08:01:12 lukem Exp $
 .\"
 .\" Copyright (c) 1985, 1989, 1990, 1993
 .\"	The Regents of the University of California.  All rights reserved.
@@ -409,20 +409,21 @@ completion.
 This is automatically enabled if input is from a terminal, and
 disabled otherwise.
 .It Ic epsv4
-Toggle the use of 
+Toggle the use of the extended
 .Dv EPSV
 and
 .Dv EPRT
-commands on IPv4 connections.
-This is enabled by default
-.Po
-first try
+commands on IPv4 connections; first try
 .Dv EPSV /
 .Dv EPRT ,
 and then
 .Dv PASV /
-.Dv PORT
-.Pc .
+.Dv PORT .
+This is enabled by default.
+If an extended command fails then this option will be temporarily
+disabled for the duration of the current connection, or until
+.Ic epsv4
+is executed again.
 .It Ic exit
 A synonym for
 .Ic bye .
diff --git a/usr.bin/ftp/ftp.c b/usr.bin/ftp/ftp.c
index 46aff35d897e..8d1e0ac571c4 100644
--- a/usr.bin/ftp/ftp.c
+++ b/usr.bin/ftp/ftp.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: ftp.c,v 1.73 1999/10/01 06:55:44 lukem Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: ftp.c,v 1.74 1999/10/01 08:01:12 lukem Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1985, 1989, 1993, 1994
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
 #if 0
 static char sccsid[] = "@(#)ftp.c	8.6 (Berkeley) 10/27/94";
 #else
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: ftp.c,v 1.73 1999/10/01 06:55:44 lukem Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: ftp.c,v 1.74 1999/10/01 08:01:12 lukem Exp $");
 #endif
 #endif /* not lint */
 
@@ -1375,7 +1375,7 @@ reinit:
 		result = COMPLETE + 1;
 		switch (data_addr.su_family) {
 		case AF_INET:
-			if (epsv4) {
+			if (epsv4 && !epsv4bad) {
 				result = command(pasvcmd = "EPSV");
 				/*
 				 * this code is to be friendly with broken
@@ -1387,6 +1387,13 @@ reinit:
 						ttyout);
 					result = COMPLETE + 1;
 				}
+				if (result != COMPLETE) {
+					epsv4bad = 1;
+					if (debug)
+						fputs(
+					"disabling epsv4 for this connection\n",
+						    ttyout);
+				}
 			}
 			if (result != COMPLETE)
 				result = command(pasvcmd = "PASV");
@@ -1635,7 +1642,7 @@ noport:
 
 		switch (data_addr.su_family) {
 		case AF_INET:
-			if (!epsv4) {
+			if (!epsv4 || epsv4bad) {
 				result = COMPLETE + 1;
 				break;
 			}
@@ -1648,8 +1655,15 @@ noport:
 					NULL, 0, NI_NUMERICHOST)) {
 				result = ERROR;
 			} else {
-				result = command("EPRT |%d|%s|%d|",
-					af, hname, ntohs(data_addr.su_port));
+				result = command("EPRT |%d|%s|%d|", af, hname,
+						ntohs(data_addr.su_port));
+				if (result != COMPLETE) {
+					epsv4bad = 1;
+					if (debug)
+						fputs(
+					"disabling epsv4 for this connection\n",
+						    ttyout);
+				}
 			}
 			break;
 #endif
diff --git a/usr.bin/ftp/ftp_var.h b/usr.bin/ftp/ftp_var.h
index e75135e1af7e..257c2318959c 100644
--- a/usr.bin/ftp/ftp_var.h
+++ b/usr.bin/ftp/ftp_var.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: ftp_var.h,v 1.39 1999/10/01 06:55:45 lukem Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: ftp_var.h,v 1.40 1999/10/01 08:01:13 lukem Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1985, 1989, 1993, 1994
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ GLOBAL	int	ttywidth;	/* width of tty */
 GLOBAL	char   *tmpdir;		/* temporary directory */
 GLOBAL	FILE   *ttyout;		/* stdout, or stderr if retrieving to stdout */
 GLOBAL	int	epsv4;		/* use EPSV/EPRT on IPv4 connections */
+GLOBAL	int	epsv4bad;	/* EPSV doesn't work on the current server */
 
 #ifndef NO_EDITCOMPLETE
 GLOBAL	int	  editing;	/* command line editing enabled */
diff --git a/usr.bin/ftp/main.c b/usr.bin/ftp/main.c
index 75c839817d70..7d4665e4cd2b 100644
--- a/usr.bin/ftp/main.c
+++ b/usr.bin/ftp/main.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: main.c,v 1.57 1999/10/01 06:55:45 lukem Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: main.c,v 1.58 1999/10/01 08:01:13 lukem Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1985, 1989, 1993, 1994
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ __COPYRIGHT("@(#) Copyright (c) 1985, 1989, 1993, 1994\n\
 #if 0
 static char sccsid[] = "@(#)main.c	8.6 (Berkeley) 10/9/94";
 #else
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: main.c,v 1.57 1999/10/01 06:55:45 lukem Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: main.c,v 1.58 1999/10/01 08:01:13 lukem Exp $");
 #endif
 #endif /* not lint */
 
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ main(argc, argv)
 #else
 	epsv4 = 0;
 #endif
+	epsv4bad = 0;
 
 	/*
 	 * Get the default socket buffer sizes if we don't already have them.