diff --git a/appl/ftp/ftp/cmds.c b/appl/ftp/ftp/cmds.c
index 86b58ca1b..e9602627b 100644
--- a/appl/ftp/ftp/cmds.c
+++ b/appl/ftp/ftp/cmds.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ setpeer(int argc, char **argv)
 		if (autologin)
 			login(argv[1]);
 
-#if (defined(unix) || defined(__unix__) || defined(__unix) || defined(_AIX) || defined(_CRAY) || defined(__NetBSD__)) && NBBY == 8
+#if (defined(unix) || defined(__unix__) || defined(__unix) || defined(_AIX) || defined(_CRAY) || defined(__NetBSD__) || defined(__APPLE__)) && NBBY == 8
 /*
  * this ifdef is to keep someone form "porting" this to an incompatible
  * system and not checking this out. This way they have to think about it.
@@ -150,22 +150,23 @@ setpeer(int argc, char **argv)
 		overbose = verbose;
 		if (debug == 0)
 			verbose = -1;
-		if (command("SYST") == COMPLETE && overbose) {
-			char *cp, c;
-			cp = strchr(reply_string+4, ' ');
+		if (command("SYST") == COMPLETE && overbose && strlen(reply_string) > 4) {
+			char *cp, *p;
+
+			cp = strdup(reply_string + 4);
 			if (cp == NULL)
-				cp = strchr(reply_string+4, '\r');
-			if (cp) {
-				if (cp[-1] == '.')
-					cp--;
-				c = *cp;
-				*cp = '\0';
+			    errx(1, "strdup: out of memory");
+			p = strchr(cp, ' ');
+			if (p == NULL)
+				p = strchr(cp, '\r');
+			if (p) {
+				if (p[-1] == '.')
+					p--;
+				*p = '\0';
 			}
 
-			printf("Remote system type is %s.\n",
-				reply_string+4);
-			if (cp)
-				*cp = c;
+			printf("Remote system type is %s.\n", cp);
+			free(cp);
 		}
 		if (!strncmp(reply_string, "215 UNIX Type: L8", 17)) {
 			if (proxy)