diff --git a/parse_execution.cpp b/parse_execution.cpp
index 4201c288b..137b7e001 100644
--- a/parse_execution.cpp
+++ b/parse_execution.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ node_offset_t parse_execution_context_t::get_offset(const parse_node_t &node) co
 
 bool parse_execution_context_t::should_cancel_execution(const block_t *block) const
 {
-    return block && block->skip;
+    return block && (block->skip || block->loop_status != LOOP_NORMAL);
 }
 
 int parse_execution_context_t::run_if_statement(const parse_node_t &statement)
@@ -228,6 +228,19 @@ int parse_execution_context_t::run_for_statement(const parse_node_t &header, con
         fb->skip = 0;
         
         this->run_job_list(block_contents, fb);
+        
+        /* Handle break or continue */
+        if (fb->loop_status == LOOP_CONTINUE)
+        {
+            /* Reset the loop state */
+            fb->loop_status = LOOP_NORMAL;
+            fb->skip = false;
+            continue;
+        }
+        else if (fb->loop_status == LOOP_BREAK)
+        {
+            break;
+        }
     }
     
     return proc_get_last_status();
@@ -358,7 +371,21 @@ int parse_execution_context_t::run_while_statement(const parse_node_t &header, c
     /* A while loop is a while loop! */
     while (! this->should_cancel_execution(wb) && this->run_1_job(while_condition, wb) == EXIT_SUCCESS)
     {
+        /* The block ought to go inside the loop (see #1212) */
         this->run_job_list(block_contents, wb);
+        
+        /* Handle break or continue */
+        if (wb->loop_status == LOOP_CONTINUE)
+        {
+            /* Reset the loop state */
+            wb->loop_status = LOOP_NORMAL;
+            wb->skip = false;
+            continue;
+        }
+        else if (wb->loop_status == LOOP_BREAK)
+        {
+            break;
+        }
     }
     
     /* Done */
@@ -562,7 +589,7 @@ wcstring_list_t parse_execution_context_t::determine_arguments(const parse_node_
     }
     
     /* Return if we had a wildcard problem */
-    if (unmatched_wildcard && ! matched_wildcard)
+    if (out_unmatched_wildcard_node != NULL && unmatched_wildcard && ! matched_wildcard)
     {
         *out_unmatched_wildcard_node = unmatched_wildcard_node;
     }
diff --git a/parser.cpp b/parser.cpp
index c60527814..bd0471df0 100644
--- a/parser.cpp
+++ b/parser.cpp
@@ -2602,6 +2602,13 @@ int parser_t::eval_new_parser(const wcstring &cmd, const io_chain_t &io, enum bl
 {
     CHECK_BLOCK(1);
     
+    if (block_type != TOP && block_type != SUBST)
+    {
+        debug(1, INVALID_SCOPE_ERR_MSG, parser_t::get_block_desc(block_type));
+        bugreport();
+        return 1;
+    }
+    
     /* Parse the source into a tree, if we can */
     parse_node_tree_t tree;
     if (! parse_t::parse(cmd, parse_flag_none, &tree, NULL))
diff --git a/tests/test9.in b/tests/test9.in
index a38fbc7c1..a16281f10 100644
--- a/tests/test9.in
+++ b/tests/test9.in
@@ -35,3 +35,37 @@ emit test3 foo bar
 
 # test empty argument
 emit
+
+echo "Test break and continue"
+# This should output Ping once
+for i in a b c
+    if not contains $i c ; continue ; end
+    echo Ping
+end
+
+# This should output Pong not at all
+for i in a b c
+    if not contains $i c ; break ; end
+    echo Pong
+end
+
+# This should output Foop three times, and Boop not at all
+set i a a a
+while contains $i a
+    set -e i[-1]
+    echo Foop
+    continue
+    echo Boop
+end
+
+# This should output Doop once
+set i a a a
+while contains $i a
+    set -e i[-1]
+    echo Doop
+    break
+    echo Darp
+end
+
+
+false
diff --git a/tests/test9.out b/tests/test9.out
index 8e19365cd..cf9054f8c 100644
--- a/tests/test9.out
+++ b/tests/test9.out
@@ -2,3 +2,9 @@ Testing that builtins can truncate files
 abc
 before:test1
 received event test3 with args: foo bar
+Test break and continue
+Ping
+Foop
+Foop
+Foop
+Doop