diff --git a/Lib/test/test_syntax.py b/Lib/test/test_syntax.py
index ce2e327a3dc..9d3ff02c55c 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_syntax.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_syntax.py
@@ -86,13 +86,16 @@ SyntaxError: can't assign to literal (<doctest test.test_syntax[11]>, line 1)
 Traceback (most recent call last):
 SyntaxError: can't assign to operator (<doctest test.test_syntax[12]>, line 1)
 
+>>> a if 1 else b = 1
+Traceback (most recent call last):
+SyntaxError: can't assign to conditional expression (<doctest test.test_syntax[13]>, line 1)
 
 From compiler_complex_args():
 
 >>> def f(None=1):
 ...     pass
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: assignment to None (<doctest test.test_syntax[13]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: assignment to None (<doctest test.test_syntax[14]>, line 1)
 
 
 From ast_for_arguments():
@@ -100,22 +103,22 @@ From ast_for_arguments():
 >>> def f(x, y=1, z):
 ...     pass
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: non-default argument follows default argument (<doctest test.test_syntax[14]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: non-default argument follows default argument (<doctest test.test_syntax[15]>, line 1)
 
 >>> def f(x, None):
 ...     pass
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: assignment to None (<doctest test.test_syntax[15]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: assignment to None (<doctest test.test_syntax[16]>, line 1)
 
 >>> def f(*None):
 ...     pass
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: assignment to None (<doctest test.test_syntax[16]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: assignment to None (<doctest test.test_syntax[17]>, line 1)
 
 >>> def f(**None):
 ...     pass
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: assignment to None (<doctest test.test_syntax[17]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: assignment to None (<doctest test.test_syntax[18]>, line 1)
 
 
 From ast_for_funcdef():
@@ -123,7 +126,7 @@ From ast_for_funcdef():
 >>> def None(x):
 ...     pass
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: assignment to None (<doctest test.test_syntax[18]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: assignment to None (<doctest test.test_syntax[19]>, line 1)
 
 
 From ast_for_call():
@@ -135,7 +138,7 @@ From ast_for_call():
 [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
 >>> f(x for x in L, 1)
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: Generator expression must be parenthesized if not sole argument (<doctest test.test_syntax[22]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: Generator expression must be parenthesized if not sole argument (<doctest test.test_syntax[23]>, line 1)
 >>> f((x for x in L), 1)
 [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
 
@@ -167,7 +170,7 @@ SyntaxError: Generator expression must be parenthesized if not sole argument (<d
 ...   i244,  i245,  i246,  i247,  i248,  i249,  i250,  i251,  i252,
 ...   i253,  i254,  i255)
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: more than 255 arguments (<doctest test.test_syntax[24]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: more than 255 arguments (<doctest test.test_syntax[25]>, line 1)
 
 The actual error cases counts positional arguments, keyword arguments,
 and generator expression arguments separately.  This test combines the
@@ -201,37 +204,37 @@ three.
 ...   (x for x in i244),  i245,  i246,  i247,  i248,  i249,  i250,  i251,
 ...    i252=1, i253=1,  i254=1,  i255=1)
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: more than 255 arguments (<doctest test.test_syntax[25]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: more than 255 arguments (<doctest test.test_syntax[26]>, line 1)
 
 >>> f(lambda x: x[0] = 3)
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: lambda cannot contain assignment (<doctest test.test_syntax[26]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: lambda cannot contain assignment (<doctest test.test_syntax[27]>, line 1)
 
 The grammar accepts any test (basically, any expression) in the
 keyword slot of a call site.  Test a few different options.
 
 >>> f(x()=2)
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: keyword can't be an expression (<doctest test.test_syntax[27]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: keyword can't be an expression (<doctest test.test_syntax[28]>, line 1)
 >>> f(a or b=1)
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: keyword can't be an expression (<doctest test.test_syntax[28]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: keyword can't be an expression (<doctest test.test_syntax[29]>, line 1)
 >>> f(x.y=1)
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: keyword can't be an expression (<doctest test.test_syntax[29]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: keyword can't be an expression (<doctest test.test_syntax[30]>, line 1)
 
 
 From ast_for_expr_stmt():
 
 >>> (x for x in x) += 1
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: augmented assignment to generator expression not possible (<doctest test.test_syntax[30]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: augmented assignment to generator expression not possible (<doctest test.test_syntax[31]>, line 1)
 >>> None += 1
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: assignment to None (<doctest test.test_syntax[31]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: assignment to None (<doctest test.test_syntax[32]>, line 1)
 >>> f() += 1
 Traceback (most recent call last):
-SyntaxError: illegal expression for augmented assignment (<doctest test.test_syntax[32]>, line 1)
+SyntaxError: illegal expression for augmented assignment (<doctest test.test_syntax[33]>, line 1)
 """
 
 import re
diff --git a/Misc/ACKS b/Misc/ACKS
index f1caf97f6fe..248c433fc96 100644
--- a/Misc/ACKS
+++ b/Misc/ACKS
@@ -547,6 +547,7 @@ Dietmar Schwertberger
 Barry Scott
 Steven Scott
 Nick Seidenman
+Žiga Seilnach
 Fred Sells
 Jiwon Seo
 Denis Severson
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index f37ed76a224..c8d64cdda39 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ What's New in Python 2.5 alpha 3?
 Core and builtins
 -----------------
 
+- Bug #1487966: Fix SystemError with conditional expression in assignment
+
 - WindowsError now has two error code attributes: errno, which carries
   the error values from errno.h, and winerror, which carries the error
   values from winerror.h. Previous versions put the winerror.h values
diff --git a/Python/ast.c b/Python/ast.c
index 353514c8c6e..fafa25310b9 100644
--- a/Python/ast.c
+++ b/Python/ast.c
@@ -401,6 +401,9 @@ set_context(expr_ty e, expr_context_ty ctx, const node *n)
         case Repr_kind:
             expr_name = "repr";
             break;
+        case IfExp_kind:
+            expr_name = "conditional expression";
+            break;
         default:
             PyErr_Format(PyExc_SystemError, 
                          "unexpected expression in assignment %d (line %d)",