diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2017-12-11-09-53-14.bpo-32277.jkKiVC.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2017-12-11-09-53-14.bpo-32277.jkKiVC.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..765527a6553
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2017-12-11-09-53-14.bpo-32277.jkKiVC.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Raise ``NotImplementedError`` instead of ``SystemError`` on platforms where
+``chmod(..., follow_symlinks=False)`` is not supported.  Patch by Anthony
+Sottile.
diff --git a/Modules/posixmodule.c b/Modules/posixmodule.c
index ee27fa4dec6..821b64ccbca 100644
--- a/Modules/posixmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/posixmodule.c
@@ -2790,6 +2790,7 @@ os_chmod_impl(PyObject *module, path_t *path, int mode, int dir_fd,
                                                    dir_fd, follow_symlinks);
             else
                 follow_symlinks_specified("chmod", follow_symlinks);
+            return NULL;
         }
         else
 #endif