--- a/liboctave/CRowVector.cc
+++ b/liboctave/CRowVector.cc
@@ -524,14 +524,11 @@
 	retval.elem (i) = x1 + 1.0 * i * delta;
       retval.elem (n-1) = x2;
     }
-  else if (n == 1)
+  else
     {
       retval.resize (1);
       retval.elem (0) = x2;
     }
-  else
-    (*current_liboctave_error_handler)
-      ("linspace: npoints must be greater than 0");
 
   return retval;
 }

--- a/liboctave/dRowVector.cc
+++ b/liboctave/dRowVector.cc
@@ -333,14 +333,11 @@
 	retval.elem (i) = x1 + i * delta;
       retval.elem (n-1) = x2;
     }
-  else if (n == 1)
+  else
     {
       retval.resize (1);
       retval.elem (0) = x2;
     }
-  else
-    (*current_liboctave_error_handler)
-      ("linspace: npoints must be greater than 0");
 
   return retval;
 }

--- a/scripts/general/logspace.m
+++ b/scripts/general/logspace.m
@@ -57,7 +57,11 @@
 ## @ifinfo
 ## 10^base and 10^pi,
 ## @end ifinfo
-## in order to  be compatible with the corresponding @sc{Matlab} function.
+## in order to  be compatible with the corresponding @sc{Matlab}
+## function.
+##
+## Also for compatibility, return the second argument if fewer than two
+## values are requested.
 ## @seealso{linspace}
 ## @end deftypefn
 

--- a/src/data.cc
+++ b/src/data.cc
@@ -2325,13 +2325,16 @@
   "-*- texinfo -*-\n\
 @deftypefn {Built-in Function} {} linspace (@var{base}, @var{limit}, @var{n})\n\
 Return a row vector with @var{n} linearly spaced elements between\n\
-@var{base} and @var{limit}.  The number of elements, @var{n}, must be\n\
-greater than 1.  The @var{base} and @var{limit} are always included in\n\
+@var{base} and @var{limit}.  If the number of elements is greater than one,\n\
+then the @var{base} and @var{limit} are always included in\n\
 the range.  If @var{base} is greater than @var{limit}, the elements are\n\
 stored in decreasing order.  If the number of points is not specified, a\n\
 value of 100 is used.\n\
 \n\
 The @code{linspace} function always returns a row vector.\n\
+\n\
+For compatibility with @sc{Matlab}, return the second argument if\n\
+fewer than two values are requested.\n\
 @end deftypefn")
 {
   octave_value retval;

--- a/src/load-path.cc
+++ b/src/load-path.cc
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 load_path::hook_function_ptr load_path::add_hook = execute_pkg_add;
 load_path::hook_function_ptr load_path::remove_hook = execute_pkg_del;
 std::string load_path::command_line_path;
+std::string load_path::sys_path;
 
 void
 load_path::dir_info::update (void)
@@ -1287,7 +1288,7 @@
 @seealso{path, addpath, rmpath, genpath, savepath, pathsep}\n\
 @end deftypefn")
 {
-  return load_path::system_path ();
+  return octave_value (load_path::system_path ());
 }
 
 DEFUN (path, args, nargout,

--- a/src/load-path.h
+++ b/src/load-path.h
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@
 
   static std::string system_path (void)
   {
-    return instance_ok () ? do_system_path () : std::string ();
+    return instance_ok () ? instance->do_system_path () : std::string ();
   }
 
 private: