diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 13b145e9e6..90e4788cf2 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ fn _run_string(vm: &mut VirtualMachine, source: &str, source_path: String) -> Py
     )
     .map_err(|err| {
         let syntax_error = vm.context().exceptions.syntax_error.clone();
-        vm.new_exception(syntax_error, err.description().to_string())
+        vm.new_exception(syntax_error, err.to_string())
     })?;
     // trace!("Code object: {:?}", code_obj.borrow());
     let builtins = vm.get_builtin_scope();
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins.rs b/vm/src/builtins.rs
index d3aaa6ee05..2ce0a6733b 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins.rs
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ fn builtin_compile(vm: &mut VirtualMachine, args: PyFuncArgs) -> PyResult {
 
     compile::compile(&source, &mode, filename, vm.ctx.code_type()).map_err(|err| {
         let syntax_error = vm.context().exceptions.syntax_error.clone();
-        vm.new_exception(syntax_error, err.description().to_string())
+        vm.new_exception(syntax_error, err.to_string())
     })
 }
 
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ fn builtin_eval(vm: &mut VirtualMachine, args: PyFuncArgs) -> PyResult {
         compile::compile(&source, &mode, "<string>".to_string(), vm.ctx.code_type()).map_err(
             |err| {
                 let syntax_error = vm.context().exceptions.syntax_error.clone();
-                vm.new_exception(syntax_error, err.description().to_string())
+                vm.new_exception(syntax_error, err.to_string())
             },
         )?
     } else {
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ fn builtin_exec(vm: &mut VirtualMachine, args: PyFuncArgs) -> PyResult {
         compile::compile(&source, &mode, "<string>".to_string(), vm.ctx.code_type()).map_err(
             |err| {
                 let syntax_error = vm.context().exceptions.syntax_error.clone();
-                vm.new_exception(syntax_error, err.description().to_string())
+                vm.new_exception(syntax_error, err.to_string())
             },
         )?
     } else if objtype::isinstance(source, &vm.ctx.code_type()) {
diff --git a/vm/src/compile.rs b/vm/src/compile.rs
index 067bfa4426..0563ad9bbb 100644
--- a/vm/src/compile.rs
+++ b/vm/src/compile.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ struct Compiler {
     nxt_label: usize,
     source_path: Option<String>,
     current_source_location: ast::Location,
+    in_loop: bool,
 }
 
 /// Compile a given sourcecode into a bytecode object.
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ impl Compiler {
             nxt_label: 0,
             source_path: None,
             current_source_location: ast::Location::default(),
+            in_loop: false,
         }
     }
 
@@ -229,7 +231,10 @@ impl Compiler {
                 self.set_label(start_label);
 
                 self.compile_test(test, None, Some(else_label), EvalContext::Statement)?;
+
+                self.in_loop = true;
                 self.compile_statements(body)?;
+                self.in_loop = false;
                 self.emit(Instruction::Jump {
                     target: start_label,
                 });
@@ -290,7 +295,10 @@ impl Compiler {
                 self.compile_store(target)?;
 
                 // Body of loop:
+                self.in_loop = true;
                 self.compile_statements(body)?;
+                self.in_loop = false;
+
                 self.emit(Instruction::Jump {
                     target: start_label,
                 });
@@ -563,9 +571,15 @@ impl Compiler {
                 self.set_label(end_label);
             }
             ast::Statement::Break => {
+                if !self.in_loop {
+                    return Err(CompileError::SyntaxErr(String::from("break")));
+                }
                 self.emit(Instruction::Break);
             }
             ast::Statement::Continue => {
+                if !self.in_loop {
+                    return Err(CompileError::SyntaxErr(String::from("continue")));
+                }
                 self.emit(Instruction::Continue);
             }
             ast::Statement::Return { value } => {
@@ -648,6 +662,7 @@ impl Compiler {
         name: &str,
         args: &ast::Parameters,
     ) -> Result<bytecode::FunctionOpArg, CompileError> {
+        self.in_loop = false;
         let have_kwargs = !args.defaults.is_empty();
         if have_kwargs {
             // Construct a tuple:
diff --git a/vm/src/error.rs b/vm/src/error.rs
index 811a335111..0b98ab8164 100644
--- a/vm/src/error.rs
+++ b/vm/src/error.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ pub enum CompileError {
     Parse(ParseError),
     // Multiple `*` detected
     StarArgs,
+    // Catches errors undetectable by the parser
+    SyntaxErr(String),
 }
 
 impl fmt::Display for CompileError {
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for CompileError {
             CompileError::ExpectExpr => write!(f, "Expecting expression, got statement"),
             CompileError::Parse(err) => err.fmt(f),
             CompileError::StarArgs => write!(f, "Two starred expressions in assignment"),
+            CompileError::SyntaxErr(expr) => write!(f, "Syntax Error: '{}' ouside loop", expr),
         }
     }
 }