diff --git a/sys/man/2/tmdate b/sys/man/2/tmdate
index 0b314a100..96e410c14 100644
--- a/sys/man/2/tmdate
+++ b/sys/man/2/tmdate
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ if(tmparse(&a, nil, "Tue Dec 10 12:36:00 PST 2019", &e) == nil)
 if(*e != '\0')
 	sysfatal("trailing junk %s", e);
 if(tmparse(&b, nil, "Tue Dec 10 15:36:00 EST 2019", &e) == nil)
-	sysfata("failed to parse: %r");
+	sysfatal("failed to parse: %r");
 if(*e != '\0')
 	sysfatal("trailing junk %s", e);
 if(tmnorm(a) == tmnorm(b) && a.nsec == b.nsec)