=== modified file 'lisp/ChangeLog'
--- lisp/ChangeLog	2014-10-06 17:47:56 +0000
+++ lisp/ChangeLog	2014-10-07 02:18:14 +0000
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2014-10-07  Teodor Zlatanov  <tzz@lifelogs.com>
+
+	* progmodes/cfengine.el (cfengine3-make-syntax-cache): Use
+	`process-file' instead of `call-process-shell-command'.  Check if
+	the returned CFEngine syntax is reasonably valid (bug#18620).
+
 2014-10-06  Stefan Monnier  <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
 
 	* term/w32-win.el: Move all code from 32-common-fns.el here.

=== modified file 'lisp/progmodes/cfengine.el'
--- lisp/progmodes/cfengine.el	2014-01-30 07:42:57 +0000
+++ lisp/progmodes/cfengine.el	2014-10-07 02:15:16 +0000
@@ -1238,21 +1238,25 @@
         (or syntax
             (with-demoted-errors
                 (with-temp-buffer
-                  (call-process-shell-command cfengine-cf-promises
-                                              nil   ; no input
-                                              t     ; current buffer
-                                              nil   ; no redisplay
-                                              "-s" "json")
+                  (process-file cfengine-cf-promises
+                                nil   ; no input
+                                t     ; current buffer
+                                nil   ; no redisplay
+                                "-s" "json")
                   (goto-char (point-min))
                   (setq syntax (json-read))
-                  (setq cfengine-mode-syntax-cache
-                        (cons (cons cfengine-cf-promises syntax)
-                              cfengine-mode-syntax-cache))
-                  (setq cfengine-mode-syntax-functions-regex
-                        (regexp-opt (mapcar (lambda (def)
-                                              (format "%s" (car def)))
-                                            (cdr (assq 'functions syntax)))
-                                    'symbols))))))
+
+                  ;; if we got a valid syntax...
+                  (when (and (listp syntax)
+                             (assq 'functions syntax))
+                    (setq cfengine-mode-syntax-cache
+                          (cons (cons cfengine-cf-promises syntax)
+                                cfengine-mode-syntax-cache))
+                    (setq cfengine-mode-syntax-functions-regex
+                          (regexp-opt (mapcar (lambda (def)
+                                                (format "%s" (car def)))
+                                              (cdr (assq 'functions syntax)))
+                                      'symbols)))))))
     cfengine3-fallback-syntax))
 
 (defun cfengine3-documentation-function ()