diff --git a/lapack-netlib/SRC/zsytrf.f b/lapack-netlib/SRC/zsytrf.f
index a775a8758..dc9016c69 100644
--- a/lapack-netlib/SRC/zsytrf.f
+++ b/lapack-netlib/SRC/zsytrf.f
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@
 *        Determine the block size
 *
          NB = ILAENV( 1, 'ZSYTRF', UPLO, N, -1, -1, -1 )
-         LWKOPT = N*NB
+         LWKOPT = MAX( 1, N*NB )
          WORK( 1 ) = LWKOPT
       END IF
 *