diff --git a/Lib/test/test_pulldom.py b/Lib/test/test_pulldom.py
index 3d89e3a..6dc51e4 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_pulldom.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pulldom.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import xml.sax
 
 from xml.sax.xmlreader import AttributesImpl
+from xml.sax.handler import feature_external_ges
 from xml.dom import pulldom
 
 from test.support import findfile
@@ -159,6 +160,12 @@
             self.fail(
                 "Ran out of events, but should have received END_DOCUMENT")
 
+    def test_external_ges_default(self):
+        parser = pulldom.parseString(SMALL_SAMPLE)
+        saxparser = parser.parser
+        ges = saxparser.getFeature(feature_external_ges)
+        self.assertEqual(ges, False)
+
 
 class ThoroughTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     """Test the hard-to-reach parts of pulldom."""
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_sax.py b/Lib/test/test_sax.py
index 2eb6290..3044960 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_sax.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_sax.py
@@ -13,13 +13,14 @@
 from xml.sax.saxutils import XMLGenerator, escape, unescape, quoteattr, \
                              XMLFilterBase, prepare_input_source
 from xml.sax.expatreader import create_parser
-from xml.sax.handler import feature_namespaces
+from xml.sax.handler import feature_namespaces, feature_external_ges
 from xml.sax.xmlreader import InputSource, AttributesImpl, AttributesNSImpl
 from io import BytesIO, StringIO
 import codecs
 import gc
 import os.path
 import shutil
+from urllib.error import URLError
 from test import support
 from test.support import findfile, run_unittest, TESTFN
 
@@ -911,6 +912,18 @@
         def unparsedEntityDecl(self, name, publicId, systemId, ndata):
             self._entities.append((name, publicId, systemId, ndata))
 
+
+    class TestEntityRecorder:
+        def __init__(self):
+            self.entities = []
+
+        def resolveEntity(self, publicId, systemId):
+            self.entities.append((publicId, systemId))
+            source = InputSource()
+            source.setPublicId(publicId)
+            source.setSystemId(systemId)
+            return source
+
     def test_expat_dtdhandler(self):
         parser = create_parser()
         handler = self.TestDTDHandler()
@@ -927,6 +940,32 @@
             [("GIF", "-//CompuServe//NOTATION Graphics Interchange Format 89a//EN", None)])
         self.assertEqual(handler._entities, [("img", None, "expat.gif", "GIF")])
 
+    def test_expat_external_dtd_enabled(self):
+        parser = create_parser()
+        parser.setFeature(feature_external_ges, True)
+        resolver = self.TestEntityRecorder()
+        parser.setEntityResolver(resolver)
+
+        with self.assertRaises(URLError):
+            parser.feed(
+                '<!DOCTYPE external SYSTEM "unsupported://non-existing">\n'
+            )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            resolver.entities, [(None, 'unsupported://non-existing')]
+        )
+
+    def test_expat_external_dtd_default(self):
+        parser = create_parser()
+        resolver = self.TestEntityRecorder()
+        parser.setEntityResolver(resolver)
+
+        parser.feed(
+            '<!DOCTYPE external SYSTEM "unsupported://non-existing">\n'
+        )
+        parser.feed('<doc />')
+        parser.close()
+        self.assertEqual(resolver.entities, [])
+
     # ===== EntityResolver support
 
     class TestEntityResolver:
@@ -936,8 +975,9 @@
             inpsrc.setByteStream(BytesIO(b"<entity/>"))
             return inpsrc
 
-    def test_expat_entityresolver(self):
+    def test_expat_entityresolver_enabled(self):
         parser = create_parser()
+        parser.setFeature(feature_external_ges, True)
         parser.setEntityResolver(self.TestEntityResolver())
         result = BytesIO()
         parser.setContentHandler(XMLGenerator(result))
@@ -951,6 +991,22 @@
         self.assertEqual(result.getvalue(), start +
                          b"<doc><entity></entity></doc>")
 
+    def test_expat_entityresolver_default(self):
+        parser = create_parser()
+        self.assertEqual(parser.getFeature(feature_external_ges), False)
+        parser.setEntityResolver(self.TestEntityResolver())
+        result = BytesIO()
+        parser.setContentHandler(XMLGenerator(result))
+
+        parser.feed('<!DOCTYPE doc [\n')
+        parser.feed('  <!ENTITY test SYSTEM "whatever">\n')
+        parser.feed(']>\n')
+        parser.feed('<doc>&test;</doc>')
+        parser.close()
+
+        self.assertEqual(result.getvalue(), start +
+                         b"<doc></doc>")
+
     # ===== Attributes support
 
     class AttrGatherer(ContentHandler):
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_xml_etree.py b/Lib/test/test_xml_etree.py
index e113975..088a04e 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_xml_etree.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_xml_etree.py
@@ -91,6 +91,12 @@
 <document>&entity;</document>
 """
 
+EXTERNAL_ENTITY_XML = """\
+<!DOCTYPE points [
+<!ENTITY entity SYSTEM "file:///non-existing-file.xml">
+]>
+<document>&entity;</document>
+"""
 
 def checkwarnings(*filters, quiet=False):
     def decorator(test):
@@ -861,6 +867,13 @@
         root = parser.close()
         self.serialize_check(root, '<document>text</document>')
 
+        # 4) external (SYSTEM) entity
+
+        with self.assertRaises(ET.ParseError) as cm:
+            ET.XML(EXTERNAL_ENTITY_XML)
+        self.assertEqual(str(cm.exception),
+                'undefined entity &entity;: line 4, column 10')
+
     def test_namespace(self):
         # Test namespace issues.
 
diff --git a/Lib/xml/sax/expatreader.py b/Lib/xml/sax/expatreader.py
index 421358f..5066ffc 100644
--- a/Lib/xml/sax/expatreader.py
+++ b/Lib/xml/sax/expatreader.py
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
         self._lex_handler_prop = None
         self._parsing = 0
         self._entity_stack = []
-        self._external_ges = 1
+        self._external_ges = 0
         self._interning = None
 
     # XMLReader methods