--- a/sendmail.old/map.c
+++ a/sendmail/map.c
@@ -2682,6 +2682,7 @@
 
 	if (map->map_domain == NULL)
 	{
+#ifdef NOTDEF
 		yperr = yp_get_default_domain(&map->map_domain);
 		if (yperr != 0)
 		{
@@ -2690,6 +2691,11 @@
 				       map->map_file);
 			return false;
 		}
+#else
+            syserr("451 4.3.5 NIS map %s specified, but NIS not running",
+			    map->map_file);
+			return false;
+#endif
 	}
 
 	/* check to see if this map actually exists */