diff --git a/matlab/kalman/likelihood/univariate_kalman_filter.m b/matlab/kalman/likelihood/univariate_kalman_filter.m
index 50cdc6020ffc533028c4ef5c37ad7c5434ce5939..43c86035902533fbf46ef58d1957e9ce55250b71 100644
--- a/matlab/kalman/likelihood/univariate_kalman_filter.m
+++ b/matlab/kalman/likelihood/univariate_kalman_filter.m
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ function [LIK, lik,a,P] = univariate_kalman_filter(data_index,number_of_observat
 %   Second Edition, Ch. 6.4 + 7.2.5
 
 
-% Copyright © 2004-2021 Dynare Team
+% Copyright © 2004-2024 Dynare Team
 %
 % This file is part of Dynare.
 %
@@ -212,8 +212,18 @@ while notsteady && t<=last %loop over t
             a = a + Ki*prediction_error; %filtering according to (6.13) in DK (2012)
             P = P - PZ*Ki';              %filtering according to (6.13) in DK (2012)
         else
-            % do nothing as a_{t,i+1}=a_{t,i} and P_{t,i+1}=P_{t,i}, see
-            % p. 157, DK (2012)
+            if Fi<0
+                %pathological numerical case where variance is negative
+                if analytic_derivation
+                    LIK={NaN,DLIK,Hess};
+                else
+                    LIK = NaN;
+                end
+                return
+            else
+                % do nothing as a_{t,i+1}=a_{t,i} and P_{t,i+1}=P_{t,i}, see
+                % p. 157, DK (2012)
+            end
         end
     end
     if analytic_derivation
diff --git a/matlab/kalman/likelihood/univariate_kalman_filter_d.m b/matlab/kalman/likelihood/univariate_kalman_filter_d.m
index fb8a46d4445246643c2c54f5f0cfe0c49a27cc18..d18b262a0f7fa45ffd476975434bb684f6b2b038 100644
--- a/matlab/kalman/likelihood/univariate_kalman_filter_d.m
+++ b/matlab/kalman/likelihood/univariate_kalman_filter_d.m
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function [dLIK, dlikk, a, Pstar, llik] = univariate_kalman_filter_d(data_index,
 %   Series Analysis by State Space Methods", Oxford University Press,
 %   Second Edition, Ch. 5, 6.4 + 7.2.5
 
-% Copyright © 2004-2021 Dynare Team
+% Copyright © 2004-2024 Dynare Team
 %
 % This file is part of Dynare.
 %
@@ -155,8 +155,14 @@ while newRank && (t<=last)
             a = a+Kstar*(prediction_error/Fstar);
             Pstar = Pstar-Kstar*(Kstar'/Fstar);
         else
-            % do nothing as a_{t,i+1}=a_{t,i} and P_{t,i+1}=P_{t,i}, see
-            % p. 157, DK (2012)
+            if Fstar<0 || Finf<0
+                %pathological numerical case where variance is negative
+                dLIK = NaN;
+                return
+            else
+                % do nothing as a_{t,i+1}=a_{t,i} and P_{t,i+1}=P_{t,i}, see
+                % p. 157, DK (2012)
+            end
         end
     end
     if newRank