Page 42
Exhibit 10(iii)A(17)(b)



                                 AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                     TO THE
                        NATIONAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES, INC.
                             EXECUTIVE SAVINGS PLAN

     THIS  AMENDMENT  made as of this  _____ day of  _______________,  1996,  by
National Service Industries, Inc. ("NSI");


                              W I T N E S S E T H:


     WHEREAS,  NSI has previously  established the National Service  Industries,
Inc.  Executive  Savings  Plan (the  "Plan")  for the  exclusive  benefit of its
eligible employees and their beneficiaries; and

     WHEREAS,  effective  as  of  August  31,  1996,  NSI  will  reorganize  its
operations into several newly-formed corporations and limited partnerships; and

     WHEREAS,   NSI   desires  to  amend  the  Plan  in   connection   with  the
reorganization; and

     WHEREAS, pursuant to the power of amendment contained in Section 7.1 of the
Plan, the Plan is hereby amended as follows:


                                       1.

     Section 2.10 of the Plan is hereby  amended by deleting such section in its
entirety and substituting the following:

     "2.10  'Employer'  means the Company and any affiliated or related employer
     designated by the Company to adopt and participate in the Plan.  Affiliated
     or  related  employers  permitted  to  adopt  the  Plan  shall  be known as
     "Adopting Employers" and are listed on Appendix A."

                                       2.

     Section 2.12 of the Plan is hereby  amended by deleting such section in its
entirety and substituting the following:

     "2.12  'Executive"  means an  officer  of the  Company,  an  officer  of an
     Adopting Employer or one of its Operating  Divisions,  and other designated
     employees.  Any dispute regarding any individual's  classification shall be
     determined by the Plan Administrator in its sole discretion.

                                                                         Page 43
                                                         Exhibit 10(iii)A(17)(b)



                                       3.

     Section 8.2 of the Plan is hereby  amended by deleting  such section in its
entirety and substituting the following:

          "8.2 Benefits  Unfunded.  The benefits  provided by this Plan shall be
     unfunded. All amounts payable under this Plan to Participants shall be paid
     from the  general  assets of the  Employer  which  principally  employs the
     Participant (the "Obligated Employer"),  and nothing contained in this Plan
     shall  require  the  Obligated  Employer  to set aside or hold in trust any
     amounts or assets for the purpose of paying benefits to Participants.  This
     Plan  shall  create  only  a  contractual  obligation  on the  part  of the
     Obligated  Employer  and  Participants  shall  have the  status of  general
     unsecured  creditors of the Obligated  Employer under the Plan with respect
     to amounts of Compensation  they defer hereunder or any other obligation of
     the Obligated  Employer to pay benefits  pursuant hereto.  Any funds of the
     Obligated  Employer available to pay benefits pursuant to the Plan shall be
     subject to the claims of general creditors of the Obligated  Employer,  and
     may be used for any purpose by the Obligated Employer.

          Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, the Obligated Employer may at
     any time transfer  assets to a trust for purposes of paying all or any part
     of its obligations under this Plan.  However, to the extent provided in the
     trust only, such transferred  amounts shall remain subject to the claims of
     general creditors of the Obligated Employer.  To the extent that assets are
     held in a  trust  when a  Participant's  benefits  under  the  Plan  become
     payable,  the Plan  Administrator  shall  direct  the  trustee  to pay such
     benefits to the Participant from the assets of the trust."

                                       4.

     Article  VIII of the Plan is hereby  amended  by adding the  following  new
section 8.8:

          "8.8 Guarantee of Performance.  In consideration of each Participant's
     performance of valuable services that inure to the financial benefit of the
     Company,  the Company does hereby  agree to perform all of the  obligations
     and  responsibilities  and pay any benefits  due and owing to  Participants
     under the Plan if the  Obligated  Employer  (as  defined  in  Section  8.2)
     designated to perform such  obligations  and  responsibilities  or pay such
     benefits fails or is unable to do so."


Page 44
Exhibit 10(iii)A(17)(b)

                                       5.

     The Plan is hereby amended by incorporating the following as Appendix A:

                                   "Appendix A
                               Adopting Employers

         North Bros, Inc.
         National Service Industries, Inc. of Georgia
         NSI Enterprises, Inc.
         Zep Manufacturing Company
         NSI Services, L.P."

                                       6.

     This Amendment shall be effective August 31, 1996.

                                       7.

     Except as provided herein,  the provisions of the Plan shall remain in full
force and effect.


     IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  NSI has caused this Amendment No. 1 to be executed by
its duly authorized  corporate officer and is hereby accepted the same as of the
date and year first written above.




ATTEST:                                     NATIONAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES, INC.



By: _____________________________   By: _________________________________
Title: ____________________________ Title: ________________________________