Paul Ifill and Shefki Kuqi scored for Crystal Palace to leave Nottingham Forest rooted to the foot of the table.
Ben Watson's free-kick unnerved the defence and Ifill pounced to shoot powerfully into the net before Forest's Julian Bennett hit the crossbar
The visitors secured their first away win of the season when substitute Kuqi scored from 12 yards out.
Bennett missed a number of chances and Craig Beattie and Watson both went close late on for Palace.
Nottingham Forest boss Colin Calderwood: "We had plenty of chances in the first half but Palace controlled it more in the second with their know-how and experience.
"I still have no doubts we'll get out of the bottom three. No disrespect to Neil Warnock but it's easy for opposition managers to praise us after they've taken points off us.
"We've got to be careful that doesn't become a recurring theme throughout the season."
Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock: "I feel sorry for Forest, their fans and manager Colin Calderwood because they need something to drop for them at the moment and it's not happening.
"But I thought the players were superb - and so too were the fans.
"In some ways it was our poorest away performance of the season because we could easily have won the others as well, but you could say we were quite professional about it."
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