Luton fought back from two down with late goals by Chiedozie Ogbene and Elijah Adebayo to add a precious point to their survival fund.
Nottingham Forest thought they had won it when Chris Wood scored his second of the game to give them a 2-0 lead in the 76th minute.
Steve Cooper’s team had controlled the game and deserved their lead but the visitors summoned a spirited finish.
Ogebene brought them back into the contest when he pounced on a defensive lapse by Forest and Adebayo, criticised for missing a sitter on his last outing against Tottenham, produced a brilliant equaliser in the second minute of added time, pulling down a long pass on his chest and firing low past goalkeeper Matt Turner.