Keeper Glyn Garner was the hero as Bury clung on for a point to extend their unbeaten run to six matches and deny promotion rivals Mansfield only their second win in seven games.
Garner brilliantly saved Colin Larkin's seventh minute penalty - his fourth spot kick stop of the season - and when he was beaten in a one way second half, the crossbar twice came to his rescue.
Unchanged Mansfield had almost got off to the perfect start when Larkin and Alex Neil both had close-range drives blocked by desperate defending in the third minute.
Four minutes later, Larkin squandered an even better chance with the missed penalty. Neil was tripped by David Nugent as he raced into the area, but Larkin's spot kick was well held by Garner as he dived to his left. Nugent almost made amends for his clumsy challenge in the ninth minute, but his low drive just brushed the outside of the post.
The striker then scooped over the bar from 12 yards after a clever 26th minute flick on from Dwayne Mattis as Dave Challinor's trademark long throws caused problems for the home defence.
The rest of the first half degenerated into a scrappy midfield battle, the only chances falling to Mansfield's Tom Curtis and Scott McNiven who fired over with snap shots.
Mansfield substitute Wayne Corden made an immediate impact. First his 57th minute cross was hooked over from six yards by the unmarked David Artell.
Just two minutes later the wing-man's clever chip hit the bar with a struggling Garner back peddling.
The tricky Corden created mayhem in the Bury defence, in the 62nd minute, his inswinging cross finding the inrushing Alex Baptiste, but his shot was pushed to safety by the diving Garner.
The woodwork again denied The Stags in the 67th minute after a flowing right-wing move, Derek Asamoah clipping the bar from Larkin's cross.
Bury weathered the storm and almost stole the points in a rare attack 11 minutes from time, but a last-ditch tackle from Artell, finally thwarted Nugent.
The Stags continued to dominate and in the final minute, Artell wasted their last chance, glancing Craig Woodman's free-kick narrowly wide.