diff --git a/gcc/fortran/trans-array.c b/gcc/fortran/trans-array.c
index c6725659093..e85d63c3539 100644
--- a/gcc/fortran/trans-array.c
+++ b/gcc/fortran/trans-array.c
@@ -7670,15 +7670,21 @@ gfc_conv_expr_descriptor (gfc_se *se, gfc_expr *expr)
       /* Set the string_length for a character array.  */
       if (expr->ts.type == BT_CHARACTER)
 	{
-	  se->string_length =  gfc_get_expr_charlen (expr);
+	  if (deferred_array_component)
+	    se->string_length = ss_info->string_length;
+	  else
+	    se->string_length =  gfc_get_expr_charlen (expr);
+
 	  if (VAR_P (se->string_length)
 	      && expr->ts.u.cl->backend_decl == se->string_length)
 	    tmp = ss_info->string_length;
 	  else
 	    tmp = se->string_length;
 
-	  if (expr->ts.deferred)
+	  if (expr->ts.deferred && VAR_P (expr->ts.u.cl->backend_decl))
 	    gfc_add_modify (&se->pre, expr->ts.u.cl->backend_decl, tmp);
+	  else
+	    expr->ts.u.cl->backend_decl = tmp;
 	}
 
       /* If we have an array section, are assigning  or passing an array
diff --git a/gcc/fortran/trans-expr.c b/gcc/fortran/trans-expr.c
index e61492485b8..9d178360fc3 100644
--- a/gcc/fortran/trans-expr.c
+++ b/gcc/fortran/trans-expr.c
@@ -2471,7 +2471,7 @@ gfc_conv_string_length (gfc_charlen * cl, gfc_expr * expr, stmtblock_t * pblock)
 			     se.expr, build_zero_cst (TREE_TYPE (se.expr)));
   gfc_add_block_to_block (pblock, &se.pre);
 
-  if (cl->backend_decl)
+  if (cl->backend_decl && VAR_P (cl->backend_decl))
     gfc_add_modify (pblock, cl->backend_decl, se.expr);
   else
     cl->backend_decl = gfc_evaluate_now (se.expr, pblock);