Index: testsuite/gfortran.dg/exponent_2.f90
===================================================================
--- testsuite/gfortran.dg/exponent_2.f90	(revision 0)
+++ testsuite/gfortran.dg/exponent_2.f90	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+! { dg-do run }
+! { dg-options "-fdefault-integer-8" }
+! PR fortran/32942
+! Testcase contributed by Dominique d'Humieres <dominiq@lps.ens.fr>.
+integer i
+real x
+x = 3.0
+if (2 /= exponent(x)) call abort
+i = exponent (x)
+if (i /= 2) call abort
+end
Index: fortran/trans-intrinsic.c
===================================================================
--- fortran/trans-intrinsic.c	(revision 127065)
+++ fortran/trans-intrinsic.c	(working copy)
@@ -718,9 +718,9 @@ gfc_conv_intrinsic_lib_function (gfc_se 
 /* Generate code for EXPONENT(X) intrinsic function.  */
 
 static void
-gfc_conv_intrinsic_exponent (gfc_se * se, gfc_expr * expr)
+gfc_conv_intrinsic_exponent (gfc_se *se, gfc_expr *expr)
 {
-  tree arg, fndecl;
+  tree arg, fndecl, type;
   gfc_expr *a1;
 
   gfc_conv_intrinsic_function_args (se, expr, &arg, 1);
@@ -744,7 +744,9 @@ gfc_conv_intrinsic_exponent (gfc_se * se
       gcc_unreachable ();
     }
 
-  se->expr = build_call_expr (fndecl, 1, arg);
+  /* Convert it to the required type.  */
+  type = gfc_typenode_for_spec (&expr->ts);
+  se->expr = fold_convert (type, build_call_expr (fndecl, 1, arg));
 }
 
 /* Evaluate a single upper or lower bound.  */