diff --git a/gcc/c-typeck.c b/gcc/c-typeck.c
index b23338583be..97fb2568840 100644
--- a/gcc/c-typeck.c
+++ b/gcc/c-typeck.c
@@ -5872,6 +5872,7 @@ process_init_element (value)
   /* Handle superfluous braces around string cst as in
      char x[] = {"foo"}; */
   if (string_flag
+      && constructor_type
       && TREE_CODE (constructor_type) == ARRAY_TYPE
       && TREE_CODE (TREE_TYPE (constructor_type)) == INTEGER_TYPE
       && integer_zerop (constructor_unfilled_index))