diff --git a/gcc/fortran/ChangeLog b/gcc/fortran/ChangeLog
index c8301f659b7..16ed9e9d68b 100644
--- a/gcc/fortran/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/fortran/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2008-09-25  Tobias Burnus  <burnus@net-b.de>
+
+	PR fortran/37504
+	* expr.c (gfc_check_pointer_assign): Allow assignment of
+	protected pointers.
+	* match.c (gfc_match_assignment,gfc_match_pointer_assignment):
+	Remove unreachable code.
+
 2008-09-24  Tobias Burnus  <burnus@net-b.de>
 
 	* options.c (set_default_std_flags,gfc_init_options):
diff --git a/gcc/fortran/expr.c b/gcc/fortran/expr.c
index e15412adfbe..7b741b88050 100644
--- a/gcc/fortran/expr.c
+++ b/gcc/fortran/expr.c
@@ -3076,7 +3076,8 @@ gfc_check_pointer_assign (gfc_expr *lvalue, gfc_expr *rvalue)
       return FAILURE;
     }
 
-  if (attr.is_protected && attr.use_assoc)
+  if (attr.is_protected && attr.use_assoc
+      && !(attr.pointer || attr.proc_pointer))
     {
       gfc_error ("Pointer assignment target has PROTECTED "
 		 "attribute at %L", &rvalue->where);
diff --git a/gcc/fortran/match.c b/gcc/fortran/match.c
index f7ff9bbdc3b..c8fd30d754f 100644
--- a/gcc/fortran/match.c
+++ b/gcc/fortran/match.c
@@ -1293,15 +1293,6 @@ gfc_match_assignment (void)
       return MATCH_NO;
     }
 
-  if (lvalue->symtree->n.sym->attr.is_protected
-      && lvalue->symtree->n.sym->attr.use_assoc)
-    {
-      gfc_current_locus = old_loc;
-      gfc_free_expr (lvalue);
-      gfc_error ("Setting value of PROTECTED variable at %C");
-      return MATCH_ERROR;
-    }
-
   rvalue = NULL;
   m = gfc_match (" %e%t", &rvalue);
   if (m != MATCH_YES)
@@ -1353,14 +1344,6 @@ gfc_match_pointer_assignment (void)
   if (m != MATCH_YES)
     goto cleanup;
 
-  if (lvalue->symtree->n.sym->attr.is_protected
-      && lvalue->symtree->n.sym->attr.use_assoc)
-    {
-      gfc_error ("Assigning to a PROTECTED pointer at %C");
-      m = MATCH_ERROR;
-      goto cleanup;
-    }
-
   new_st.op = EXEC_POINTER_ASSIGN;
   new_st.expr = lvalue;
   new_st.expr2 = rvalue;
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog b/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog
index 0be7f7da658..2941ac9778c 100644
--- a/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2008-09-25  Tobias Burnus  <burnus@net-b.de>
+
+	PR fortran/37504
+	* gfortran.dg/protected_7.f90: New test.
+
 2008-09-24  Steve Ellcey  <sje@cup.hp.com>
 
 	*  gcc.dg/vect/O3-vect-pr34223.c: Check vect_int_mult.
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/gfortran.dg/protected_7.f90 b/gcc/testsuite/gfortran.dg/protected_7.f90
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0325a49a568
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/gfortran.dg/protected_7.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+! { dg-do compile }
+! PR fortran/37504
+!
+module m
+  implicit none
+  integer, pointer, protected :: protected_pointer
+  integer, target,  protected :: protected_target
+end module m
+
+program p
+  use m
+  implicit none
+  integer, pointer :: unprotected_pointer
+  ! The next two lines should be rejected; see PR 37513 why
+  ! we get such a strange error message.
+  protected_pointer => unprotected_pointer ! { dg-error "only allowed in specification part" }
+  protected_pointer =  unprotected_pointer ! { dg-error "only allowed in specification part" }
+  unprotected_pointer => protected_target  ! { dg-error "target has PROTECTED attribute" }
+  unprotected_pointer => protected_pointer ! OK
+end program p
+
+! { dg-final { cleanup-modules "m" } }