diff --git a/gcc/cp/ChangeLog b/gcc/cp/ChangeLog
index 3dfb31ad4b4..01044e493d7 100644
--- a/gcc/cp/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/cp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2013-03-26  Paolo Carlini  <paolo.carlini@oracle.com>
+
+	PR c++/55951
+	* decl.c (check_array_designated_initializer): Handle CONST_DECL
+	as ce->index.
+
 2013-03-26  Paolo Carlini  <paolo.carlini@oracle.com>
 
 	* decl.c (grokfndecl): Handle separately <inline> and <constexpr>
diff --git a/gcc/cp/decl.c b/gcc/cp/decl.c
index a8213288215..ca68bb509bf 100644
--- a/gcc/cp/decl.c
+++ b/gcc/cp/decl.c
@@ -4760,7 +4760,7 @@ grok_reference_init (tree decl, tree type, tree init, int flags)
    is valid, i.e., does not have a designated initializer.  */
 
 static bool
-check_array_designated_initializer (const constructor_elt *ce,
+check_array_designated_initializer (constructor_elt *ce,
 				    unsigned HOST_WIDE_INT index)
 {
   /* Designated initializers for array elements are not supported.  */
@@ -4769,9 +4769,21 @@ check_array_designated_initializer (const constructor_elt *ce,
       /* The parser only allows identifiers as designated
 	 initializers.  */
       if (ce->index == error_mark_node)
-	error ("name used in a GNU-style designated "
-	       "initializer for an array");
-      else if (TREE_CODE (ce->index) == INTEGER_CST)
+	{
+	  error ("name used in a GNU-style designated "
+		 "initializer for an array");
+	  return false;
+	}
+      else if (identifier_p (ce->index))
+	{
+	  error ("name %qD used in a GNU-style designated "
+		 "initializer for an array", ce->index);
+	  return false;
+	}
+
+      ce->index = cxx_constant_value (ce->index);
+
+      if (TREE_CODE (ce->index) == INTEGER_CST)
 	{
 	  /* A C99 designator is OK if it matches the current index.  */
 	  if (TREE_INT_CST_LOW (ce->index) == index)
@@ -4780,11 +4792,8 @@ check_array_designated_initializer (const constructor_elt *ce,
 	    sorry ("non-trivial designated initializers not supported");
 	}
       else
-	{
-	  gcc_assert (identifier_p (ce->index));
-	  error ("name %qD used in a GNU-style designated "
-		 "initializer for an array", ce->index);
-	}
+	gcc_unreachable ();
+
       return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog b/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog
index c1117941e63..1f53a31a8f2 100644
--- a/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2013-03-26  Paolo Carlini  <paolo.carlini@oracle.com>
+
+	PR c++/55951
+	* g++.dg/ext/desig5.C: New.
+
 2013-03-26  Tobias Burnus  <burnus@net-b.de>
 
 	PR fortran/56649
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/g++.dg/ext/desig5.C b/gcc/testsuite/g++.dg/ext/desig5.C
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..48cce3183b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/g++.dg/ext/desig5.C
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// PR c++/55951
+
+enum { A };
+
+static const char *a[] = {
+  [A] = "a"
+};