diff --git a/gcc/fortran/ChangeLog b/gcc/fortran/ChangeLog
index 3c137ee199f..5e8e7d1b820 100644
--- a/gcc/fortran/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/fortran/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2016-07-30  Steven G. Kargl  <kargl@gcc.gnu.org>
+
+	PR fortran/69962
+	* decl.c (gfc_set_constant_character_len):  if expr is not
+	constant issue an error instead of an ICE.
+
 2016-07-30  Steven G. Kargl  <kargl@gcc.gnu.org>
 
 	PR fortran/70006
diff --git a/gcc/fortran/decl.c b/gcc/fortran/decl.c
index 7ff2f0df297..ae68c09f586 100644
--- a/gcc/fortran/decl.c
+++ b/gcc/fortran/decl.c
@@ -1495,10 +1495,14 @@ gfc_set_constant_character_len (int len, gfc_expr *expr, int check_len)
   gfc_char_t *s;
   int slen;
 
-  gcc_assert (expr->expr_type == EXPR_CONSTANT);
-
   if (expr->ts.type != BT_CHARACTER)
     return;
+ 
+  if (expr->expr_type != EXPR_CONSTANT)
+    {
+      gfc_error_now ("CHARACTER length must be a constant at %L", &expr->where);
+      return;
+    }
 
   slen = expr->value.character.length;
   if (len != slen)
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog b/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog
index 6ead1195b38..73e2258fa29 100644
--- a/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2016-07-30  Steven G. Kargl  <kargl@gcc.gnu.org>
+
+	PR fortran/69962
+	* gfortran.dg/pr69962.f90: New test.
+
 2016-07-30  Steven G. Kargl  <kargl@gcc.gnu.org>
 
 	PR fortran/70006
diff --git a/gcc/testsuite/gfortran.dg/pr69962.f90 b/gcc/testsuite/gfortran.dg/pr69962.f90
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2684398ee31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gcc/testsuite/gfortran.dg/pr69962.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+! { dg-do compile }
+program p
+   integer :: n = 1
+   character(3), parameter :: x(2) = ['abc', 'xyz']
+   character(2), parameter :: y(2) = [x(2)(2:3), x(n)(1:2)] ! { dg-error "CHARACTER length must be a constant" }
+end