diff --git a/flang/include/flang/Evaluate/tools.h b/flang/include/flang/Evaluate/tools.h
--- a/flang/include/flang/Evaluate/tools.h
+++ b/flang/include/flang/Evaluate/tools.h
@@ -730,7 +730,8 @@
 
 // GetLastSymbol() returns the rightmost symbol in an object or procedure
 // designator (which has perhaps been wrapped in an Expr<>), or a null pointer
-// when none is found.
+// when none is found.  It will return an ASSOCIATE construct entity's symbol
+// rather than descending into its expression.
 struct GetLastSymbolHelper
     : public AnyTraverse<GetLastSymbolHelper, std::optional<const Symbol *>> {
   using Result = std::optional<const Symbol *>;
diff --git a/flang/include/flang/Evaluate/traverse.h b/flang/include/flang/Evaluate/traverse.h
--- a/flang/include/flang/Evaluate/traverse.h
+++ b/flang/include/flang/Evaluate/traverse.h
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@
 //   subtrees of interior nodes, and the visitor's Combine() to merge their
 //   results together.
 // - Overloads of operator() in each visitor handle the cases of interest.
+//
+// The default handler for semantics::Symbol will descend into the associated
+// expression of an ASSOCIATE (or related) construct entity.
 
 #include "expression.h"
 #include "flang/Semantics/symbol.h"
@@ -102,7 +105,15 @@
       return visitor_.Default();
     }
   }
-  Result operator()(const Symbol &) const { return visitor_.Default(); }
+  Result operator()(const Symbol &symbol) const {
+    const Symbol &ultimate{symbol.GetUltimate()};
+    if (const auto *assoc{
+            ultimate.detailsIf<semantics::AssocEntityDetails>()}) {
+      return visitor_(assoc->expr());
+    } else {
+      return visitor_.Default();
+    }
+  }
   Result operator()(const StaticDataObject &) const {
     return visitor_.Default();
   }
diff --git a/flang/lib/Evaluate/check-expression.cpp b/flang/lib/Evaluate/check-expression.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Evaluate/check-expression.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Evaluate/check-expression.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
     return semantics::IsKindTypeParameter(inq.parameter());
   }
   bool operator()(const semantics::Symbol &symbol) const {
-    const auto &ultimate{symbol.GetUltimate()};
+    const auto &ultimate{GetAssociationRoot(symbol)};
     return IsNamedConstant(ultimate) || IsImpliedDoIndex(ultimate) ||
         IsInitialProcedureTarget(ultimate);
   }
@@ -180,21 +180,19 @@
     return false;
   }
   bool operator()(const semantics::Symbol &symbol) {
+    // This function checks only base symbols, not components.
     const Symbol &ultimate{symbol.GetUltimate()};
-    if (IsAllocatable(ultimate)) {
-      if (messages_) {
-        messages_->Say(
-            "An initial data target may not be a reference to an ALLOCATABLE '%s'"_err_en_US,
-            ultimate.name());
-        emittedMessage_ = true;
-      }
-      return false;
-    } else if (ultimate.Corank() > 0) {
-      if (messages_) {
-        messages_->Say(
-            "An initial data target may not be a reference to a coarray '%s'"_err_en_US,
-            ultimate.name());
-        emittedMessage_ = true;
+    if (const auto *assoc{
+            ultimate.detailsIf<semantics::AssocEntityDetails>()}) {
+      if (const auto &expr{assoc->expr()}) {
+        if (IsVariable(*expr)) {
+          return (*this)(*expr);
+        } else if (messages_) {
+          messages_->Say(
+              "An initial data target may not be an associated expression ('%s')"_err_en_US,
+              ultimate.name());
+          emittedMessage_ = true;
+        }
       }
       return false;
     } else if (!ultimate.attrs().test(semantics::Attr::TARGET)) {
@@ -213,8 +211,9 @@
         emittedMessage_ = true;
       }
       return false;
+    } else {
+      return CheckVarOrComponent(ultimate);
     }
-    return true;
   }
   bool operator()(const StaticDataObject &) const { return false; }
   bool operator()(const TypeParamInquiry &) const { return false; }
@@ -233,6 +232,9 @@
         x.u);
   }
   bool operator()(const CoarrayRef &) const { return false; }
+  bool operator()(const Component &x) {
+    return CheckVarOrComponent(x.GetLastSymbol()) && (*this)(x.base());
+  }
   bool operator()(const Substring &x) const {
     return IsConstantExpr(x.lower()) && IsConstantExpr(x.upper()) &&
         (*this)(x.parent());
@@ -258,6 +260,28 @@
   bool operator()(const Relational<SomeType> &) const { return false; }
 
 private:
+  bool CheckVarOrComponent(const semantics::Symbol &symbol) {
+    const Symbol &ultimate{symbol.GetUltimate()};
+    if (IsAllocatable(ultimate)) {
+      if (messages_) {
+        messages_->Say(
+            "An initial data target may not be a reference to an ALLOCATABLE '%s'"_err_en_US,
+            ultimate.name());
+        emittedMessage_ = true;
+      }
+      return false;
+    } else if (ultimate.Corank() > 0) {
+      if (messages_) {
+        messages_->Say(
+            "An initial data target may not be a reference to a coarray '%s'"_err_en_US,
+            ultimate.name());
+        emittedMessage_ = true;
+      }
+      return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
   parser::ContextualMessages *messages_;
   bool emittedMessage_{false};
 };
@@ -440,8 +464,11 @@
 
   Result operator()(const semantics::Symbol &symbol) const {
     const auto &ultimate{symbol.GetUltimate()};
-    if (semantics::IsNamedConstant(ultimate) || ultimate.owner().IsModule() ||
-        ultimate.owner().IsSubmodule()) {
+    if (const auto *assoc{
+            ultimate.detailsIf<semantics::AssocEntityDetails>()}) {
+      return (*this)(assoc->expr());
+    } else if (semantics::IsNamedConstant(ultimate) ||
+        ultimate.owner().IsModule() || ultimate.owner().IsSubmodule()) {
       return std::nullopt;
     } else if (scope_.IsDerivedType() &&
         IsVariableName(ultimate)) { // C750, C754
@@ -584,16 +611,19 @@
   using Base::operator();
 
   Result operator()(const semantics::Symbol &symbol) const {
-    if (symbol.attrs().test(semantics::Attr::CONTIGUOUS) ||
-        symbol.Rank() == 0) {
+    const auto &ultimate{symbol.GetUltimate()};
+    if (ultimate.attrs().test(semantics::Attr::CONTIGUOUS) ||
+        ultimate.Rank() == 0) {
       return true;
-    } else if (semantics::IsPointer(symbol)) {
+    } else if (semantics::IsPointer(ultimate)) {
       return false;
     } else if (const auto *details{
-                   symbol.detailsIf<semantics::ObjectEntityDetails>()}) {
+                   ultimate.detailsIf<semantics::ObjectEntityDetails>()}) {
       // N.B. ALLOCATABLEs are deferred shape, not assumed, and
       // are obviously contiguous.
       return !details->IsAssumedShape() && !details->IsAssumedRank();
+    } else if (auto assoc{Base::operator()(ultimate)}) {
+      return assoc;
     } else {
       return false;
     }
diff --git a/flang/lib/Semantics/check-data.cpp b/flang/lib/Semantics/check-data.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Semantics/check-data.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Semantics/check-data.cpp
@@ -66,10 +66,11 @@
                 : IsInBlankCommon(symbol)      ? "Blank COMMON object"
                 : IsProcedure(symbol) && !IsPointer(symbol) ? "Procedure"
                 // remaining checks don't apply to components
-                : !isFirstSymbol                  ? nullptr
-                : IsHostAssociated(symbol, scope) ? "Host-associated object"
-                : IsUseAssociated(symbol, scope)  ? "USE-associated object"
-                                                  : nullptr}) {
+                : !isFirstSymbol                   ? nullptr
+                : IsHostAssociated(symbol, scope)  ? "Host-associated object"
+                : IsUseAssociated(symbol, scope)   ? "USE-associated object"
+                : symbol.has<AssocEntityDetails>() ? "Construct association"
+                                                   : nullptr}) {
       context_.Say(source_,
           "%s '%s' must not be initialized in a DATA statement"_err_en_US,
           whyNot, symbol.name());
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/init01.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/init01.f90
--- a/flang/test/Semantics/init01.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/init01.f90
@@ -82,4 +82,15 @@
   end type
   type(t2(3,3)) :: o1
   type(t2(2,2)) :: o2
+  type :: t3
+    real :: x
+  end type
+  type(t3), save, target :: o3
+  real, pointer :: p10 => o3%x
+  associate (a1 => o3, a2 => o3%x)
+    block
+      real, pointer :: p11 => a1
+      real, pointer :: p12 => a2
+    end block
+  end associate
 end subroutine