diff --git a/flang/lib/Evaluate/tools.cpp b/flang/lib/Evaluate/tools.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Evaluate/tools.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Evaluate/tools.cpp
@@ -970,12 +970,14 @@
           " designator '%s'"_err_en_US;
   } else if (lhsProcedure->HasExplicitInterface() &&
       !rhsProcedure->HasExplicitInterface()) {
+    // OK
     // Section 10.2.2.4, paragraph 3 prohibits associating a procedure pointer
-    // with an explicit interface with a procedure with an implicit interface
-    msg = "Procedure %s with explicit interface may not be associated with"
-          " procedure designator '%s' with implicit interface"_err_en_US;
+    // with an explicit interface with a procedure whose characteristics don't
+    // match.  That's the case if the target procedure has an implicit
+    // interface.  But this case is allowed by several other compilers.
   } else if (!lhsProcedure->HasExplicitInterface() &&
       rhsProcedure->HasExplicitInterface()) {
+    // OK if the target can be called via an implicit interface
     if (!rhsProcedure->CanBeCalledViaImplicitInterface()) {
       msg = "Procedure %s with implicit interface may not be associated "
             "with procedure designator '%s' with explicit interface that "
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/assign03.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/assign03.f90
--- a/flang/test/Semantics/assign03.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/assign03.f90
@@ -176,8 +176,7 @@
     procedure(s), pointer :: p, q
     procedure(), pointer :: r
     external :: s_external
-    !ERROR: Procedure pointer 'p' with explicit interface may not be associated with procedure designator 's_external' with implicit interface
-    p => s_external
+    p => s_external ! OK for a pointer with an explicit interface to be associated with a procedure with an implicit interface
     r => s_module ! OK for a pointer with implicit interface to be associated with a procedure with an explicit interface.  See 10.2.2.4 (3)
   end
 
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/associated.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/associated.f90
--- a/flang/test/Semantics/associated.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/associated.f90
@@ -137,10 +137,8 @@
     realProcPointer1 => intProc
     !ERROR: Procedure pointer 'realprocpointer1' associated with incompatible procedure designator 'intproc'
     lvar = associated(realProcPointer1, intProc)
-    !ERROR: Procedure pointer 'subprocpointer' with explicit interface may not be associated with procedure designator 'externalproc' with implicit interface
-    subProcPointer => externalProc
-    !ERROR: Procedure pointer 'subprocpointer' with explicit interface may not be associated with procedure designator 'externalproc' with implicit interface
-    lvar = associated(subProcPointer, externalProc)
+    subProcPointer => externalProc ! OK to associate a procedure pointer  with an explicit interface to a procedure with an implicit interface
+    lvar = associated(subProcPointer, externalProc) ! OK to associate a procedure pointer with an explicit interface to a procedure with an implicit interface
     !ERROR: Subroutine pointer 'subprocpointer' may not be associated with function designator 'intproc'
     subProcPointer => intProc
     !ERROR: Subroutine pointer 'subprocpointer' may not be associated with function designator 'intproc'