diff --git a/flang/lib/Semantics/check-select-type.cpp b/flang/lib/Semantics/check-select-type.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Semantics/check-select-type.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Semantics/check-select-type.cpp
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@
                 }
                 if (spec->category() == DeclTypeSpec::Character &&
                     !guardDynamicType.IsAssumedLengthCharacter()) { // C1160
-                  context_.Say(parser::FindSourceLocation(typeSpec),
+                  auto location{parser::FindSourceLocation(typeSpec)};
+                  context_.Say(location.empty() ? stmt.source : location,
                       "The type specification statement must have "
                       "LEN type parameter as assumed"_err_en_US);
                   typeSpecRetVal = false;
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/selecttype01.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/selecttype01.f90
--- a/flang/test/Semantics/selecttype01.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/selecttype01.f90
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@
     select type ( a )
       !ERROR: The type specification statement must have LEN type parameter as assumed
       type is ( character(len=10) ) !<-- assumed length-type
+      !ERROR: The type specification statement must have LEN type parameter as assumed
+      type is ( character )
       ! OK
       type is ( character(len=*) )
       !ERROR: The type specification statement must have LEN type parameter as assumed