diff --git a/flang/lib/Optimizer/Dialect/FIRType.cpp b/flang/lib/Optimizer/Dialect/FIRType.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Optimizer/Dialect/FIRType.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Optimizer/Dialect/FIRType.cpp
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@
                        mlir::Type eleTy) {
   if (eleTy.isa<fir::RecordType, fir::SequenceType, fir::HeapType,
                 fir::PointerType, mlir::NoneType, mlir::IntegerType,
-                mlir::FloatType>())
+                mlir::FloatType, fir::CharacterType>())
     return mlir::success();
   return emitError() << "invalid element type\n";
 }
diff --git a/flang/test/Lower/polymorphic.f90 b/flang/test/Lower/polymorphic.f90
--- a/flang/test/Lower/polymorphic.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Lower/polymorphic.f90
@@ -219,4 +219,18 @@
 ! CHECK:  %[[EMBOX:.*]] = fir.embox %[[TEMP]] tdesc %[[TDESC]] : (!fir.ref<!fir.type<_QMpolymorphic_testTp1{a:i32,b:i32}>>, !fir.tdesc<none>) -> !fir.class<!fir.type<_QMpolymorphic_testTp1{a:i32,b:i32}>>
 ! CHECK:  fir.call @_QMpolymorphic_testPtakes_p1(%[[EMBOX]]) {{.*}} : (!fir.class<!fir.type<_QMpolymorphic_testTp1{a:i32,b:i32}>>) -> ()
 
+  subroutine up_input(a)
+    class(*), intent(in) :: a
+  end subroutine
+
+  subroutine pass_char_to_up()
+    call up_input('hello')
+  end subroutine
+
+! CHECK-LABEL: func.func @_QMpolymorphic_testPpass_char_to_up() {
+! CHECK: %[[CHAR:.*]] = fir.address_of(@_QQcl.{{.*}}) : !fir.ref<!fir.char<1,5>>
+! CHECK: %[[EMBOX:.*]] = fir.embox %[[CHAR]] : (!fir.ref<!fir.char<1,5>>) -> !fir.class<!fir.char<1,5>>
+! CHECK: %[[CONVERT:.*]] = fir.convert %[[EMBOX]] : (!fir.class<!fir.char<1,5>>) -> !fir.class<none>
+! CHECK: fir.call @_QMpolymorphic_testPup_input(%[[CONVERT]]) {{.*}} : (!fir.class<none>) -> ()
+
 end module