diff --git a/flang/lib/Semantics/resolve-names.cpp b/flang/lib/Semantics/resolve-names.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Semantics/resolve-names.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Semantics/resolve-names.cpp
@@ -2510,8 +2510,16 @@
   if (symbol.has<ObjectEntityDetails>()) {
     // nothing to do
   } else if (symbol.has<UnknownDetails>()) {
+    // These are attributes that a name could have picked up from
+    // an attribute statement or type declaration statement.
+    if (symbol.attrs().HasAny({Attr::EXTERNAL, Attr::INTRINSIC})) {
+      return false;
+    }
     symbol.set_details(ObjectEntityDetails{});
   } else if (auto *details{symbol.detailsIf<EntityDetails>()}) {
+    if (symbol.attrs().HasAny({Attr::EXTERNAL, Attr::INTRINSIC})) {
+      return false;
+    }
     funcResultStack_.CompleteTypeIfFunctionResult(symbol);
     symbol.set_details(ObjectEntityDetails{std::move(*details)});
   } else if (auto *useDetails{symbol.detailsIf<UseDetails>()}) {
@@ -6970,10 +6978,6 @@
     return;
   }
   Symbol &ultimate{name.symbol->GetUltimate()};
-  if (IsAllocatable(ultimate)) {
-    Say(name, "Allocatable object '%s' cannot be initialized"_err_en_US);
-    return;
-  }
   // TODO: check C762 - all bounds and type parameters of component
   // are colons or constant expressions if component is initialized
   common::visit(
@@ -7074,6 +7078,10 @@
             "'%s' is a pointer but is not initialized like one"_err_en_US);
       } else if (auto *details{ultimate.detailsIf<ObjectEntityDetails>()}) {
         CHECK(!details->init());
+        if (IsAllocatable(ultimate)) {
+          Say(name, "Allocatable object '%s' cannot be initialized"_err_en_US);
+          return;
+        }
         Walk(expr);
         if (ultimate.owner().IsParameterizedDerivedType()) {
           // Save the expression for per-instantiation analysis.
@@ -7084,6 +7092,8 @@
             details->set_init(std::move(*folded));
           }
         }
+      } else {
+        Say(name, "'%s' is not an object that can be initialized"_err_en_US);
       }
     }
   }
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
@@ -95,3 +95,14 @@
     end block
   end associate
 end subroutine
+
+subroutine notObjects
+!ERROR: 'x1' is not an object that can be initialized
+  real, external :: x1 = 1.
+!ERROR: 'x2' is not a pointer but is initialized like one
+  real, external :: x2 => sin
+!ERROR: 'x3' is not an object that can be initialized
+  real, intrinsic :: x3 = 1.
+!ERROR: 'x4' is not a pointer but is initialized like one
+  real, intrinsic :: x4 => cos
+end subroutine