diff --git a/flang/lib/Lower/Allocatable.cpp b/flang/lib/Lower/Allocatable.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Lower/Allocatable.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Lower/Allocatable.cpp
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@
 static void genRuntimeInitCharacter(fir::FirOpBuilder &builder,
                                     mlir::Location loc,
                                     const fir::MutableBoxValue &box,
-                                    mlir::Value len) {
+                                    mlir::Value len, int64_t kind = 0) {
   mlir::func::FuncOp callee =
       box.isPointer()
           ? fir::runtime::getRuntimeFunc<mkRTKey(PointerNullifyCharacter)>(
@@ -155,7 +155,8 @@
   llvm::SmallVector<mlir::Value> args;
   args.push_back(builder.createConvert(loc, inputTypes[0], box.getAddr()));
   args.push_back(builder.createConvert(loc, inputTypes[1], len));
-  int kind = box.getEleTy().cast<fir::CharacterType>().getFKind();
+  if (kind == 0)
+    kind = box.getEleTy().cast<fir::CharacterType>().getFKind();
   args.push_back(builder.createIntegerConstant(loc, inputTypes[2], kind));
   int rank = box.rank();
   args.push_back(builder.createIntegerConstant(loc, inputTypes[3], rank));
@@ -663,10 +664,17 @@
     // unlimited polymorphic entity.
     if (typeSpec->AsIntrinsic() &&
         fir::isUnlimitedPolymorphicType(fir::getBase(box).getType())) {
-      genInitIntrinsic(
-          box, typeSpec->AsIntrinsic()->category(),
-          Fortran::evaluate::ToInt64(typeSpec->AsIntrinsic()->kind()).value(),
-          alloc.getSymbol().Rank());
+      if (typeSpec->AsIntrinsic()->category() == TypeCategory::Character) {
+        genRuntimeInitCharacter(
+            builder, loc, box, lenParams[0],
+            Fortran::evaluate::ToInt64(typeSpec->AsIntrinsic()->kind())
+                .value());
+      } else {
+        genInitIntrinsic(
+            box, typeSpec->AsIntrinsic()->category(),
+            Fortran::evaluate::ToInt64(typeSpec->AsIntrinsic()->kind()).value(),
+            alloc.getSymbol().Rank());
+      }
       return;
     }
 
diff --git a/flang/test/Lower/allocatable-polymorphic.f90 b/flang/test/Lower/allocatable-polymorphic.f90
--- a/flang/test/Lower/allocatable-polymorphic.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Lower/allocatable-polymorphic.f90
@@ -536,6 +536,22 @@
 ! CHECK: %[[BOX_NONE_10:.*]] = fir.convert %[[EMBOX_10]] : (!fir.box<i32>) -> !fir.box<none>
 ! CHECK: %{{.*}} = fir.call @_FortranAAllocatableAllocateSource(%[[A_BOX_NONE]], %[[BOX_NONE_10]], %{{.*}}, %{{.*}}, %{{.*}}, %{{.*}}) {{.*}} : (!fir.ref<!fir.box<none>>, !fir.box<none>, i1, !fir.box<none>, !fir.ref<i8>, i32) -> i32
 
+  subroutine test_allocatable_up_character()
+    class(*), allocatable :: a
+    allocate(character*10::a)
+  end subroutine
+
+! CHECK-LABEL: func.func @_QMpolyPtest_allocatable_up_character() {
+! CHECK: %[[A:.*]] = fir.alloca !fir.class<!fir.heap<none>> {bindc_name = "a", uniq_name = "_QMpolyFtest_allocatable_up_characterEa"}
+! CHECK: %[[LEN:.*]] = arith.constant 10 : i64
+! CHECK: %[[A_NONE:.*]] = fir.convert %[[A]] : (!fir.ref<!fir.class<!fir.heap<none>>>) -> !fir.ref<!fir.box<none>>
+! CHECK: %[[KIND:.*]] = arith.constant 1 : i32
+! CHECK: %[[RANK:.*]] = arith.constant 0 : i32
+! CHECK: %[[CORANK:.*]] = arith.constant 0 : i32
+! CHECK: %{{.*}} = fir.call @_FortranAAllocatableInitCharacter(%[[A_NONE]], %[[LEN]], %[[KIND]], %[[RANK]], %[[CORANK]]) {{.*}} : (!fir.ref<!fir.box<none>>, i64, i32, i32, i32) -> none
+! CHECK: %[[A_NONE:.*]] = fir.convert %[[A:.*]] : (!fir.ref<!fir.class<!fir.heap<none>>>) -> !fir.ref<!fir.box<none>>
+! CHECK: %{{.*}} = fir.call @_FortranAAllocatableAllocate(%[[A_NONE]], %{{.*}}, %{{.*}}, %{{.*}}, %{{.*}}) {{.*}} : (!fir.ref<!fir.box<none>>, i1, !fir.box<none>, !fir.ref<i8>, i32) -> i32
+
 end module