diff --git a/flang/lib/Semantics/expression.cpp b/flang/lib/Semantics/expression.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Semantics/expression.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Semantics/expression.cpp
@@ -2024,8 +2024,9 @@
                         "component", "value")};
                 if (checked && *checked && GetRank(*componentShape) > 0 &&
                     GetRank(*valueShape) == 0 &&
-                    !IsExpandableScalar(*converted, GetFoldingContext(),
-                        *componentShape, true /*admit PURE call*/)) {
+                    (IsDeferredShape(*symbol) ||
+                        !IsExpandableScalar(*converted, GetFoldingContext(),
+                            *componentShape, true /*admit PURE call*/))) {
                   AttachDeclaration(
                       Say(expr.source,
                           "Scalar value cannot be expanded to shape of array component '%s'"_err_en_US,
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/data01.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/data01.f90
--- a/flang/test/Semantics/data01.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/data01.f90
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
   integer :: myAge = 2
   type(person) associated
   type hasAlloc
-    integer, allocatable :: a(:)
+    integer, allocatable :: a
   end type
 end
 
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/structconst06.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/structconst06.f90
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/structconst06.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+! RUN: %python %S/test_errors.py %s %flang_fc1
+! Don't expand scalars for allocatable components.
+module m
+  type t
+    real, allocatable :: a(:)
+  end type
+  !ERROR: Scalar value cannot be expanded to shape of array component 'a'
+  type(t) :: x = t(0.)
+end module