diff --git a/flang/lib/semantics/CMakeLists.txt b/flang/lib/semantics/CMakeLists.txt
index b74e27e2597e..9f5aeece1cad 100644
--- a/flang/lib/semantics/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/flang/lib/semantics/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ add_library(FortranSemantics
   check-arithmeticif.cc
   check-coarray.cc
   check-deallocate.cc
+  check-declarations.cc
   check-do.cc
   check-if-stmt.cc
   check-io.cc
diff --git a/flang/lib/semantics/check-declarations.cc b/flang/lib/semantics/check-declarations.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0b797576abe4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flang/lib/semantics/check-declarations.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2019, NVIDIA CORPORATION.  All rights reserved.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+// Static declaration checking
+
+#include "semantics.h"
+#include "tools.h"
+
+namespace Fortran::semantics {
+
+static void CheckSymbol(SemanticsContext &context, const Symbol &symbol) {
+  if (context.HasError(symbol)) {
+    return;
+  }
+  context.set_location(symbol.name());
+  if (IsAssumedLengthCharacterFunction(symbol)) {  // C723
+    if (symbol.attrs().test(Attr::RECURSIVE)) {
+      context.Say(
+          "An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot be RECURSIVE."_err_en_US);
+    }
+    if (symbol.Rank() > 0) {
+      context.Say(
+          "An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot return an array."_err_en_US);
+    }
+    if (symbol.attrs().test(Attr::PURE)) {
+      context.Say(
+          "An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot be PURE."_err_en_US);
+    }
+    if (symbol.attrs().test(Attr::ELEMENTAL)) {
+      context.Say(
+          "An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot be ELEMENTAL."_err_en_US);
+    }
+    if (const Symbol * result{FindFunctionResult(symbol)}) {
+      if (result->attrs().test(Attr::POINTER)) {
+        context.Say(
+            "An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot return a POINTER."_err_en_US);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+static void CheckScope(SemanticsContext &context, const Scope &scope) {
+  for (const auto &pair : scope) {
+    CheckSymbol(context, *pair.second);
+  }
+  for (const Scope &child : scope.children()) {
+    CheckScope(context, child);
+  }
+}
+
+void CheckDeclarations(SemanticsContext &context) {
+  CheckScope(context, context.globalScope());
+}
+}
diff --git a/flang/lib/semantics/expression.cc b/flang/lib/semantics/expression.cc
index e31424703cab..f340bc99b1d1 100644
--- a/flang/lib/semantics/expression.cc
+++ b/flang/lib/semantics/expression.cc
@@ -1452,7 +1452,7 @@ auto ExpressionAnalyzer::Procedure(const parser::ProcedureDesignator &pd,
                 if (symbol.attrs().test(
                         semantics::Attr::NON_RECURSIVE)) {  // 15.6.2.1(3)
                   if (auto *msg{Say(
-                          "NON_RECURSIVE procedure '%s' cannot call itself"_err_en_US,
+                          "NON_RECURSIVE procedure '%s' cannot call itself."_err_en_US,
                           n.source)}) {
                     msg->Attach(
                         symbol.name(), "definition of '%s'"_en_US, n.source);
@@ -1460,7 +1460,7 @@ auto ExpressionAnalyzer::Procedure(const parser::ProcedureDesignator &pd,
                 } else if (IsAssumedLengthCharacterFunction(
                                symbol)) {  // 15.6.2.1(3)
                   if (auto *msg{Say(
-                          "assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function '%s' cannot call itself"_err_en_US,
+                          "Assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function '%s' cannot call itself."_err_en_US,
                           n.source)}) {
                     msg->Attach(
                         symbol.name(), "definition of '%s'"_en_US, n.source);
diff --git a/flang/lib/semantics/semantics.cc b/flang/lib/semantics/semantics.cc
index a948d0fed67a..4728a6219bc7 100644
--- a/flang/lib/semantics/semantics.cc
+++ b/flang/lib/semantics/semantics.cc
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ static bool PerformStatementSemantics(
     SemanticsContext &context, parser::Program &program) {
   ResolveNames(context, program);
   RewriteParseTree(context, program);
+  CheckDeclarations(context);
   StatementSemanticsPass1{context}.Walk(program);
   return StatementSemanticsPass2{context}.Walk(program);
 }
diff --git a/flang/lib/semantics/semantics.h b/flang/lib/semantics/semantics.h
index 8c40725870d1..03b978b77ef4 100644
--- a/flang/lib/semantics/semantics.h
+++ b/flang/lib/semantics/semantics.h
@@ -193,5 +193,8 @@ struct BaseChecker {
   template<typename N> void Enter(const N &) {}
   template<typename N> void Leave(const N &) {}
 };
+
+// Static declaration checks
+void CheckDeclarations(SemanticsContext &);
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/flang/test/semantics/call01.f90 b/flang/test/semantics/call01.f90
index 1a3b70ad41a2..c24ae7de0127 100644
--- a/flang/test/semantics/call01.f90
+++ b/flang/test/semantics/call01.f90
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ non_recursive function f01(n) result(res)
   if (n <= 0) then
     res = n
   else
-    !ERROR: NON_RECURSIVE procedure 'f01' cannot call itself
+    !ERROR: NON_RECURSIVE procedure 'f01' cannot call itself.
     res = n * f01(n-1) ! 15.6.2.1(3)
   end if
 end function
@@ -35,69 +35,69 @@ non_recursive function f02(n) result(res)
   end if
  contains
   integer function nested
-    !ERROR: NON_RECURSIVE procedure 'f02' cannot call itself
+    !ERROR: NON_RECURSIVE procedure 'f02' cannot call itself.
     nested = n * f02(n-1) ! 15.6.2.1(3)
   end function nested
 end function
 
-!ERROR: assumed-length character function cannot be RECURSIVE
+!ERROR: An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot be RECURSIVE.
 recursive character(*) function f03(n) ! C723
   integer, value :: n
   f03 = ''
 end function
 
+!ERROR: An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot be RECURSIVE.
 recursive function f04(n) result(res) ! C723
   integer, value :: n
-  !ERROR: assumed-length character function cannot be RECURSIVE
   character(*) :: res
   res = ''
 end function
 
+!ERROR: An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot return an array.
 character(*) function f05()
-  !ERROR: assumed-length character function cannot return an array
   dimension :: f05(1) ! C723
   f05(1) = ''
 end function
 
+!ERROR: An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot return an array.
 function f06()
-  !ERROR: assumed-length character function cannot return an array
   character(*) :: f06(1) ! C723
   f06(1) = ''
 end function
 
+!ERROR: An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot return a POINTER.
 character(*) function f07()
-  !ERROR: assumed-length character function cannot return a POINTER
   pointer :: f07 ! C723
   character, target :: a = ' '
   f07 => a
 end function
 
+!ERROR: An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot return a POINTER.
 function f08()
-  !ERROR: assumed-length character function cannot return a POINTER
   character(*), pointer :: f08 ! C723
   character, target :: a = ' '
   f08 => a
 end function
 
-!ERROR: assumed-length character function cannot be declared PURE
+!ERROR: An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot be PURE.
 pure character(*) function f09() ! C723
   f09 = ''
 end function
 
+!ERROR: An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot be PURE.
 pure function f10()
-  !ERROR: assumed-length character function cannot be declared PURE
   character(*) :: f10 ! C723
   f10 = ''
 end function
 
-!ERROR: assumed-length character function cannot be declared ELEMENTAL
+!ERROR: An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot be ELEMENTAL.
 elemental character(*) function f11(n) ! C723
   integer, value :: n
   f11 = ''
 end function
 
+!ERROR: An assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function cannot be ELEMENTAL.
 elemental function f12(n)
-  !ERROR: assumed-length character function cannot be declared ELEMENTAL
   character(*) :: f12 ! C723
   integer, value :: n
   f12 = ''
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ function f13(n) result(res)
   if (n <= 0) then
     res = ''
   else
-    !ERROR: assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function 'f13' cannot call itself
+    !ERROR: Assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function 'f13' cannot call itself.
     res = f13(n-1) ! 15.6.2.1(3)
   end if
 end function
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ function f14(n) result(res)
   end if
  contains
   character(1) function nested
-    !ERROR: assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function 'f14' cannot call itself
+    !ERROR: Assumed-length CHARACTER(*) function 'f14' cannot call itself.
     nested = f14(n-1) ! 15.6.2.1(3)
   end function nested
 end function