diff --git a/flang/lib/Optimizer/Dialect/FIROps.cpp b/flang/lib/Optimizer/Dialect/FIROps.cpp
index 6443d5c6eca4..4b863f9b8734 100644
--- a/flang/lib/Optimizer/Dialect/FIROps.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Optimizer/Dialect/FIROps.cpp
@@ -3122,11 +3122,13 @@ mlir::LogicalResult fir::StoreOp::verify() {
 // StringLitOp
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
 
-bool fir::StringLitOp::isWideValue() {
-  auto eleTy = getType().cast<fir::SequenceType>().getEleTy();
-  return eleTy.cast<fir::CharacterType>().getFKind() != 1;
+inline fir::CharacterType::KindTy stringLitOpGetKind(fir::StringLitOp op) {
+  auto eleTy = op.getType().cast<fir::SequenceType>().getEleTy();
+  return eleTy.cast<fir::CharacterType>().getFKind();
 }
 
+bool fir::StringLitOp::isWideValue() { return stringLitOpGetKind(*this) != 1; }
+
 static mlir::NamedAttribute
 mkNamedIntegerAttr(mlir::OpBuilder &builder, llvm::StringRef name, int64_t v) {
   assert(v > 0);
@@ -3205,6 +3207,9 @@ mlir::ParseResult fir::StringLitOp::parse(mlir::OpAsmParser &parser,
   if (auto v = val.dyn_cast<mlir::StringAttr>())
     result.attributes.push_back(
         builder.getNamedAttr(fir::StringLitOp::value(), v));
+  else if (auto v = val.dyn_cast<mlir::DenseElementsAttr>())
+    result.attributes.push_back(
+        builder.getNamedAttr(fir::StringLitOp::xlist(), v));
   else if (auto v = val.dyn_cast<mlir::ArrayAttr>())
     result.attributes.push_back(
         builder.getNamedAttr(fir::StringLitOp::xlist(), v));
@@ -3238,10 +3243,15 @@ mlir::LogicalResult fir::StringLitOp::verify() {
   if (getSize().cast<mlir::IntegerAttr>().getValue().isNegative())
     return emitOpError("size must be non-negative");
   if (auto xl = getOperation()->getAttr(fir::StringLitOp::xlist())) {
-    auto xList = xl.cast<mlir::ArrayAttr>();
-    for (auto a : xList)
-      if (!a.isa<mlir::IntegerAttr>())
-        return emitOpError("values in list must be integers");
+    if (auto xList = xl.dyn_cast<mlir::ArrayAttr>()) {
+      for (auto a : xList)
+        if (!a.isa<mlir::IntegerAttr>())
+          return emitOpError("values in initializer must be integers");
+    } else if (xl.isa<mlir::DenseElementsAttr>()) {
+      // do nothing
+    } else {
+      return emitOpError("has unexpected attribute");
+    }
   }
   return mlir::success();
 }
diff --git a/flang/test/Fir/invalid.fir b/flang/test/Fir/invalid.fir
index 8d2a68fad87a..ee384fc4a5af 100644
--- a/flang/test/Fir/invalid.fir
+++ b/flang/test/Fir/invalid.fir
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 // -----
 
-// expected-error@+1{{'fir.string_lit' op values in list must be integers}}
+// expected-error@+1{{'fir.string_lit' op values in initializer must be integers}}
 %2 = fir.string_lit [158, 2.0](2) : !fir.char<2>
 
 // -----
diff --git a/flang/test/Lower/array-wide-char.f90 b/flang/test/Lower/array-wide-char.f90
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..43d9e9d546bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flang/test/Lower/array-wide-char.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+! RUN: bbc %s -o - | tco | FileCheck %s
+
+character(LEN=128, KIND=4), PARAMETER :: conarr(3) = &
+     [ character(128,4) :: "now is the time", "for all good men to come", &
+     "to the aid of the country" ]       
+character(LEN=10, KIND=4) :: arr(3) = &
+     [ character(10,4) :: "good buddy", "best buddy", " " ]
+call action_on_char4(conarr)
+call action_on_char4(arr)
+end program
+
+subroutine sub1
+  integer, parameter :: k = 4
+  character(63,k), parameter :: wiggle = k_"wiggle"
+  call sub2(wiggle)
+end subroutine sub1
+
+! CHECK-LABEL: @_QFEarr = internal global [3 x [10 x i32]] [
+! CHECK-SAME: [10 x i32] [i32 103, i32 111, i32 111, i32 100, i32 32, i32 98, i32 117, i32 100, i32 100, i32 121],
+! CHECK-SAME: [10 x i32] [i32 98, i32 101, i32 115, i32 116, i32 32, i32 98, i32 117, i32 100, i32 100, i32 121],
+! CHECK-SAME: [10 x i32] [i32 32, i32 32, i32 32, i32 32, i32 32, i32 32, i32 32, i32 32, i32 32, i32 32]]
+! CHECK-LABEL: @_QFsub1ECwiggle = internal constant [63 x i32] [i32 119,
+! CHECK-SAME: i32 105, i32 103, i32 103, i32 108, i32 101, i32 32, i32 32,
+! CHECK: @_QQcl[[inline:.*]] = linkonce constant [63 x i32] [i32 119, i32 105, i32 103, i32 103, i32 108, i32 101, i32 32,
+
+! CHECK-LABEL: define void @_QQmain()
+! CHECK: call void @_QPaction_on_char4(ptr @_QFEarr, i64 10)
+
+! CHECK-LABEL: define void @_QPsub1(
+! CHECK: call void @_QPsub2(ptr @_QQcl.77, i64 63)