diff --git a/c-tests/new/issue362.c b/c-tests/new/issue362.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1f17c6a4f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/c-tests/new/issue362.c
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+n () {
+  char* p;
+  int m = {};
+}
diff --git a/c-tests/new/issue362.c.expectrc b/c-tests/new/issue362.c.expectrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d00491fd7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/c-tests/new/issue362.c.expectrc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1
diff --git a/c2mir/c2mir.c b/c2mir/c2mir.c
index 64f9ac3ea0..418ab477ea 100644
--- a/c2mir/c2mir.c
+++ b/c2mir/c2mir.c
@@ -7698,7 +7698,10 @@ static void check_initializer (c2m_ctx_t c2m_ctx, decl_t member_decl MIR_UNUSED,
     }
     return;
   }
-  if (init == NULL) return;
+  if (init == NULL) {
+    if (scalar_type_p (type)) error (c2m_ctx, POS (initializer), "empty scalar initializer");
+    return;
+  }
   assert (init->code == N_INIT);
   des_list = NL_HEAD (init->u.ops);
   assert (des_list->code == N_LIST);