diff --git a/flang/lib/Optimizer/CodeGen/CodeGen.cpp b/flang/lib/Optimizer/CodeGen/CodeGen.cpp
index 9b624efa05381..68b8c6613585e 100644
--- a/flang/lib/Optimizer/CodeGen/CodeGen.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Optimizer/CodeGen/CodeGen.cpp
@@ -3373,19 +3373,7 @@ struct AbsentOpConversion : public fir::FIROpConversion<fir::AbsentOp> {
   matchAndRewrite(fir::AbsentOp absent, OpAdaptor,
                   mlir::ConversionPatternRewriter &rewriter) const override {
     mlir::Type ty = convertType(absent.getType());
-    mlir::Location loc = absent.getLoc();
-
-    if (mlir::isa<fir::BoxCharType>(absent.getType())) {
-      auto structTy = mlir::cast<mlir::LLVM::LLVMStructType>(ty);
-      assert(!structTy.isOpaque() && !structTy.getBody().empty());
-      auto undefStruct = rewriter.create<mlir::LLVM::UndefOp>(loc, ty);
-      auto nullField =
-          rewriter.create<mlir::LLVM::ZeroOp>(loc, structTy.getBody()[0]);
-      rewriter.replaceOpWithNewOp<mlir::LLVM::InsertValueOp>(
-          absent, undefStruct, nullField, 0);
-    } else {
-      rewriter.replaceOpWithNewOp<mlir::LLVM::ZeroOp>(absent, ty);
-    }
+    rewriter.replaceOpWithNewOp<mlir::LLVM::ZeroOp>(absent, ty);
     return mlir::success();
   }
 };
diff --git a/flang/test/Fir/optional.fir b/flang/test/Fir/optional.fir
index 3b350d6fa9419..bded8b5332a30 100644
--- a/flang/test/Fir/optional.fir
+++ b/flang/test/Fir/optional.fir
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func.func @foo3(%arg0: !fir.boxchar<1>) -> i1 {
 // CHECK-LABEL: @bar3
 func.func @bar3() -> i1 {
   %0 = fir.absent !fir.boxchar<1>
-  // CHECK: call i1 @foo3(ptr null, i64 undef)
+  // CHECK: call i1 @foo3(ptr null, i64 0)
   %1 = fir.call @foo3(%0) : (!fir.boxchar<1>) -> i1
   return %1 : i1
 }