diff --git a/flang/lib/Optimizer/HLFIR/Transforms/BufferizeHLFIR.cpp b/flang/lib/Optimizer/HLFIR/Transforms/BufferizeHLFIR.cpp
index 9109f2b331567..bff3c2ce528bd 100644
--- a/flang/lib/Optimizer/HLFIR/Transforms/BufferizeHLFIR.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Optimizer/HLFIR/Transforms/BufferizeHLFIR.cpp
@@ -445,8 +445,16 @@ struct AssociateOpConversion
              !mlir::isa<fir::BaseBoxType>(assocType)) ||
             ((mlir::isa<fir::BoxCharType>(sourceVar.getType()) &&
               !mlir::isa<fir::BoxCharType>(assocType)))) {
-          sourceVar =
-              fir::BoxAddrOp::create(builder, loc, assocType, sourceVar);
+          sourceVar = builder.create<fir::BoxAddrOp>(loc, assocType, sourceVar);
+        } else if (mlir::isa<fir::ReferenceType>(sourceVar.getType()) &&
+                   mlir::isa<fir::BoxCharType>(assocType)) {
+          mlir::Value lenVal = associate.getTypeparams()[0];
+          auto refTy = mlir::cast<fir::ReferenceType>(sourceVar.getType());
+          auto charTy = mlir::cast<fir::CharacterType>(refTy.getEleTy());
+          auto boxCharType =
+              fir::BoxCharType::get(builder.getContext(), charTy.getFKind());
+          sourceVar = builder.create<fir::EmboxCharOp>(loc, boxCharType,
+                                                       sourceVar, lenVal);
         } else {
           sourceVar = builder.createConvert(loc, assocType, sourceVar);
         }
diff --git a/flang/test/Lower/adjustr.f90 b/flang/test/Lower/adjustr.f90
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..6eda4952ecca0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flang/test/Lower/adjustr.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+! RUN: %flang_fc1 -emit-fir -o - %s | FileCheck %s
+
+! Checking no reference to boxchar conversion is in the emitted fir.
+! CHECK-NOT: (!fir.ref<!fir.char<1,4>>) -> !fir.boxchar<1>
+! CHECK: %[[Const4:.*]] = arith.constant 4 : index
+! CHECK: fir.emboxchar
+
+program main
+  logical         ,dimension(1):: mask = .true.
+  character(len=2),dimension(1):: d1 = "a "
+  character(len=4),dimension(1):: d4
+  where (mask)
+    d4 = adjustr(d1 // d1)
+  end where
+  write(6,*) "d4     =", d4
+end