diff --git a/gcc/cp/ChangeLog b/gcc/cp/ChangeLog
index 0454d024b09d..5717f57bb46d 100644
--- a/gcc/cp/ChangeLog
+++ b/gcc/cp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+2001-11-14  Richard Sandiford  <rsandifo@redhat.com>
+
+        * decl.c (check_initializer): Try to complete the type of an
+        array element before checking whether it's complete.  Don't
+        complain about arrays with complete element types but an
+        unknown size.
+        (cp_finish_decl): Build the hierarchical constructor before
+        calling maybe_deduce_size_from_array_init.
+
 2001-11-14  Joseph S. Myers  <jsm28@cam.ac.uk>
 
 	* Make-lang.in: Change all uses of $(manext) to $(man1ext).
diff --git a/gcc/cp/decl.c b/gcc/cp/decl.c
index a210a7b830fc..39708f9114b5 100644
--- a/gcc/cp/decl.c
+++ b/gcc/cp/decl.c
@@ -7709,12 +7709,12 @@ check_initializer (decl, init)
 	  init = NULL_TREE;
 	}
       else if (TREE_CODE (type) == ARRAY_TYPE
-	       && !COMPLETE_TYPE_P (TREE_TYPE (type)))
+	       && !COMPLETE_TYPE_P (complete_type (TREE_TYPE (type))))
 	{
 	  cp_error ("elements of array `%#D' have incomplete type", decl);
 	  init = NULL_TREE;
 	}
-      else if (!COMPLETE_TYPE_P (type))
+      else if (TREE_CODE (type) != ARRAY_TYPE && !COMPLETE_TYPE_P (type))
 	{
 	  cp_error ("`%D' has incomplete type", decl);
 	  TREE_TYPE (decl) = error_mark_node;
@@ -8154,8 +8154,8 @@ cp_finish_decl (decl, init, asmspec_tree, flags)
     }
 
   /* Deduce size of array from initialization, if not already known.  */
-  maybe_deduce_size_from_array_init (decl, init);
   init = check_initializer (decl, init);
+  maybe_deduce_size_from_array_init (decl, init);
 
   GNU_xref_decl (current_function_decl, decl);