diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/constants/CompileTimeConstantResolver.java b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/constants/CompileTimeConstantResolver.java
index febee59455a..0fa2aa91a7d 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/constants/CompileTimeConstantResolver.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/constants/CompileTimeConstantResolver.java
@@ -182,11 +182,11 @@ public class CompileTimeConstantResolver {
         }
 
         // Strip the quotes
-        if (text.charAt(0) != '\'' || text.charAt(text.length() - 1) != '\'') {
+        if (text.length() < 2 || text.charAt(0) != '\'' || text.charAt(text.length() - 1) != '\'') {
             return new ErrorValue("Incorrect character literal");
         }
         text = text.substring(1, text.length() - 1); // now there're no quotes
-        
+
         if (text.length() == 0) {
             return new ErrorValue("Empty character literal");            
         }
diff --git a/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/CharacterLiterals.jet b/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/CharacterLiterals.jet
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9942668c574
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/CharacterLiterals.jet
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+fun test(<!UNUSED_PARAMETER!>c<!> : Char) {
+  test(<!ERROR_COMPILE_TIME_VALUE!>''<!>)
+  test('a')
+  test(<!ERROR_COMPILE_TIME_VALUE!>'aa'<!>)
+  test(<!ERROR_COMPILE_TIME_VALUE!>'a)<!>
+  <!UNRESOLVED_REFERENCE!>test<!>(<!ERROR_COMPILE_TIME_VALUE!>'<!>
+  <!UNRESOLVED_REFERENCE!>test<!>(0<!SYNTAX!><!SYNTAX!><!>'<!>
+  test('\n')
+  test('\\')
+  test(<!ERROR_COMPILE_TIME_VALUE!>''<!><!SYNTAX!>''<!><!SYNTAX!>)<!>
+  test('\'')
+  test('\"')
+}