diff --git a/flang/lib/Evaluate/characteristics.cpp b/flang/lib/Evaluate/characteristics.cpp
index 3074fc0516b46a..c600cea5c420cc 100644
--- a/flang/lib/Evaluate/characteristics.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Evaluate/characteristics.cpp
@@ -1069,13 +1069,32 @@ bool FunctionResult::IsCompatibleWith(
                 actual.IsAssumedLengthCharacter()) {
               return true;
             } else {
-              const auto *ifaceLenParam{
-                  ifaceTypeShape->type().charLengthParamValue()};
-              const auto *actualLenParam{
-                  actualTypeShape->type().charLengthParamValue()};
-              if (ifaceLenParam && actualLenParam &&
-                  *ifaceLenParam == *actualLenParam) {
-                return true;
+              auto len{ToInt64(ifaceTypeShape->LEN())};
+              auto actualLen{ToInt64(actualTypeShape->LEN())};
+              if (len.has_value() != actualLen.has_value()) {
+                if (whyNot) {
+                  *whyNot = "constant-length vs non-constant-length character "
+                            "results";
+                }
+              } else if (len && *len != *actualLen) {
+                if (whyNot) {
+                  *whyNot = "character results with distinct lengths";
+                }
+              } else {
+                const auto *ifaceLenParam{
+                    ifaceTypeShape->type().charLengthParamValue()};
+                const auto *actualLenParam{
+                    actualTypeShape->type().charLengthParamValue()};
+                if (ifaceLenParam && actualLenParam &&
+                    ifaceLenParam->isExplicit() !=
+                        actualLenParam->isExplicit()) {
+                  if (whyNot) {
+                    *whyNot =
+                        "explicit-length vs deferred-length character results";
+                  }
+                } else {
+                  return true;
+                }
               }
             }
           }
diff --git a/flang/lib/Semantics/check-declarations.cpp b/flang/lib/Semantics/check-declarations.cpp
index 0b847f5c3408bf..3626aaf3f44924 100644
--- a/flang/lib/Semantics/check-declarations.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Semantics/check-declarations.cpp
@@ -3289,11 +3289,14 @@ void SubprogramMatchHelper::Check(
     Say(symbol1, symbol2,
         "Module subprogram '%s' and its corresponding interface body are not both BIND(C)"_err_en_US);
   }
-  if (proc1->functionResult && proc2->functionResult &&
-      *proc1->functionResult != *proc2->functionResult) {
-    Say(symbol1, symbol2,
-        "Return type of function '%s' does not match return type of"
-        " the corresponding interface body"_err_en_US);
+  if (proc1->functionResult && proc2->functionResult) {
+    std::string whyNot;
+    if (!proc1->functionResult->IsCompatibleWith(
+            *proc2->functionResult, &whyNot)) {
+      Say(symbol1, symbol2,
+          "Result of function '%s' is not compatible with the result of the corresponding interface body: %s"_err_en_US,
+          whyNot);
+    }
   }
   for (int i{0}; i < nargs1; ++i) {
     const Symbol *arg1{args1[i]};
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/separate-mp02.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/separate-mp02.f90
index 39a469b6ccc09e..c39f18064796bb 100644
--- a/flang/test/Semantics/separate-mp02.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/separate-mp02.f90
@@ -272,10 +272,10 @@ module function f3()
   !OK
   real module function f1()
   end
-  !ERROR: Return type of function 'f2' does not match return type of the corresponding interface body
+  !ERROR: Result of function 'f2' is not compatible with the result of the corresponding interface body: function results have distinct types: INTEGER(4) vs REAL(4)
   integer module function f2()
   end
-  !ERROR: Return type of function 'f3' does not match return type of the corresponding interface body
+  !ERROR: Result of function 'f3' is not compatible with the result of the corresponding interface body: function results have incompatible attributes
   module function f3()
     real :: f3
     pointer :: f3
@@ -334,3 +334,16 @@ module subroutine sub2(s)
     character(len=1) s
   end subroutine
 end submodule
+
+module m10
+  interface
+    module character(2) function f()
+    end function
+  end interface
+end module
+submodule(m10) sm10
+ contains
+  !ERROR: Result of function 'f' is not compatible with the result of the corresponding interface body: function results have distinct types: CHARACTER(KIND=1,LEN=3_8) vs CHARACTER(KIND=1,LEN=2_8)
+  module character(3) function f()
+  end function
+end submodule
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/separate-mp03.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/separate-mp03.f90
index 1bbeced44a4f7a..8bf21b37ae2b9c 100644
--- a/flang/test/Semantics/separate-mp03.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/separate-mp03.f90
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ integer module function f1(x)
   !ERROR: 'notf2' was not declared a separate module procedure
   module procedure notf2
   end procedure
-  !ERROR: Return type of function 'f3' does not match return type of the corresponding interface body
+  !ERROR: Result of function 'f3' is not compatible with the result of the corresponding interface body: function results have distinct types: REAL(4) vs INTEGER(4)
   module function f3(x) result(res)
     real :: res
     real, intent(in) :: x