diff --git a/clang/lib/CodeGen/CGExprConstant.cpp b/clang/lib/CodeGen/CGExprConstant.cpp
index 9b67a8b3335a1..3f508032e30d6 100644
--- a/clang/lib/CodeGen/CGExprConstant.cpp
+++ b/clang/lib/CodeGen/CGExprConstant.cpp
@@ -1775,9 +1775,10 @@ llvm::Constant *ConstantEmitter::tryEmitPrivate(const Expr *E,
                                                 QualType destType) {
   assert(!destType->isVoidType() && "can't emit a void constant");
 
-  if (llvm::Constant *C =
-          ConstExprEmitter(*this).Visit(const_cast<Expr *>(E), destType))
-    return C;
+  if (!destType->isReferenceType())
+    if (llvm::Constant *C =
+            ConstExprEmitter(*this).Visit(const_cast<Expr *>(E), destType))
+      return C;
 
   Expr::EvalResult Result;
 
diff --git a/clang/test/CodeGenCXX/const-init-cxx11.cpp b/clang/test/CodeGenCXX/const-init-cxx11.cpp
index d22d78d2b94ed..3a12fe444f137 100644
--- a/clang/test/CodeGenCXX/const-init-cxx11.cpp
+++ b/clang/test/CodeGenCXX/const-init-cxx11.cpp
@@ -424,6 +424,8 @@ namespace DR2126 {
 // CHECK: @_ZN33ClassTemplateWithStaticDataMember3useE ={{.*}} constant ptr @_ZGRN33ClassTemplateWithStaticDataMember1SIvE1aE_
 // CHECK: @_ZGRN39ClassTemplateWithHiddenStaticDataMember1SIvE1aE_ = linkonce_odr hidden constant i32 5, comdat
 // CHECK: @_ZN39ClassTemplateWithHiddenStaticDataMember3useE ={{.*}} constant ptr @_ZGRN39ClassTemplateWithHiddenStaticDataMember1SIvE1aE_
+// CHECK: @.str.[[STR:[0-9]+]] ={{.*}} constant [9 x i8] c"12345678\00"
+// CHECK-NEXT: @e = global %struct.PR69979 { ptr @.str.[[STR]] }
 // CHECK: @_ZGRZN20InlineStaticConstRef3funEvE1i_ = linkonce_odr constant i32 10, comdat
 // CHECK20: @_ZZN12LocalVarInit4dtorEvE1a = internal constant {{.*}} i32 103
 
@@ -632,6 +634,10 @@ struct X {
 const char *f() { return &X::p; }
 }
 
+struct PR69979 {
+  const char (&d)[9];
+} e {"12345678"};
+
 // VirtualMembers::TemplateClass::templateMethod() must be defined in this TU,
 // not just declared.
 // CHECK: define linkonce_odr void @_ZN14VirtualMembers13TemplateClassIiE14templateMethodEv(ptr {{[^,]*}} %this)