diff --git a/compiler/libpc300/sc1.c b/compiler/libpc300/sc1.c
index fc15e124..fdaa1633 100755
--- a/compiler/libpc300/sc1.c
+++ b/compiler/libpc300/sc1.c
@@ -2202,6 +2202,23 @@ static void initials2(int ident,int tag,cell *size,int dim[],int numdim,
     eq_match_override = matchtoken('=');
   }
 
+  if (numdim > 2) {
+    int d, hasEmpty = 0;
+    for (d = 0; d < numdim; d++) {
+      if (dim[d] == 0)
+        hasEmpty++;
+    }
+    /* Work around ambug 4977 where indirection vectors are computed wrong. */
+    if (hasEmpty && hasEmpty < numdim-1 && dim[numdim-1]) {
+      error(112);
+      /* This will assert with something like [2][][256] from a separate bug.
+       * To prevent this assert, automatically wipe the rest of the dims.
+       */
+      for (d = 0; d < numdim - 1; d++)
+        dim[d] = 0;
+    }
+  }
+
   if (!eq_match_override) {
     assert(ident!=iARRAY || numdim>0);
     if (ident==iARRAY && dim[numdim-1]==0) {
diff --git a/compiler/libpc300/sc5-in.scp b/compiler/libpc300/sc5-in.scp
index 8d840fe5..4f77d962 100644
--- a/compiler/libpc300/sc5-in.scp
+++ b/compiler/libpc300/sc5-in.scp
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ static char *fatalmsg[] = {
 /*109*/  "invalid path: \"%s\"\n",
 /*110*/  "assertion failed: %s\n",
 /*111*/  "user error: %s\n",
+/*112*/  "specify either all dimensions or only the last dimension\n"
        };
 
 static char *warnmsg[] = {