diff --git a/src/analyze.cpp b/src/analyze.cpp
index b751c113d..100c8033e 100644
--- a/src/analyze.cpp
+++ b/src/analyze.cpp
@@ -2343,6 +2343,13 @@ static VariableTableEntry *analyze_variable_declaration_raw(CodeGen *g, ImportTa
             add_node_error(g, source_node, buf_sprintf("variable of type 'type' must be constant"));
             implicit_type = g->builtin_types.entry_invalid;
         }
+        if (implicit_type->id != TypeTableEntryIdInvalid && !context->fn_entry) {
+            ConstExprValue *const_val = &get_resolved_expr(variable_declaration->expr)->const_val;
+            if (!const_val->ok) {
+                add_node_error(g, first_executing_node(variable_declaration->expr),
+                        buf_sprintf("global variable initializer requires constant expression"));
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     if (implicit_type == nullptr && is_const) {
diff --git a/test/run_tests.cpp b/test/run_tests.cpp
index a48120ef6..9150d9607 100644
--- a/test/run_tests.cpp
+++ b/test/run_tests.cpp
@@ -1567,6 +1567,13 @@ fn f() => {
     };
 }
     )SOURCE", 1, ".tmp_source.zig:6:9: error: multiple else prongs in switch expression");
+
+    add_compile_fail_case("global variable initializer must be constant expression", R"SOURCE(
+extern {
+    fn foo() i32;
+}
+const x = foo();
+    )SOURCE", 1, ".tmp_source.zig:5:11: error: global variable initializer requires constant expression");
 }
 
 static void print_compiler_invocation(TestCase *test_case) {