diff --git a/test/test_description_test.F90 b/test/test_description_test.F90
index e3129950..25aa2fb1 100644
--- a/test/test_description_test.F90
+++ b/test/test_description_test.F90
@@ -116,22 +116,34 @@ logical function tautology()
 
   function check_substring_search() result(tests_pass)
     logical, allocatable :: tests_pass(:)
-
     type(test_description_t), allocatable :: test_descriptions(:)
 
-    associate(test_descriptions => [ &
+#if ! HAVE_PROCEDURE_ACTUAL_FOR_POINTER_DUMMY
+
+    procedure(test_function_i), pointer :: null_ptr
+    null_ptr => null()
+
+    test_descriptions = [ &
+       test_description_t("an example substring"     , null_ptr) &
+      ,test_description_t("another example substring", null_ptr) &
+      ,test_description_t("moving right along"       , null_ptr) &
+      ,test_description_t("nothing to see here"      , null_ptr) &
+    ]
+#else
+
+    test_descriptions = [ &
        test_description_t("an example substring"     , null()) &
       ,test_description_t("another example substring", null()) &
       ,test_description_t("moving right along"       , null()) &
       ,test_description_t("nothing to see here"      , null()) &
-    ])
+    ]
+#endif
       tests_pass = [ &
                test_descriptions(1)%contains_text(string_t("example")       ) &
         ,      test_descriptions(2)%contains_text(         "example"        ) &
         ,.not. test_descriptions(3)%contains_text(string_t("missing string")) &
         ,.not. test_descriptions(4)%contains_text(         "missing string" ) &
       ]
-    end associate
   end function
 
 end module test_description_test_m