diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
index f48513dc73..872b20925e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
@@ -1665,7 +1665,7 @@ opswitch:
 			a = nod(OADDR, temp(t), nil)
 		}
 
-		n = mkcall("stringtoslicerune", n.Type, init, a, n.Left)
+		n = mkcall("stringtoslicerune", n.Type, init, a, conv(n.Left, types.Types[TSTRING]))
 
 		// ifaceeq(i1 any-1, i2 any-2) (ret bool);
 	case OCMPIFACE:
diff --git a/test/fixedbugs/issue23298.go b/test/fixedbugs/issue23298.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..be00a8ec67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixedbugs/issue23298.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// compile
+
+// Copyright 2018 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package p
+
+type T string
+
+var (
+	t = T("T")
+	r = []rune(t)
+)