diff --git a/arrayfunc.c b/arrayfunc.c
index b82767e..a89e67f 100644
--- a/arrayfunc.c
+++ b/arrayfunc.c
@@ -597,6 +597,11 @@ assign_compound_array_list (var, nlist, flags)
       if (assoc_p (var))
 	{
 	  val = expand_assignment_string_to_string (val, 0);
+	  if (val == 0)
+	    {
+	      val = (char *)xmalloc (1);
+	      val[0] = '\0';	/* like do_assignment_internal */
+	    }
 	  free_val = 1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/patchlevel.h b/patchlevel.h
index 7e887f6..fc8c97f 100644
--- a/patchlevel.h
+++ b/patchlevel.h
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@
    regexp `^#define[ 	]*PATCHLEVEL', since that's what support/mkversion.sh
    looks for to find the patch level (for the sccs version string). */
 
-#define PATCHLEVEL 6
+#define PATCHLEVEL 7
 
 #endif /* _PATCHLEVEL_H_ */