diff --git a/flang/lib/Semantics/check-omp-structure.cpp b/flang/lib/Semantics/check-omp-structure.cpp
index 76dfd40c6a62c..f9d645dc2e78a 100644
--- a/flang/lib/Semantics/check-omp-structure.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Semantics/check-omp-structure.cpp
@@ -4420,6 +4420,13 @@ void OmpStructureChecker::Enter(const parser::OmpClause::Depend &x) {
     CheckDoacross(*doaDep);
     CheckDependenceType(doaDep->GetDepType());
   } else {
+    using Modifier = parser::OmpDependClause::TaskDep::Modifier;
+    auto &modifiers{std::get<std::optional<std::list<Modifier>>>(taskDep->t)};
+    if (!modifiers) {
+      context_.Say(GetContext().clauseSource,
+          "A DEPEND clause on a TASK construct must have a valid task dependence type"_err_en_US);
+      return;
+    }
     CheckTaskDependenceType(taskDep->GetTaskDepType());
   }
 
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/OpenMP/task-depend.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/OpenMP/task-depend.f90
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..69a37e014bde3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/OpenMP/task-depend.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+! RUN: %python %S/../test_errors.py %s %flang -fopenmp
+
+program test
+! ERROR: A DEPEND clause on a TASK construct must have a valid task dependence type
+!$omp task depend(ii)
+!$omp end task
+end
+