diff --git a/compiler/src/dmd/expressionsem.d b/compiler/src/dmd/expressionsem.d
index ea83871d4697..9ae3940fe2d8 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dmd/expressionsem.d
+++ b/compiler/src/dmd/expressionsem.d
@@ -12042,6 +12042,15 @@ private extern (C++) final class ExpressionSemanticVisitor : Visitor
             __equals = new DotIdExp(exp.loc, __equals, Id.object);
             __equals = new DotIdExp(exp.loc, __equals, id);
 
+            /* https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=23674
+             *
+             * Optimize before creating the call expression to the
+             * druntime hook as the optimizer may output errors
+             * that will get swallowed otherwise.
+             */
+            exp.e1 = exp.e1.optimize(WANTvalue);
+            exp.e2 = exp.e2.optimize(WANTvalue);
+
             auto arguments = new Expressions(2);
             (*arguments)[0] = exp.e1;
             (*arguments)[1] = exp.e2;
diff --git a/compiler/test/fail_compilation/test23674.d b/compiler/test/fail_compilation/test23674.d
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0f11de94d9da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/test/fail_compilation/test23674.d
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=23674
+
+/*
+TEST_OUTPUT:
+---
+fail_compilation/test23674.d(14): Error: array index 2 is out of bounds `arr[0 .. 2]`
+fail_compilation/test23674.d(14): Error: array index 3 is out of bounds `arr[0 .. 2]`
+---
+*/
+
+void main()
+{
+    string[2] arr;
+    assert(arr[2] == arr[3]);
+}