diff --git a/Zend/zend_execute.c b/Zend/zend_execute.c
index 2e30fc170b5..1bac5e2f963 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_execute.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_execute.c
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ static inline void zend_assign_to_variable(znode *result, znode *op1, znode *op2
 			variable_ptr->is_ref = 1;
 			if (type!=IS_TMP_VAR) {
 				zendi_zval_copy_ctor(*variable_ptr);
-				
+				value->refcount--;
 			}
 		}
 	} else {
diff --git a/Zend/zend_execute_API.c b/Zend/zend_execute_API.c
index c56a876f164..8c610ef3018 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_execute_API.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_execute_API.c
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ ZEND_API inline void zend_assign_to_variable_reference(znode *result, zval **var
 	if (variable_ptr == EG(error_zval_ptr) || value_ptr==EG(error_zval_ptr)) {
 		variable_ptr_ptr = &EG(uninitialized_zval_ptr);
 /*	} else if (variable_ptr==&EG(uninitialized_zval) || variable_ptr!=value_ptr) { */
-	} else if (*variable_ptr_ptr != *value_ptr_ptr) {
+	} else if (variable_ptr_ptr != value_ptr_ptr) {
 		variable_ptr->refcount--;
 		if (variable_ptr->refcount==0) {
 			zendi_zval_dtor(*variable_ptr);
@@ -510,7 +510,10 @@ ZEND_API inline void zend_assign_to_variable_reference(znode *result, zval **var
 		*variable_ptr_ptr = value_ptr;
 		value_ptr->refcount++;
 	} else {
-		/* nothing to do */
+		if (variable_ptr->refcount>1) { /* we need to break away */
+			SEPARATE_ZVAL(variable_ptr_ptr);
+		}
+		(*variable_ptr_ptr)->is_ref = 1;
 	}
 
 	if (result && (result->op_type != IS_UNUSED)) {