diff --git a/ext/standard/tests/strings/bug24281.phpt b/ext/standard/tests/strings/bug24281.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b45ae9aa43f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/standard/tests/strings/bug24281.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+--TEST--
+Bug #24281:	str_replace count not returned if variable wasn't initialized 
+--SKIPIF--
+<?php 
+        if (version_compare(zend_version(), '2.0.0-dev', '<')) die('SKIP PHP5 functionality'); 
+?>
+--FILE--
+<?php
+$string = "He had had to have had it";
+$newstring = str_replace("had", "foo", $string, $count);
+print "$count changes were made.\n";
+$count = "foo";
+$newstring = str_replace("had", "foo", $string, $count);
+print "$count changes were made.\n";
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+3 changes were made.
+3 changes were made.