diff --git a/ext/standard/var.c b/ext/standard/var.c
index acd1cc07ed2..233d23b349a 100644
--- a/ext/standard/var.c
+++ b/ext/standard/var.c
@@ -428,7 +428,6 @@ int php_var_unserialize(pval **rval, const char **p, const char *max)
 				(*p)++;
 			}
 			if (**p != ':' || *((*p) + 1) != '{') {
-			  	pval_destructor(*rval);
 				return 0;
 			}
 			for ((*p) += 2; **p && **p != '}' && i > 0; i--) {
@@ -436,13 +435,11 @@ int php_var_unserialize(pval **rval, const char **p, const char *max)
 				pval *data = emalloc(sizeof(pval));
 				
 				if (!php_var_unserialize(&key, p, max)) {
-					pval_destructor(*rval);
 				    efree(key);
 					efree(data);
 					return 0;
 				}
 				if (!php_var_unserialize(&data, p, max)) {
-					pval_destructor(*rval);
 					pval_destructor(key);
 				    efree(key);
 					efree(data);
@@ -503,6 +500,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(unserialize)
 		}
 
 		if (!php_var_unserialize(&return_value, &p, p + (*buf)->value.str.len)) {
+			zval_dtor(return_value);
 			php_error(E_NOTICE, "unserialize() failed at offset %d of %d bytes",p-(*buf)->value.str.val,(*buf)->value.str.len);
 			RETURN_FALSE;
 		}