diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index f4040ae4a9a..5e51b58317a 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ PHP                                                                        NEWS
 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 ?? ??? ????, PHP 8.4.0RC3
 
+- Cli:
+  . Fixed bug GH-16373 (Shebang is not skipped for router script in cli-server
+    started through shebang). (ilutov)
+
 - COM:
   . Fixed out of bound writes to SafeArray data. (cmb)
 
diff --git a/sapi/cli/php_cli_server.c b/sapi/cli/php_cli_server.c
index 654f3ee680e..bcf5af320d7 100644
--- a/sapi/cli/php_cli_server.c
+++ b/sapi/cli/php_cli_server.c
@@ -2266,6 +2266,7 @@ static bool php_cli_server_dispatch_router(php_cli_server *server, php_cli_serve
 		int sg_options_back = SG(options);
 		/* Don't chdir to the router script because the file path may be relative. */
 		SG(options) |= SAPI_OPTION_NO_CHDIR;
+		CG(skip_shebang) = true;
 		bool result = php_execute_script_ex(&zfd, &retval);
 		SG(options) = sg_options_back;
 		if (result) {