diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index e64bf74a8e7..bf7551b2372 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ PHP                                                                        NEWS
 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 ?? ??? ????, PHP 8.3.13
 
+- DOM:
+  . Fixed bug GH-16039 (Segmentation fault (access null pointer) in
+    ext/dom/parentnode/tree.c). (nielsdos)
+
 - PHPDBG:
   . Fixed bug GH-15901 (phpdbg: Assertion failure on i funcs). (cmb)
 
diff --git a/ext/dom/parentnode.c b/ext/dom/parentnode.c
index d656d92d6de..947c8b3f991 100644
--- a/ext/dom/parentnode.c
+++ b/ext/dom/parentnode.c
@@ -265,6 +265,11 @@ static zend_result dom_sanity_check_node_list_for_insertion(php_libxml_ref_obj *
 			if (instanceof_function(ce, dom_node_class_entry)) {
 				xmlNodePtr node = dom_object_get_node(Z_DOMOBJ_P(nodes + i));
 
+				if (!node) {
+					php_dom_throw_error(INVALID_STATE_ERR, /* strict */ true);
+					return FAILURE;
+				}
+
 				if (node->doc != documentNode) {
 					php_dom_throw_error(WRONG_DOCUMENT_ERR, dom_get_strict_error(document));
 					return FAILURE;
diff --git a/ext/dom/tests/gh16039.phpt b/ext/dom/tests/gh16039.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..48a862eda7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/dom/tests/gh16039.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+--TEST--
+GH-16039 (Segmentation fault (access null pointer) in ext/dom/parentnode/tree.c)
+--EXTENSIONS--
+dom
+--FILE--
+<?php
+
+$dom = new DOMDocument;
+$element = $dom->appendChild($dom->createElement('root'));
+try {
+    $element->prepend('x', new DOMEntity);
+} catch (DOMException $e) {
+    echo $e->getMessage(), "\n";
+}
+echo $dom->saveXML();
+$dom->strictErrorChecking = false; // Should not have influence
+try {
+    $element->prepend('x', new DOMEntity);
+} catch (DOMException $e) {
+    echo $e->getMessage(), "\n";
+}
+echo $dom->saveXML();
+
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+Invalid State Error
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<root/>
+Invalid State Error
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<root/>