diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index aaf503112bc..4cf958344b8 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ PHP                                                                        NEWS
 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 ?? ??? ????, PHP 8.3.14
 
+- 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 aa54cf9c7b0..585ac8ab9d8 100644
--- a/sapi/cli/php_cli_server.c
+++ b/sapi/cli/php_cli_server.c
@@ -2280,6 +2280,7 @@ static bool php_cli_server_dispatch_router(php_cli_server *server, php_cli_serve
 		}
 
 		ZVAL_UNDEF(&retval);
+		CG(skip_shebang) = true;
 		if (SUCCESS == zend_execute_scripts(ZEND_REQUIRE, &retval, 1, &zfd)) {
 			if (Z_TYPE(retval) != IS_UNDEF) {
 				decline = Z_TYPE(retval) == IS_FALSE;