diff --git a/ext/dom/node.c b/ext/dom/node.c
index 803237d96fb..5d4f0144c67 100644
--- a/ext/dom/node.c
+++ b/ext/dom/node.c
@@ -2548,7 +2548,7 @@ PHP_METHOD(Dom_Node, compareDocumentPosition)
 
 PHP_METHOD(Dom_Node, __construct)
 {
-	ZEND_UNREACHABLE();
+	zend_throw_error(NULL, "Cannot directly construct %s, use document methods instead", ZSTR_VAL(Z_OBJCE_P(ZEND_THIS)->name));
 }
 
 PHP_METHOD(DOMNode, __sleep)
diff --git a/ext/dom/tests/gh16190.phpt b/ext/dom/tests/gh16190.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d3d83b5eb49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/dom/tests/gh16190.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+--TEST--
+GH-16190 (Using reflection to call Dom\Node::__construct causes assertion failure)
+--EXTENSIONS--
+dom
+--FILE--
+<?php
+
+$doc = Dom\XMLDocument::createEmpty();
+$rm = new ReflectionMethod($doc, '__construct');
+try {
+    $rm->invoke($doc);
+} catch (Error $e) {
+    echo $e->getMessage(), "\n";
+}
+
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+Cannot directly construct Dom\XMLDocument, use document methods instead