diff --git a/ext/curl/curl_private.h b/ext/curl/curl_private.h
index dc23b5910cf..df6fd691a2a 100644
--- a/ext/curl/curl_private.h
+++ b/ext/curl/curl_private.h
@@ -150,6 +150,9 @@ void _php_curl_multi_cleanup_list(void *data);
 void _php_curl_verify_handlers(php_curl *ch, bool reporterror);
 void _php_setup_easy_copy_handlers(php_curl *ch, php_curl *source);
 
+/* Consumes `zv` */
+zend_long php_curl_get_long(zval *zv);
+
 static inline php_curl *curl_from_obj(zend_object *obj) {
 	return (php_curl *)((char *)(obj) - XtOffsetOf(php_curl, std));
 }
diff --git a/ext/curl/interface.c b/ext/curl/interface.c
index a5adcb05b43..710f98a13fb 100644
--- a/ext/curl/interface.c
+++ b/ext/curl/interface.c
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ static size_t curl_write(char *data, size_t size, size_t nmemb, void *ctx)
 			if (!Z_ISUNDEF(retval)) {
 				_php_curl_verify_handlers(ch, /* reporterror */ true);
 				/* TODO Check callback returns an int or something castable to int */
-				length = zval_get_long(&retval);
+				length = php_curl_get_long(&retval);
 			}
 
 			zval_ptr_dtor(&argv[0]);
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ static int curl_fnmatch(void *ctx, const char *pattern, const char *string)
 	if (!Z_ISUNDEF(retval)) {
 		_php_curl_verify_handlers(ch, /* reporterror */ true);
 		/* TODO Check callback returns an int or something castable to int */
-		rval = zval_get_long(&retval);
+		rval = php_curl_get_long(&retval);
 	}
 	zval_ptr_dtor(&argv[0]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor(&argv[1]);
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@ static size_t curl_progress(void *clientp, double dltotal, double dlnow, double
 	if (!Z_ISUNDEF(retval)) {
 		_php_curl_verify_handlers(ch, /* reporterror */ true);
 		/* TODO Check callback returns an int or something castable to int */
-		if (0 != zval_get_long(&retval)) {
+		if (0 != php_curl_get_long(&retval)) {
 			rval = 1;
 		}
 	}
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ static size_t curl_xferinfo(void *clientp, curl_off_t dltotal, curl_off_t dlnow,
 	if (!Z_ISUNDEF(retval)) {
 		_php_curl_verify_handlers(ch, /* reporterror */ true);
 		/* TODO Check callback returns an int or something castable to int */
-		if (0 != zval_get_long(&retval)) {
+		if (0 != php_curl_get_long(&retval)) {
 			rval = 1;
 		}
 	}
@@ -831,6 +831,7 @@ static int curl_ssh_hostkeyfunction(void *clientp, int keytype, const char *key,
 			}
 		} else {
 			zend_throw_error(NULL, "The CURLOPT_SSH_HOSTKEYFUNCTION callback must return either CURLKHMATCH_OK or CURLKHMATCH_MISMATCH");
+			zval_ptr_dtor(&retval);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -925,7 +926,7 @@ static size_t curl_write_header(char *data, size_t size, size_t nmemb, void *ctx
 			if (!Z_ISUNDEF(retval)) {
 				// TODO: Check for valid int type for return value
 				_php_curl_verify_handlers(ch, /* reporterror */ true);
-				length = zval_get_long(&retval);
+				length = php_curl_get_long(&retval);
 			}
 			zval_ptr_dtor(&argv[0]);
 			zval_ptr_dtor(&argv[1]);
@@ -1343,6 +1344,17 @@ void _php_setup_easy_copy_handlers(php_curl *ch, php_curl *source)
 	(*source->clone)++;
 }
 
+zend_long php_curl_get_long(zval *zv)
+{
+	if (EXPECTED(Z_TYPE_P(zv) == IS_LONG)) {
+		return Z_LVAL_P(zv);
+	} else {
+		zend_long ret = zval_get_long(zv);
+		zval_ptr_dtor(zv);
+		return ret;
+	}
+}
+
 static size_t read_cb(char *buffer, size_t size, size_t nitems, void *arg) /* {{{ */
 {
 	struct mime_data_cb_arg *cb_arg = (struct mime_data_cb_arg *) arg;
diff --git a/ext/curl/multi.c b/ext/curl/multi.c
index f664bc05e0e..a16155759ae 100644
--- a/ext/curl/multi.c
+++ b/ext/curl/multi.c
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ static int _php_server_push_callback(CURL *parent_ch, CURL *easy, size_t num_hea
 	zval_ptr_dtor_nogc(&headers);
 
 	if (!Z_ISUNDEF(retval)) {
-		if (CURL_PUSH_DENY != zval_get_long(&retval)) {
+		if (CURL_PUSH_DENY != php_curl_get_long(&retval)) {
 		    rval = CURL_PUSH_OK;
 			zend_llist_add_element(&mh->easyh, &pz_ch);
 		} else {
diff --git a/ext/curl/tests/refcounted_return_must_not_leak.phpt b/ext/curl/tests/refcounted_return_must_not_leak.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b4b07a1a4fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/curl/tests/refcounted_return_must_not_leak.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+--TEST--
+Returning refcounted value from callback must not leak
+--EXTENSIONS--
+curl
+--FILE--
+<?php
+include 'server.inc';
+$host = curl_cli_server_start();
+
+$url = "{$host}/get.inc";
+$ch = curl_init($url);
+
+function return_non_interned_string() {
+    return str_repeat('x', random_int(5, 5));
+}
+
+curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_NOPROGRESS, 0);
+curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);
+curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_PROGRESSFUNCTION, 'return_non_interned_string');
+curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_XFERINFOFUNCTION, 'return_non_interned_string');
+curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_WRITEFUNCTION, 'return_non_interned_string');
+curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HEADERFUNCTION, 'return_non_interned_string');
+echo curl_exec($ch), PHP_EOL;
+echo "ok";
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+ok