diff --git a/ext/simplexml/simplexml.c b/ext/simplexml/simplexml.c
index 7a1e7fcb67a..d304cb77509 100644
--- a/ext/simplexml/simplexml.c
+++ b/ext/simplexml/simplexml.c
@@ -1873,15 +1873,9 @@ PHP_METHOD(SimpleXMLElement, __toString)
 
 static zend_result php_sxe_count_elements_helper(php_sxe_object *sxe, zend_long *count) /* {{{ */
 {
-	xmlNodePtr      node;
-	zval            data;
-
 	*count = 0;
 
-	ZVAL_COPY_VALUE(&data, &sxe->iter.data);
-	ZVAL_UNDEF(&sxe->iter.data);
-
-	node = php_sxe_reset_iterator(sxe, 0);
+	xmlNodePtr node = php_sxe_reset_iterator_no_clear_iter_data(sxe, 0);
 
 	while (node)
 	{
@@ -1889,11 +1883,6 @@ static zend_result php_sxe_count_elements_helper(php_sxe_object *sxe, zend_long
 		node = php_sxe_iterator_fetch(sxe, node->next, 0);
 	}
 
-	if (!Z_ISUNDEF(sxe->iter.data)) {
-		zval_ptr_dtor(&sxe->iter.data);
-	}
-	ZVAL_COPY_VALUE(&sxe->iter.data, &data);
-
 	return SUCCESS;
 }
 /* }}} */