diff --git a/Zend/tests/bug71529.phpt b/Zend/tests/bug71529.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5a5e3234145
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Zend/tests/bug71529.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+--TEST--
+Bug #71529: Variable references on array elements don't work when using count
+--FILE--
+<?php
+
+$a = [1];
+$a[] = &$a[out(count($a) - 1)];
+var_dump($a);
+
+function out($what) {
+    var_dump($what);
+    return $what;
+}
+
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+int(0)
+array(2) {
+  [0]=>
+  &int(1)
+  [1]=>
+  &int(1)
+}
diff --git a/Zend/zend_compile.c b/Zend/zend_compile.c
index 8ac98191354..f324e52874e 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_compile.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_compile.c
@@ -2887,14 +2887,17 @@ void zend_compile_assign_ref(znode *result, zend_ast *ast) /* {{{ */
 
 	znode target_node, source_node;
 	zend_op *opline;
+	uint32_t offset;
 
 	if (is_this_fetch(target_ast)) {
 		zend_error_noreturn(E_COMPILE_ERROR, "Cannot re-assign $this");
 	}
 	zend_ensure_writable_variable(target_ast);
 
-	zend_compile_var(&target_node, target_ast, BP_VAR_W);
-	zend_compile_var(&source_node, source_ast, BP_VAR_W);
+	offset = zend_delayed_compile_begin();
+	zend_delayed_compile_var(&target_node, target_ast, BP_VAR_W);
+	zend_delayed_compile_var(&source_node, source_ast, BP_VAR_W);
+	zend_delayed_compile_end(offset);
 
 	if (source_node.op_type != IS_VAR && zend_is_call(source_ast)) {
 		zend_error_noreturn(E_COMPILE_ERROR, "Cannot use result of built-in function in write context");