diff --git a/Zend/Optimizer/block_pass.c b/Zend/Optimizer/block_pass.c
index 61c8f420aa4..18f5a98cc15 100644
--- a/Zend/Optimizer/block_pass.c
+++ b/Zend/Optimizer/block_pass.c
@@ -1892,6 +1892,15 @@ void zend_optimize_cfg(zend_op_array *op_array, zend_optimizer_ctx *ctx)
 
 		/* Eliminate NOPs */
 		for (b = blocks; b < end; b++) {
+			if (b->flags & ZEND_BB_UNREACHABLE_FREE) {
+				/* In unreachable_free blocks only preserve loop var frees. */
+				for (uint32_t i = b->start; i < b->start + b->len; i++) {
+					zend_op *opline = &op_array->opcodes[i];
+					if (!zend_optimizer_is_loop_var_free(opline)) {
+						MAKE_NOP(opline);
+					}
+				}
+			}
 			if (b->flags & (ZEND_BB_REACHABLE|ZEND_BB_UNREACHABLE_FREE)) {
 				strip_nops(op_array, b);
 			}
diff --git a/Zend/Optimizer/zend_cfg.c b/Zend/Optimizer/zend_cfg.c
index cbdf32c1c4c..4294e44f2e4 100644
--- a/Zend/Optimizer/zend_cfg.c
+++ b/Zend/Optimizer/zend_cfg.c
@@ -437,9 +437,6 @@ ZEND_API int zend_build_cfg(zend_arena **arena, const zend_op_array *op_array, u
 			case ZEND_FE_FREE:
 				if (zend_optimizer_is_loop_var_free(opline)) {
 					BB_START(i);
-					if (i + 1 < op_array->last) {
-						BB_START(i + 1);
-					}
 					flags |= ZEND_FUNC_FREE_LOOP_VAR;
 				}
 				break;