diff --git a/ext/pdo/pdo_dbh.c b/ext/pdo/pdo_dbh.c
index 377615f2fe0..10af61fa2b0 100644
--- a/ext/pdo/pdo_dbh.c
+++ b/ext/pdo/pdo_dbh.c
@@ -67,9 +67,9 @@ void pdo_throw_exception(unsigned int driver_errcode, char *driver_errmsg, pdo_e
 
 PDO_API bool php_pdo_stmt_valid_db_obj_handle(const pdo_stmt_t *stmt)
 {
-	return !Z_ISUNDEF(stmt->database_object_handle)
-		&& IS_OBJ_VALID(EG(objects_store).object_buckets[Z_OBJ_HANDLE(stmt->database_object_handle)])
-		&& !(OBJ_FLAGS(Z_OBJ(stmt->database_object_handle)) & IS_OBJ_FREE_CALLED);
+	return stmt->database_object_handle != NULL
+		&& IS_OBJ_VALID(EG(objects_store).object_buckets[stmt->database_object_handle->handle])
+		&& !(OBJ_FLAGS(stmt->database_object_handle) & IS_OBJ_FREE_CALLED);
 }
 
 void pdo_raise_impl_error(pdo_dbh_t *dbh, pdo_stmt_t *stmt, pdo_error_type sqlstate, const char *supp) /* {{{ */
@@ -657,7 +657,8 @@ PHP_METHOD(PDO, prepare)
 	stmt->default_fetch_type = dbh->default_fetch_type;
 	stmt->dbh = dbh;
 	/* give it a reference to me */
-	ZVAL_OBJ_COPY(&stmt->database_object_handle, &dbh_obj->std);
+	GC_ADDREF(&dbh_obj->std);
+	stmt->database_object_handle = &dbh_obj->std;
 	/* we haven't created a lazy object yet */
 	ZVAL_UNDEF(&stmt->lazy_object_ref);
 
@@ -1222,7 +1223,8 @@ PHP_METHOD(PDO, query)
 	stmt->default_fetch_type = dbh->default_fetch_type;
 	stmt->dbh = dbh;
 	/* give it a reference to me */
-	ZVAL_OBJ_COPY(&stmt->database_object_handle, &dbh_obj->std);
+	GC_ADDREF(&dbh_obj->std);
+	stmt->database_object_handle = &dbh_obj->std;
 	/* we haven't created a lazy object yet */
 	ZVAL_UNDEF(&stmt->lazy_object_ref);
 
@@ -1252,8 +1254,8 @@ PHP_METHOD(PDO, query)
 		/* something broke */
 		dbh->query_stmt = stmt;
 		ZVAL_OBJ(&dbh->query_stmt_zval, Z_OBJ_P(return_value));
-		Z_DELREF(stmt->database_object_handle);
-		ZVAL_UNDEF(&stmt->database_object_handle);
+		GC_DELREF(stmt->database_object_handle);
+		stmt->database_object_handle = NULL;
 		PDO_HANDLE_STMT_ERR();
 	} else {
 		PDO_HANDLE_DBH_ERR();
diff --git a/ext/pdo/pdo_stmt.c b/ext/pdo/pdo_stmt.c
index 88b7af51b2d..cb9fdf957af 100644
--- a/ext/pdo/pdo_stmt.c
+++ b/ext/pdo/pdo_stmt.c
@@ -2021,7 +2021,7 @@ static zend_function *dbstmt_method_get(zend_object **object_pp, zend_string *me
 		/* not a pre-defined method, nor a user-defined method; check
 		 * the driver specific methods */
 		if (!stmt->dbh->cls_methods[PDO_DBH_DRIVER_METHOD_KIND_STMT]) {
-			if (!pdo_hash_methods(Z_PDO_OBJECT_P(&stmt->database_object_handle),
+			if (!pdo_hash_methods(php_pdo_dbh_fetch_object(stmt->database_object_handle),
 				PDO_DBH_DRIVER_METHOD_KIND_STMT)
 				|| !stmt->dbh->cls_methods[PDO_DBH_DRIVER_METHOD_KIND_STMT]) {
 				goto out;
@@ -2048,7 +2048,7 @@ static HashTable *dbstmt_get_gc(zend_object *object, zval **gc_data, int *gc_cou
 	enum pdo_fetch_type default_fetch_mode = stmt->default_fetch_type & ~PDO_FETCH_FLAGS;
 
 	zend_get_gc_buffer *gc_buffer = zend_get_gc_buffer_create();
-	zend_get_gc_buffer_add_zval(gc_buffer, &stmt->database_object_handle);
+	zend_get_gc_buffer_add_obj(gc_buffer, stmt->database_object_handle);
 	if (default_fetch_mode == PDO_FETCH_INTO) {
 		zend_get_gc_buffer_add_obj(gc_buffer, stmt->fetch.into);
 	} else if (default_fetch_mode == PDO_FETCH_CLASS) {
@@ -2107,8 +2107,9 @@ PDO_API void php_pdo_free_statement(pdo_stmt_t *stmt)
 
 	do_fetch_opt_finish(stmt, 1);
 
-	if (!Z_ISUNDEF(stmt->database_object_handle)) {
-		zval_ptr_dtor(&stmt->database_object_handle);
+	if (stmt->database_object_handle != NULL) {
+		OBJ_RELEASE(stmt->database_object_handle);
+		stmt->database_object_handle = NULL;
 	}
 	zend_object_std_dtor(&stmt->std);
 }
diff --git a/ext/pdo/php_pdo_driver.h b/ext/pdo/php_pdo_driver.h
index cb483a6bf6b..94e7c805bfd 100644
--- a/ext/pdo/php_pdo_driver.h
+++ b/ext/pdo/php_pdo_driver.h
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ struct _pdo_stmt_t {
 	struct pdo_column_data *columns;
 
 	/* we want to keep the dbh alive while we live, so we own a reference */
-	zval database_object_handle;
+	zend_object *database_object_handle;
 	pdo_dbh_t *dbh;
 
 	/* keep track of bound input parameters.  Some drivers support
diff --git a/ext/pdo_pgsql/pgsql_driver.c b/ext/pdo_pgsql/pgsql_driver.c
index c7944373fa7..1a46cafd8f5 100644
--- a/ext/pdo_pgsql/pgsql_driver.c
+++ b/ext/pdo_pgsql/pgsql_driver.c
@@ -200,13 +200,13 @@ const php_stream_ops pdo_pgsql_lob_stream_ops = {
 	NULL
 };
 
-php_stream *pdo_pgsql_create_lob_stream(zval *dbh, int lfd, Oid oid)
+php_stream *pdo_pgsql_create_lob_stream(zend_object *dbh, int lfd, Oid oid)
 {
 	php_stream *stm;
 	struct pdo_pgsql_lob_self *self = ecalloc(1, sizeof(*self));
-	pdo_pgsql_db_handle *H = (pdo_pgsql_db_handle *)(Z_PDO_DBH_P(dbh))->driver_data;
+	pdo_pgsql_db_handle *H = (pdo_pgsql_db_handle *)(php_pdo_dbh_fetch_inner(dbh))->driver_data;
 
-	ZVAL_COPY_VALUE(&self->dbh, dbh);
+	ZVAL_OBJ(&self->dbh, dbh);
 	self->lfd = lfd;
 	self->oid = oid;
 	self->conn = H->server;
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ php_stream *pdo_pgsql_create_lob_stream(zval *dbh, int lfd, Oid oid)
 	stm = php_stream_alloc(&pdo_pgsql_lob_stream_ops, self, 0, "r+b");
 
 	if (stm) {
-		Z_ADDREF_P(dbh);
+		GC_ADDREF(dbh);
 		zend_hash_index_add_ptr(H->lob_streams, php_stream_get_resource_id(stm), stm->res);
 		return stm;
 	}
@@ -1116,7 +1116,7 @@ void pgsqlLOBOpen_internal(INTERNAL_FUNCTION_PARAMETERS)
 	lfd = lo_open(H->server, oid, mode);
 
 	if (lfd >= 0) {
-		php_stream *stream = pdo_pgsql_create_lob_stream(ZEND_THIS, lfd, oid);
+		php_stream *stream = pdo_pgsql_create_lob_stream(Z_OBJ_P(ZEND_THIS), lfd, oid);
 		if (stream) {
 			php_stream_to_zval(stream, return_value);
 			return;
diff --git a/ext/pdo_pgsql/pgsql_statement.c b/ext/pdo_pgsql/pgsql_statement.c
index 1d5e188cf54..3485bd8df00 100644
--- a/ext/pdo_pgsql/pgsql_statement.c
+++ b/ext/pdo_pgsql/pgsql_statement.c
@@ -661,7 +661,7 @@ static int pgsql_stmt_get_col(pdo_stmt_t *stmt, int colno, zval *result, enum pd
 					/* If column was bound as LOB, return a stream. */
 					int loid = lo_open(S->H->server, oid, INV_READ);
 					if (loid >= 0) {
-						php_stream *stream = pdo_pgsql_create_lob_stream(&stmt->database_object_handle, loid, oid);
+						php_stream *stream = pdo_pgsql_create_lob_stream(stmt->database_object_handle, loid, oid);
 						if (stream) {
 							php_stream_to_zval(stream, result);
 							return 1;
diff --git a/ext/pdo_pgsql/php_pdo_pgsql_int.h b/ext/pdo_pgsql/php_pdo_pgsql_int.h
index 7dee249cbb1..881b4e70465 100644
--- a/ext/pdo_pgsql/php_pdo_pgsql_int.h
+++ b/ext/pdo_pgsql/php_pdo_pgsql_int.h
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ enum pdo_pgsql_specific_constants {
 	PGSQL_TRANSACTION_UNKNOWN = PQTRANS_UNKNOWN
 };
 
-php_stream *pdo_pgsql_create_lob_stream(zval *pdh, int lfd, Oid oid);
+php_stream *pdo_pgsql_create_lob_stream(zend_object *pdh, int lfd, Oid oid);
 extern const php_stream_ops pdo_pgsql_lob_stream_ops;
 
 void pdo_pgsql_cleanup_notice_callback(pdo_pgsql_db_handle *H);