diff --git a/ext/dom/attr.c b/ext/dom/attr.c
index e48d124976c..746ab4efa36 100644
--- a/ext/dom/attr.c
+++ b/ext/dom/attr.c
@@ -199,4 +199,34 @@ PHP_METHOD(DOMAttr, isId)
 }
 /* }}} end dom_attr_is_id */
 
+xmlChar *dom_attr_value(const xmlAttr *attr, bool *free)
+{
+	/* For attributes we can have an optimized fast-path.
+	 * This fast-path is only possible in the (common) case where the attribute
+	 * has a single text child. Note that if the child or the content is NULL, this
+	 * is equivalent to not having content (i.e. the attribute has the empty string as value). */
+
+	*free = false;
+
+	if (attr->children == NULL) {
+		return BAD_CAST "";
+	}
+
+	if (attr->children->type == XML_TEXT_NODE && attr->children->next == NULL) {
+		if (attr->children->content == NULL) {
+			return BAD_CAST "";
+		} else {
+			return attr->children->content;
+		}
+	}
+
+	xmlChar *value = xmlNodeGetContent((const xmlNode *) attr);
+	if (UNEXPECTED(value == NULL)) {
+		return BAD_CAST "";
+	}
+
+	*free = true;
+	return value;
+}
+
 #endif
diff --git a/ext/dom/php_dom.c b/ext/dom/php_dom.c
index dce9a0fb490..d7cb423cd78 100644
--- a/ext/dom/php_dom.c
+++ b/ext/dom/php_dom.c
@@ -2273,24 +2273,13 @@ void php_dom_get_content_into_zval(const xmlNode *nodep, zval *return_value, boo
 		}
 
 		case XML_ATTRIBUTE_NODE: {
-			/* For attributes we can also have an optimized fast-path.
-			 * This fast-path is only possible in the (common) case where the attribute
-			 * has a single text child. Note that if the child or the content is NULL, this
-			 * is equivalent to not having content (i.e. the attribute has the empty string as value). */
-
-			if (nodep->children == NULL) {
-				RETURN_EMPTY_STRING();
+			bool free;
+			xmlChar *value = dom_attr_value((const xmlAttr *) nodep, &free);
+			RETURN_STRING_FAST((const char *) value);
+			if (free) {
+				xmlFree(value);
 			}
-
-			if (nodep->children->type == XML_TEXT_NODE && nodep->children->next == NULL) {
-				if (nodep->children->content == NULL) {
-					RETURN_EMPTY_STRING();
-				} else {
-					RETURN_STRING((const char *) nodep->children->content);
-				}
-			}
-
-			ZEND_FALLTHROUGH;
+			return;
 		}
 
 		default: {
diff --git a/ext/dom/php_dom.h b/ext/dom/php_dom.h
index 26035832d95..0cd62a1afce 100644
--- a/ext/dom/php_dom.h
+++ b/ext/dom/php_dom.h
@@ -174,6 +174,8 @@ void dom_document_convert_to_modern(php_libxml_ref_obj *document, xmlDocPtr lxml
 dom_object *php_dom_instantiate_object_helper(zval *return_value, zend_class_entry *ce, xmlNodePtr obj, dom_object *parent);
 xmlDocPtr php_dom_create_html_doc(void);
 
+xmlChar *dom_attr_value(const xmlAttr *attr, bool *free);
+
 typedef enum {
 	DOM_LOAD_STRING = 0,
 	DOM_LOAD_FILE = 1,