diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index b67276aa80b..2d0b4c3d027 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ PHP                                                                        NEWS
 ?? ??? 201?, PHP 5.5.0 Alpha 3
 
 - General improvements:
+  . Fixed bug #63874 (Segfault if php_strip_whitespace has heredoc). (Pierrick)
   . Fixed bug #63822 (Crash when using closures with ArrayAccess).
     (Nikita Popov)
   . Add Generator::throw() method. (Nikita Popov)
diff --git a/Zend/zend_highlight.c b/Zend/zend_highlight.c
index 938e1c612b9..7fe61745194 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_highlight.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_highlight.c
@@ -186,7 +186,6 @@ ZEND_API void zend_strip(TSRMLS_D)
 			
 			case T_END_HEREDOC:
 				zend_write((char*)LANG_SCNG(yy_text), LANG_SCNG(yy_leng));
-				efree(token.value.str.val);
 				/* read the following character, either newline or ; */
 				if (lex_scan(&token TSRMLS_CC) != T_WHITESPACE) {
 					zend_write((char*)LANG_SCNG(yy_text), LANG_SCNG(yy_leng));
diff --git a/ext/standard/tests/strings/bug63874.phpt b/ext/standard/tests/strings/bug63874.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..066cc155df9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/standard/tests/strings/bug63874.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+--TEST--
+Bug #63874 (Segfault if php_strip_whitespace has heredoc)
+--FILE--
+<?php
+echo php_strip_whitespace(__FILE__);
+
+return <<<A
+a
+A;
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+<?php
+echo php_strip_whitespace(__FILE__); return <<<A
+a
+A;
+?>