diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 28f3de0653b..0022c958e90 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ PHP                                                                        NEWS
 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 ?? ??? ????, PHP 8.1.14
 
+- Core:
+  . Fixed bug GH-9905 (constant() behaves inconsistent when class is undefined).
+    (cmb)
 
 24 Nov 2022, PHP 8.1.13
 
diff --git a/ext/standard/basic_functions.c b/ext/standard/basic_functions.c
index 23f736d2009..1e50a37f2c6 100755
--- a/ext/standard/basic_functions.c
+++ b/ext/standard/basic_functions.c
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(constant)
 	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_END();
 
 	scope = zend_get_executed_scope();
-	c = zend_get_constant_ex(const_name, scope, 0);
+	c = zend_get_constant_ex(const_name, scope, ZEND_FETCH_CLASS_EXCEPTION);
 	if (!c) {
 		RETURN_THROWS();
 	}
diff --git a/ext/standard/tests/general_functions/gh9905.phpt b/ext/standard/tests/general_functions/gh9905.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..33d2f4f7370
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/standard/tests/general_functions/gh9905.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+--TEST--
+GH-9905 (constant() behaves inconsistent when class is undefined)
+--FILE--
+<?php
+try {
+    \constant("\NonExistantClass::non_existant_constant");
+} catch (\Throwable|\Error|\Exception $e) {
+    echo($e->getMessage());
+}
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+Class "NonExistantClass" not found
diff --git a/tests/lang/bug44827.phpt b/tests/lang/bug44827.phpt
index 9220439c884..997a1a633f8 100644
--- a/tests/lang/bug44827.phpt
+++ b/tests/lang/bug44827.phpt
@@ -21,5 +21,4 @@ try {
 ?>
 --EXPECTF--
 define(): Argument #1 ($constant_name) cannot be a class constant
-
-Fatal error: Class "" not found in %s on line %d
+Class "" not found