diff --git a/ext/spl/spl_directory.c b/ext/spl/spl_directory.c
index cc049a1e27b..fe3262ba429 100755
--- a/ext/spl/spl_directory.c
+++ b/ext/spl/spl_directory.c
@@ -1865,7 +1865,11 @@ static int spl_filesystem_file_call(spl_filesystem_object *intern, zend_function
 
 	result = zend_call_function(&fci, &fcic TSRMLS_CC);
 	
-	ZVAL_ZVAL(return_value, retval, 1, 1);
+	if (result == FAILURE) {
+		RETVAL_FALSE;
+	} else {
+		ZVAL_ZVAL(return_value, retval, 1, 1);
+	}
 
 	efree(params);
 	return result;
diff --git a/ext/spl/tests/bug52573.phpt b/ext/spl/tests/bug52573.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..17f2984dfb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/spl/tests/bug52573.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+--TEST--
+Bug #52573 (SplFileObject::fscanf Segmentation fault)
+--FILE--
+<?php
+
+$result = null;
+$f = new SplFileObject(__FILE__, 'r');
+$f->fscanf('<?php // %s', $result);
+
+?>
+--EXPECTF--
+Warning: Parameter 3 to fscanf() expected to be a reference, value given in %s on line 5