diff --git a/ext/date/php_date.c b/ext/date/php_date.c
index 62f4b19bca0..55e5845c427 100644
--- a/ext/date/php_date.c
+++ b/ext/date/php_date.c
@@ -2190,7 +2190,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(timezone_name_get)
 	tzobj = (php_timezone_obj *) zend_object_store_get_object(object TSRMLS_CC);
 	DATE_CHECK_INITIALIZED(tzobj->tz, DateTimeZone);
 
-	RETURN_STRING(tzobj->tz->name, 1);
+	RETURN_ASCII_STRING(tzobj->tz->name, 1);
 }
 /* }}} */
 
diff --git a/ext/date/tests/oo_001.phpt b/ext/date/tests/oo_001.phpt
index c16f0b08699..9cb366315b0 100644
--- a/ext/date/tests/oo_001.phpt
+++ b/ext/date/tests/oo_001.phpt
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ unicode(19) "%d-%d-%d %d:%d:%d"
 Warning: DateTime::format(): The DateTime object has not been correctly initialized by its constructor in %soo_001.php on line %d
 bool(false)
 DateTime::__construct(): Failed to parse time string (1am todax) at position 4 (t): The timezone could not be found in the database
-string(3) "UTC"
+unicode(3) "UTC"
 
 Warning: DateTimeZone::getName(): The DateTimeZone object has not been correctly initialized by its constructor in %soo_001.php on line %d
 bool(false)
diff --git a/ext/date/tests/oo_002.phpt b/ext/date/tests/oo_002.phpt
index 91e9076aebf..2a1f5345c45 100644
--- a/ext/date/tests/oo_002.phpt
+++ b/ext/date/tests/oo_002.phpt
@@ -31,5 +31,5 @@ unicode(29) "Tue, 01 Aug 06 13:00:00 +0000"
 unicode(29) "Tue, 01 Aug 06 13:00:00 +0000"
 unicode(29) "Tue, 01 Aug 06 14:00:00 +0000"
 unicode(29) "Tue, 01 Aug 06 12:59:59 +0000"
-string(10) "Asia/Tokyo"
-string(10) "Asia/Tokyo"
+unicode(10) "Asia/Tokyo"
+unicode(10) "Asia/Tokyo"