diff --git a/Zend/tests/bug52939.phpt b/Zend/tests/bug52939.phpt
index 9810b8063f2..91bd27bab56 100644
--- a/Zend/tests/bug52939.phpt
+++ b/Zend/tests/bug52939.phpt
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ $ar1 = array("row1" => 2, "row2" => 1);
 $args = array(&$ar1);
 var_dump(call_user_func_array("array_multisort", $args));
 var_dump($ar1);
+
+$ar1 = array("row1" => 2, "row2" => 1);
+$args = array($ar1);
+var_dump(call_user_func_array("array_multisort", $args));
+var_dump($ar1);
 ?>
 --EXPECT--
 bool(true)
@@ -26,3 +31,10 @@ array(2) {
   ["row1"]=>
   int(2)
 }
+bool(true)
+array(2) {
+  ["row1"]=>
+  int(2)
+  ["row2"]=>
+  int(1)
+}
diff --git a/Zend/zend_execute_API.c b/Zend/zend_execute_API.c
index 1f1a2b13d93..5f64c4dcb84 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_execute_API.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_execute_API.c
@@ -854,7 +854,8 @@ int zend_call_function(zend_fcall_info *fci, zend_fcall_info_cache *fci_cache TS
 			if (!PZVAL_IS_REF(*fci->params[i]) && Z_REFCOUNT_PP(fci->params[i]) > 1) {
 				zval *new_zval;
 
-				if (fci->no_separation) {
+				if (fci->no_separation &&
+				    !ARG_MAY_BE_SENT_BY_REF(EX(function_state).function, i + 1)) {
 					if(i) {
 						/* hack to clean up the stack */
 						zend_vm_stack_push_nocheck((void *) (zend_uintptr_t)i TSRMLS_CC);