diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 7807625ac34..181f2549237 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ PHP                                                                        NEWS
 - GD:
   . Fixed bug #68629 (Transparent artifacts when using imagerotate). (pierre,
     cmb)
+  . Fixed bug #64823 (ZTS GD fails to to find system TrueType font). (cmb)
 
 - Intl:
   . Bumped ICU requirement to ICU >= 57.1. (cmb)
diff --git a/ext/gd/gd.c b/ext/gd/gd.c
index 17bda3d65e2..c5f7b65ce4c 100644
--- a/ext/gd/gd.c
+++ b/ext/gd/gd.c
@@ -3374,18 +3374,6 @@ static void php_imagettftext_common(INTERNAL_FUNCTION_PARAMETERS, int mode)
 		}
 	}
 
-#ifdef VIRTUAL_DIR
-	{
-		char tmp_font_path[MAXPATHLEN];
-
-		if (!VCWD_REALPATH(fontname, tmp_font_path)) {
-			fontname = NULL;
-		}
-	}
-#endif /* VIRTUAL_DIR */
-
-	PHP_GD_CHECK_OPEN_BASEDIR(fontname, "Invalid font filename");
-
 	// libgd note: Those should return const char * ideally, but backward compatibility ..
 	if (EXT) {
 		error = gdImageStringFTEx(im, brect, col, fontname, ptsize, angle, x, y, str, &strex);