diff --git a/UPGRADING.INTERNALS b/UPGRADING.INTERNALS
index 5b8ccbba021e9..781d56cc1bc49 100644
--- a/UPGRADING.INTERNALS
+++ b/UPGRADING.INTERNALS
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ PHP 8.4 INTERNALS UPGRADE NOTES
 1. Internal API changes
 ========================
 
+* zend_register_module_ex() now takes an additional int module_type argument.
+  This function will also assign the module number and type, there is no need
+  to do this at the call site anymore. Writing the handle should happen after
+  successful registration.
+
 ========================
 2. Build system changes
 ========================
diff --git a/Zend/zend_API.c b/Zend/zend_API.c
index e7160246991d4..776659ca11934 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_API.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_API.c
@@ -2446,7 +2446,7 @@ ZEND_API void zend_destroy_modules(void) /* {{{ */
 }
 /* }}} */
 
-ZEND_API zend_module_entry* zend_register_module_ex(zend_module_entry *module) /* {{{ */
+ZEND_API zend_module_entry* zend_register_module_ex(zend_module_entry *module, int module_type) /* {{{ */
 {
 	size_t name_len;
 	zend_string *lcname;
@@ -2483,9 +2483,11 @@ ZEND_API zend_module_entry* zend_register_module_ex(zend_module_entry *module) /
 	}
 
 	name_len = strlen(module->name);
-	lcname = zend_string_alloc(name_len, module->type == MODULE_PERSISTENT);
+	lcname = zend_string_alloc(name_len, module_type == MODULE_PERSISTENT);
 	zend_str_tolower_copy(ZSTR_VAL(lcname), module->name, name_len);
 
+	int module_number = zend_next_free_module();
+
 	lcname = zend_new_interned_string(lcname);
 	if ((module_ptr = zend_hash_add_ptr(&module_registry, lcname, module)) == NULL) {
 		zend_error(E_CORE_WARNING, "Module \"%s\" is already loaded", module->name);
@@ -2495,7 +2497,10 @@ ZEND_API zend_module_entry* zend_register_module_ex(zend_module_entry *module) /
 	module = module_ptr;
 	EG(current_module) = module;
 
-	if (module->functions && zend_register_functions(NULL, module->functions, NULL, module->type)==FAILURE) {
+	module->module_number = module_number;
+	module->type = module_type;
+
+	if (module->functions && zend_register_functions(NULL, module->functions, NULL, module_type)==FAILURE) {
 		zend_hash_del(&module_registry, lcname);
 		zend_string_release(lcname);
 		EG(current_module) = NULL;
@@ -2511,9 +2516,7 @@ ZEND_API zend_module_entry* zend_register_module_ex(zend_module_entry *module) /
 
 ZEND_API zend_module_entry* zend_register_internal_module(zend_module_entry *module) /* {{{ */
 {
-	module->module_number = zend_next_free_module();
-	module->type = MODULE_PERSISTENT;
-	return zend_register_module_ex(module);
+	return zend_register_module_ex(module, MODULE_PERSISTENT);
 }
 /* }}} */
 
diff --git a/Zend/zend_API.h b/Zend/zend_API.h
index acdc5b06b3d52..0bcce3ceb6e4f 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_API.h
+++ b/Zend/zend_API.h
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ ZEND_API zend_result zend_register_functions(zend_class_entry *scope, const zend
 ZEND_API void zend_unregister_functions(const zend_function_entry *functions, int count, HashTable *function_table);
 ZEND_API zend_result zend_startup_module(zend_module_entry *module_entry);
 ZEND_API zend_module_entry* zend_register_internal_module(zend_module_entry *module_entry);
-ZEND_API zend_module_entry* zend_register_module_ex(zend_module_entry *module);
+ZEND_API zend_module_entry* zend_register_module_ex(zend_module_entry *module, int module_type);
 ZEND_API zend_result zend_startup_module_ex(zend_module_entry *module);
 ZEND_API void zend_startup_modules(void);
 ZEND_API void zend_collect_module_handlers(void);
diff --git a/Zend/zend_builtin_functions.c b/Zend/zend_builtin_functions.c
index 35e69b4a25dc3..ec1134cd7f2b3 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_builtin_functions.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_builtin_functions.c
@@ -59,9 +59,7 @@ zend_module_entry zend_builtin_module = { /* {{{ */
 
 zend_result zend_startup_builtin_functions(void) /* {{{ */
 {
-	zend_builtin_module.module_number = 0;
-	zend_builtin_module.type = MODULE_PERSISTENT;
-	return (EG(current_module) = zend_register_module_ex(&zend_builtin_module)) == NULL ? FAILURE : SUCCESS;
+	return (EG(current_module) = zend_register_module_ex(&zend_builtin_module, MODULE_PERSISTENT)) == NULL ? FAILURE : SUCCESS;
 }
 /* }}} */
 
diff --git a/ext/standard/dl.c b/ext/standard/dl.c
index ebf8a3a507ebb..586862ec92ced 100644
--- a/ext/standard/dl.c
+++ b/ext/standard/dl.c
@@ -230,15 +230,14 @@ PHPAPI int php_load_extension(const char *filename, int type, int start_now)
 		DL_UNLOAD(handle);
 		return FAILURE;
 	}
-	module_entry->type = type;
-	module_entry->module_number = zend_next_free_module();
-	module_entry->handle = handle;
 
-	if ((module_entry = zend_register_module_ex(module_entry)) == NULL) {
+	if ((module_entry = zend_register_module_ex(module_entry, type)) == NULL) {
 		DL_UNLOAD(handle);
 		return FAILURE;
 	}
 
+	module_entry->handle = handle;
+
 	if ((type == MODULE_TEMPORARY || start_now) && zend_startup_module_ex(module_entry) == FAILURE) {
 		DL_UNLOAD(handle);
 		return FAILURE;
diff --git a/sapi/phpdbg/phpdbg_prompt.c b/sapi/phpdbg/phpdbg_prompt.c
index 39befbd64ec32..9551e6f8ee92b 100644
--- a/sapi/phpdbg/phpdbg_prompt.c
+++ b/sapi/phpdbg/phpdbg_prompt.c
@@ -1314,16 +1314,14 @@ PHPDBG_API const char *phpdbg_load_module_or_extension(char **path, const char *
 			goto quit;
 		}
 
-		module_entry->type = MODULE_PERSISTENT;
-		module_entry->module_number = zend_next_free_module();
-		module_entry->handle = handle;
-
-		if ((module_entry = zend_register_module_ex(module_entry)) == NULL) {
+		if ((module_entry = zend_register_module_ex(module_entry, MODULE_PERSISTENT)) == NULL) {
 			phpdbg_error("Unable to register module %s", *name);
 
 			goto quit;
 		}
 
+		module_entry->handle = handle;
+
 		if (zend_startup_module_ex(module_entry) == FAILURE) {
 			phpdbg_error("Unable to startup module %s", module_entry->name);