diff --git a/ext/bcmath/libbcmath/src/bcmath.h b/ext/bcmath/libbcmath/src/bcmath.h
index 3e005e2072cc3..9cd611a6fd5b3 100644
--- a/ext/bcmath/libbcmath/src/bcmath.h
+++ b/ext/bcmath/libbcmath/src/bcmath.h
@@ -39,16 +39,11 @@ typedef enum {PLUS, MINUS} sign;
 typedef struct bc_struct *bc_num;
 
 typedef struct bc_struct {
-	size_t n_len;   /* The number of digits before the decimal point. */
-	size_t n_scale; /* The number of digits after the decimal point. */
-	char  *n_ptr;   /* The pointer to the actual storage.
-	                  If NULL, n_value points to the inside of another number
-	                  (bc_multiply...) and should not be "freed." */
-	char  *n_value; /* The number. Not zero char terminated.
-	                   May not point to the same place as n_ptr as
-	                   in the case of leading zeros generated. */
-	int    n_refs;  /* The number of pointers to this number. */
-	sign   n_sign;
+	size_t        n_len;   /* The number of digits before the decimal point. */
+	size_t        n_scale; /* The number of digits after the decimal point. */
+	char         *n_value; /* The number. Not zero char terminated. */
+	unsigned int  n_refs;  /* The number of pointers to this number. */
+	sign          n_sign;
 } bc_struct;
 
 #ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
diff --git a/ext/bcmath/libbcmath/src/init.c b/ext/bcmath/libbcmath/src/init.c
index cef55324689f9..959f47c21aa06 100644
--- a/ext/bcmath/libbcmath/src/init.c
+++ b/ext/bcmath/libbcmath/src/init.c
@@ -38,16 +38,14 @@
 /* new_num allocates a number and sets fields to known values. */
 bc_num _bc_new_num_ex(size_t length, size_t scale, bool persistent)
 {
-	/* PHP Change: malloc() -> pemalloc(), removed free_list code */
-	bc_num temp = (bc_num) safe_pemalloc(1, sizeof(bc_struct) + length, scale, persistent);
+	/* PHP Change: malloc() -> pemalloc(), removed free_list code, merged n_ptr and n_value */
+	bc_num temp = safe_pemalloc(1, sizeof(bc_struct) + length, scale, persistent);
 	temp->n_sign = PLUS;
 	temp->n_len = length;
 	temp->n_scale = scale;
 	temp->n_refs = 1;
-	/* PHP Change: malloc() -> pemalloc() */
-	temp->n_ptr = (char *) safe_pemalloc(1, length, scale, persistent);
-	temp->n_value = temp->n_ptr;
-	memset(temp->n_ptr, 0, length + scale);
+	temp->n_value = (char *) temp + sizeof(bc_struct);
+	memset(temp->n_value, 0, length + scale);
 	return temp;
 }
 
@@ -61,10 +59,6 @@ void _bc_free_num_ex(bc_num *num, bool persistent)
 	}
 	(*num)->n_refs--;
 	if ((*num)->n_refs == 0) {
-		if ((*num)->n_ptr) {
-			/* PHP Change: free() -> pefree(), removed free_list code */
-			pefree((*num)->n_ptr, persistent);
-		}
 		pefree(*num, persistent);
 	}
 	*num = NULL;
diff --git a/ext/bcmath/libbcmath/src/recmul.c b/ext/bcmath/libbcmath/src/recmul.c
index ec89c461fa188..fe6a34817d99b 100644
--- a/ext/bcmath/libbcmath/src/recmul.c
+++ b/ext/bcmath/libbcmath/src/recmul.c
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ static bc_num new_sub_num(size_t length, size_t scale, char *value)
 	temp->n_len = length;
 	temp->n_scale = scale;
 	temp->n_refs = 1;
-	temp->n_ptr = NULL;
 	temp->n_value = value;
 	return temp;
 }
@@ -273,7 +272,6 @@ void bc_multiply(bc_num n1, bc_num n2, bc_num *prod, size_t scale)
 
 	/* Assign to prod and clean up the number. */
 	pval->n_sign = (n1->n_sign == n2->n_sign ? PLUS : MINUS);
-	pval->n_value = pval->n_ptr;
 	pval->n_len = len2 + len1 + 1 - full_scale;
 	pval->n_scale = prod_scale;
 	_bc_rm_leading_zeros(pval);