diff --git a/ext/spl/spl_fixedarray.c b/ext/spl/spl_fixedarray.c
index 7c08a189c6fcf..bbee2b9370626 100644
--- a/ext/spl/spl_fixedarray.c
+++ b/ext/spl/spl_fixedarray.c
@@ -484,8 +484,10 @@ static void spl_fixedarray_object_unset_dimension_helper(spl_fixedarray_object *
 		return;
 	} else {
 		intern->array.should_rebuild_properties = true;
-		zval_ptr_dtor(&(intern->array.elements[index]));
+		zval garbage;
+		ZVAL_COPY_VALUE(&garbage, &intern->array.elements[index]);
 		ZVAL_NULL(&intern->array.elements[index]);
+		zval_ptr_dtor(&garbage);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/ext/spl/tests/gh16478.phpt b/ext/spl/tests/gh16478.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b6b7a0ce4caa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/spl/tests/gh16478.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+--TEST--
+GH-16478: Fix use-after-free in SplFixedArray::unset()
+--FILE--
+<?php
+
+class C {
+    function __destruct() {
+        global $arr;
+        $arr->setSize(0);
+    }
+}
+
+$arr = new SplFixedArray(2);
+$arr[0] = new C;
+unset($arr[0]);
+var_dump($arr);
+
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+object(SplFixedArray)#1 (0) {
+}