diff --git a/ext/sockets/conversions.c b/ext/sockets/conversions.c
index 202811363bad8..dd3b018c98d72 100644
--- a/ext/sockets/conversions.c
+++ b/ext/sockets/conversions.c
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ static void from_zval_write_sin_addr(const zval *zaddr_str, char *inaddr, ser_co
 	zend_string			*addr_str, *tmp_addr_str;
 
 	addr_str = zval_get_tmp_string((zval *) zaddr_str, &tmp_addr_str);
-	res = php_set_inet_addr(&saddr, ZSTR_VAL(addr_str), ctx->sock);
+	res = php_set_inet_addr(&saddr, addr_str, ctx->sock);
 	if (res) {
 		memcpy(inaddr, &saddr.sin_addr, sizeof saddr.sin_addr);
 	} else {
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ static void from_zval_write_sin6_addr(const zval *zaddr_str, char *addr6, ser_co
 	zend_string			*addr_str, *tmp_addr_str;
 
 	addr_str = zval_get_tmp_string((zval *) zaddr_str, &tmp_addr_str);
-	res = php_set_inet6_addr(&saddr6, ZSTR_VAL(addr_str), ctx->sock);
+	res = php_set_inet6_addr(&saddr6, addr_str, ctx->sock);
 	if (res) {
 		memcpy(addr6, &saddr6.sin6_addr, sizeof saddr6.sin6_addr);
 	} else {
diff --git a/ext/sockets/multicast.c b/ext/sockets/multicast.c
index 06bc03e7f209a..8ca85cf7284cc 100644
--- a/ext/sockets/multicast.c
+++ b/ext/sockets/multicast.c
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ static zend_result php_get_address_from_array(const HashTable *ht, const char *k
 		return FAILURE;
 	}
 	str = zval_get_tmp_string(val, &tmp_str);
-	if (!php_set_inet46_addr(ss, ss_len, ZSTR_VAL(str), sock)) {
+	if (!php_set_inet46_addr(ss, ss_len, str, sock)) {
 		zend_tmp_string_release(tmp_str);
 		return FAILURE;
 	}
diff --git a/ext/sockets/sockaddr_conv.c b/ext/sockets/sockaddr_conv.c
index d007bf4af2ed0..9840a98dbcb72 100644
--- a/ext/sockets/sockaddr_conv.c
+++ b/ext/sockets/sockaddr_conv.c
@@ -13,16 +13,16 @@ extern zend_result php_string_to_if_index(const char *val, unsigned *out);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_IPV6
 /* Sets addr by hostname, or by ip in string form (AF_INET6) */
-int php_set_inet6_addr(struct sockaddr_in6 *sin6, char *string, php_socket *php_sock) /* {{{ */
+int php_set_inet6_addr(struct sockaddr_in6 *sin6, zend_string *string, php_socket *php_sock) /* {{{ */
 {
 	struct in6_addr tmp;
 #ifdef HAVE_GETADDRINFO
 	struct addrinfo hints;
 	struct addrinfo *addrinfo = NULL;
 #endif
-	char *scope = strchr(string, '%');
+	char *scope = strchr(ZSTR_VAL(string), '%');
 
-	if (inet_pton(AF_INET6, string, &tmp)) {
+	if (inet_pton(AF_INET6, ZSTR_VAL(string), &tmp)) {
 		memcpy(&(sin6->sin6_addr.s6_addr), &(tmp.s6_addr), sizeof(struct in6_addr));
 	} else {
 #ifdef HAVE_GETADDRINFO
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ int php_set_inet6_addr(struct sockaddr_in6 *sin6, char *string, php_socket *php_
 #else
 		hints.ai_flags = AI_ADDRCONFIG;
 #endif
-		getaddrinfo(string, NULL, &hints, &addrinfo);
+		getaddrinfo(ZSTR_VAL(string), NULL, &hints, &addrinfo);
 		if (!addrinfo) {
 #ifdef PHP_WIN32
 			PHP_SOCKET_ERROR(php_sock, "Host lookup failed", WSAGetLastError());
@@ -84,15 +84,15 @@ int php_set_inet6_addr(struct sockaddr_in6 *sin6, char *string, php_socket *php_
 #endif
 
 /* Sets addr by hostname, or by ip in string form (AF_INET)  */
-int php_set_inet_addr(struct sockaddr_in *sin, char *string, php_socket *php_sock) /* {{{ */
+int php_set_inet_addr(struct sockaddr_in *sin, zend_string *string, php_socket *php_sock) /* {{{ */
 {
 	struct in_addr tmp;
 	struct hostent *host_entry;
 
-	if (inet_pton(AF_INET, string, &tmp)) {
+	if (inet_pton(AF_INET, ZSTR_VAL(string), &tmp)) {
 		sin->sin_addr.s_addr = tmp.s_addr;
 	} else {
-		if (strlen(string) > MAXFQDNLEN || ! (host_entry = php_network_gethostbyname(string))) {
+		if (ZSTR_LEN(string) > MAXFQDNLEN || ! (host_entry = php_network_gethostbyname(ZSTR_VAL(string)))) {
 			/* Note: < -10000 indicates a host lookup error */
 #ifdef PHP_WIN32
 			PHP_SOCKET_ERROR(php_sock, "Host lookup failed", WSAGetLastError());
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ int php_set_inet_addr(struct sockaddr_in *sin, char *string, php_socket *php_soc
 
 /* Sets addr by hostname or by ip in string form (AF_INET or AF_INET6,
  * depending on the socket) */
-int php_set_inet46_addr(php_sockaddr_storage *ss, socklen_t *ss_len, char *string, php_socket *php_sock) /* {{{ */
+int php_set_inet46_addr(php_sockaddr_storage *ss, socklen_t *ss_len, zend_string *string, php_socket *php_sock) /* {{{ */
 {
 	if (php_sock->type == AF_INET) {
 		struct sockaddr_in t = {0};
diff --git a/ext/sockets/sockaddr_conv.h b/ext/sockets/sockaddr_conv.h
index 1e7e3cf046d0a..93104e6470fb6 100644
--- a/ext/sockets/sockaddr_conv.h
+++ b/ext/sockets/sockaddr_conv.h
@@ -16,16 +16,16 @@
  * The IPv6 literal can be a IPv4 mapped address (like ::ffff:127.0.0.1).
  * If the hostname yields no IPv6 addresses, a mapped IPv4 address may be returned (AI_V4MAPPED)
  */
-int php_set_inet6_addr(struct sockaddr_in6 *sin6, char *string, php_socket *php_sock);
+int php_set_inet6_addr(struct sockaddr_in6 *sin6, zend_string *string, php_socket *php_sock);
 
 /*
  * Convert an IPv4 literal or a hostname into a sockaddr_in.
  */
-int php_set_inet_addr(struct sockaddr_in *sin, char *string, php_socket *php_sock);
+int php_set_inet_addr(struct sockaddr_in *sin, zend_string *string, php_socket *php_sock);
 
 /*
  * Calls either php_set_inet6_addr() or php_set_inet_addr(), depending on the type of the socket.
  */
-int php_set_inet46_addr(php_sockaddr_storage *ss, socklen_t *ss_len, char *string, php_socket *php_sock);
+int php_set_inet46_addr(php_sockaddr_storage *ss, socklen_t *ss_len, zend_string *string, php_socket *php_sock);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/ext/sockets/sockets.c b/ext/sockets/sockets.c
index 88a26f19b4f82..8a347bdfe45f8 100644
--- a/ext/sockets/sockets.c
+++ b/ext/sockets/sockets.c
@@ -1204,15 +1204,14 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(socket_connect)
 {
 	zval				*resource_socket;
 	php_socket			*php_sock;
-	char				*addr;
+	zend_string                     *addr;
 	int					retval;
-	size_t              addr_len;
 	zend_long				port;
 	bool				port_is_null = 1;
 
 	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_START(2, 3)
 		Z_PARAM_OBJECT_OF_CLASS(resource_socket, socket_ce)
-		Z_PARAM_STRING(addr, addr_len)
+		Z_PARAM_STR(addr)
 		Z_PARAM_OPTIONAL
 		Z_PARAM_LONG_OR_NULL(port, port_is_null)
 	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_END();
@@ -1265,15 +1264,15 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(socket_connect)
 		case AF_UNIX: {
 			struct sockaddr_un s_un = {0};
 
-			if (addr_len >= sizeof(s_un.sun_path)) {
+			if (ZSTR_LEN(addr) >= sizeof(s_un.sun_path)) {
 				zend_argument_value_error(2, "must be less than %d", sizeof(s_un.sun_path));
 				RETURN_THROWS();
 			}
 
 			s_un.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
-			memcpy(&s_un.sun_path, addr, addr_len);
+			memcpy(&s_un.sun_path, ZSTR_VAL(addr), ZSTR_LEN(addr));
 			retval = connect(php_sock->bsd_socket, (struct sockaddr *) &s_un,
-				(socklen_t)(XtOffsetOf(struct sockaddr_un, sun_path) + addr_len));
+				(socklen_t)(XtOffsetOf(struct sockaddr_un, sun_path) + ZSTR_LEN(addr)));
 			break;
 		}
 
@@ -1316,14 +1315,13 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(socket_bind)
 	php_sockaddr_storage	sa_storage = {0};
 	struct sockaddr			*sock_type = (struct sockaddr*) &sa_storage;
 	php_socket				*php_sock;
-	char					*addr;
-	size_t						addr_len;
+	zend_string                             *addr;
 	zend_long					objint = 0;
 	zend_long					retval = 0;
 
 	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_START(2, 3)
 		Z_PARAM_OBJECT_OF_CLASS(arg1, socket_ce)
-		Z_PARAM_STRING(addr, addr_len)
+		Z_PARAM_STR(addr)
 		Z_PARAM_OPTIONAL
 		Z_PARAM_LONG(objint)
 	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_END();
@@ -1343,14 +1341,14 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(socket_bind)
 
 				sa->sun_family = AF_UNIX;
 
-				if (addr_len >= sizeof(sa->sun_path)) {
+				if (ZSTR_LEN(addr) >= sizeof(sa->sun_path)) {
 					zend_argument_value_error(2, "must be less than %d", sizeof(sa->sun_path));
 					RETURN_THROWS();
 				}
-				memcpy(&sa->sun_path, addr, addr_len);
+				memcpy(&sa->sun_path, ZSTR_VAL(addr), ZSTR_LEN(addr));
 
 				retval = bind(php_sock->bsd_socket, (struct sockaddr *) sa,
-						offsetof(struct sockaddr_un, sun_path) + addr_len);
+						offsetof(struct sockaddr_un, sun_path) + ZSTR_LEN(addr));
 				break;
 			}
 
@@ -1395,7 +1393,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(socket_bind)
 					RETURN_THROWS();
 				}
 
-				sa->sll_ifindex = if_nametoindex(addr);
+				sa->sll_ifindex = if_nametoindex(ZSTR_VAL(addr));
 
 				retval = bind(php_sock->bsd_socket, sock_type, sizeof(struct sockaddr_ll));
 				break;
@@ -1666,17 +1664,18 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(socket_sendto)
 	//struct sockaddr_ll      sll;
 #endif
 	int					retval;
-	size_t              buf_len, addr_len;
+	size_t              buf_len;
 	zend_long			len, flags, port = 0;
 	bool           port_is_null = 1;
-	char				*buf, *addr;
+	char				*buf;
+	zend_string *addr;
 
 	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_START(5, 6)
 		Z_PARAM_OBJECT_OF_CLASS(arg1, socket_ce)
 		Z_PARAM_STRING(buf, buf_len)
 		Z_PARAM_LONG(len)
 		Z_PARAM_LONG(flags)
-		Z_PARAM_STRING(addr, addr_len)
+		Z_PARAM_STR(addr)
 		Z_PARAM_OPTIONAL
 		Z_PARAM_LONG_OR_NULL(port, port_is_null)
 	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_END();
@@ -1699,7 +1698,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(socket_sendto)
 		case AF_UNIX:
 			memset(&s_un, 0, sizeof(s_un));
 			s_un.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
-			snprintf(s_un.sun_path, sizeof(s_un.sun_path), "%s", addr);
+			snprintf(s_un.sun_path, sizeof(s_un.sun_path), "%s", ZSTR_VAL(addr));
 
 			retval = sendto(php_sock->bsd_socket, buf, ((size_t)len > buf_len) ? buf_len : (size_t)len,	flags, (struct sockaddr *) &s_un, SUN_LEN(&s_un));
 			break;