diff --git a/ext/spl/spl_directory.c b/ext/spl/spl_directory.c
index 461bdc1e901ec..751000fe63004 100644
--- a/ext/spl/spl_directory.c
+++ b/ext/spl/spl_directory.c
@@ -1599,12 +1599,12 @@ PHP_METHOD(GlobIterator, count)
 		RETURN_THROWS();
 	}
 
-	/* The spl_filesystem_object_get_method_check() function is called prior to calling this function.
-	 * Therefore, the directory entry cannot be NULL. However, if it is not NULL, then it must be a glob iterator
-	 * by construction. */
-	ZEND_ASSERT(spl_intern_is_glob(intern));
-
-	RETURN_LONG(php_glob_stream_get_count(intern->u.dir.dirp, NULL));
+	if (EXPECTED(spl_intern_is_glob(intern))) {
+		RETURN_LONG(php_glob_stream_get_count(intern->u.dir.dirp, NULL));
+	} else {
+		/* This can happen by avoiding constructors in specially-crafted code. */
+		zend_throw_error(NULL, "GlobIterator is not initialized");
+	}
 }
 /* }}} */
 #endif /* HAVE_GLOB */
diff --git a/ext/spl/tests/GlobIterator_constructor_count.phpt b/ext/spl/tests/GlobIterator_constructor_count.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..5f96be6219d62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/spl/tests/GlobIterator_constructor_count.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+--TEST--
+GlobIterator without constructor breaks count()
+--FILE--
+<?php
+$rc = new ReflectionClass(GlobIterator::class);
+$in = $rc->newInstanceWithoutConstructor();
+try {
+    count($in);
+} catch (Error $e) {
+    echo $e->getMessage(), "\n";
+}
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+GlobIterator is not initialized