diff --git a/ext/xml/xml.c b/ext/xml/xml.c
index 813718bb8a22..0b46aa6b2fe2 100644
--- a/ext/xml/xml.c
+++ b/ext/xml/xml.c
@@ -64,11 +64,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	XML_Parser parser;
 	XML_Char *target_encoding;
 
-	/* Reference to the object itself, for convenience.
-	 * It is not owned, do not release it. */
-	zval index;
-
-	zend_object *object;
+	zend_object *object; /* object with handlers */
 	zend_fcall_info_cache startElementHandler;
 	zend_fcall_info_cache endElementHandler;
 	zend_fcall_info_cache characterDataHandler;
@@ -641,7 +637,7 @@ void xml_startElementHandler(void *userData, const XML_Char *name, const XML_Cha
 
 	if (ZEND_FCC_INITIALIZED(parser->startElementHandler)) {
 		zval args[3];
-		ZVAL_COPY(&args[0], &parser->index);
+		ZVAL_OBJ(&args[0], &parser->std);
 		ZVAL_STR(&args[1], xml_stripped_tag(tag_name, parser->toffset));
 		array_init(&args[2]);
 
@@ -660,7 +656,6 @@ void xml_startElementHandler(void *userData, const XML_Char *name, const XML_Cha
 		}
 
 		zend_call_known_fcc(&parser->startElementHandler, /* retval */ NULL, /* param_count */ 3, args, /* named_params */ NULL);
-		zval_ptr_dtor(&args[0]);
 		zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[1]);
 		zval_ptr_dtor(&args[2]);
 	}
@@ -742,11 +737,10 @@ void xml_endElementHandler(void *userData, const XML_Char *name)
 
 	if (ZEND_FCC_INITIALIZED(parser->endElementHandler)) {
 		zval args[2];
-		ZVAL_COPY(&args[0], &parser->index);
+		ZVAL_OBJ(&args[0], &parser->std);
 		ZVAL_STR(&args[1], xml_stripped_tag(tag_name, parser->toffset));
 
 		zend_call_known_fcc(&parser->endElementHandler, /* retval */ NULL, /* param_count */ 2, args, /* named_params */ NULL);
-		zval_ptr_dtor(&args[0]);
 		zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[1]);
 	}
 
@@ -803,11 +797,10 @@ void xml_characterDataHandler(void *userData, const XML_Char *s, int len)
 
 	if (ZEND_FCC_INITIALIZED(parser->characterDataHandler)) {
 		zval args[2];
-		ZVAL_COPY(&args[0], &parser->index);
+		ZVAL_OBJ(&args[0], &parser->std);
 		xml_xmlchar_zval(s, len, parser->target_encoding, &args[1]);
 
 		zend_call_known_fcc(&parser->characterDataHandler, /* retval */ NULL, /* param_count */ 2, args, /* named_params */ NULL);
-		zval_ptr_dtor(&args[0]);
 		zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[1]);
 	}
 
@@ -911,12 +904,11 @@ void xml_processingInstructionHandler(void *userData, const XML_Char *target, co
 
 	zval args[3];
 
-	ZVAL_COPY(&args[0], &parser->index);
+	ZVAL_OBJ(&args[0], &parser->std);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(target, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[1]);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(data, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[2]);
 
 	zend_call_known_fcc(&parser->processingInstructionHandler, /* retval */ NULL, /* param_count */ 3, args, /* named_params */ NULL);
-	zval_ptr_dtor(&args[0]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[1]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[2]);
 }
@@ -933,11 +925,10 @@ void xml_defaultHandler(void *userData, const XML_Char *s, int len)
 
 	zval args[2];
 
-	ZVAL_COPY(&args[0], &parser->index);
+	ZVAL_OBJ(&args[0], &parser->std);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(s, len, parser->target_encoding, &args[1]);
 
 	zend_call_known_fcc(&parser->defaultHandler, /* retval */ NULL, /* param_count */ 2, args, /* named_params */ NULL);
-	zval_ptr_dtor(&args[0]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[1]);
 }
 /* }}} */
@@ -955,7 +946,7 @@ void xml_unparsedEntityDeclHandler(void *userData,
 
 	zval args[6];
 
-	ZVAL_COPY(&args[0], &parser->index);
+	ZVAL_OBJ(&args[0], &parser->std);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(entityName, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[1]);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(base, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[2]);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(systemId, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[3]);
@@ -963,7 +954,6 @@ void xml_unparsedEntityDeclHandler(void *userData,
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(notationName, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[5]);
 
 	zend_call_known_fcc(&parser->unparsedEntityDeclHandler, /* retval */ NULL, /* param_count */ 6, args, /* named_params */ NULL);
-	zval_ptr_dtor(&args[0]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[1]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[2]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[3]);
@@ -984,14 +974,13 @@ void xml_notationDeclHandler(void *userData, const XML_Char *notationName,
 
 	zval args[5];
 
-	ZVAL_COPY(&args[0], &parser->index);
+	ZVAL_OBJ(&args[0], &parser->std);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(notationName, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[1]);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(base, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[2]);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(systemId, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[3]);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(publicId, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[4]);
 
 	zend_call_known_fcc(&parser->notationDeclHandler, /* retval */ NULL, /* param_count */ 5, args, /* named_params */ NULL);
-	zval_ptr_dtor(&args[0]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[1]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[2]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[3]);
@@ -1013,14 +1002,13 @@ int xml_externalEntityRefHandler(XML_Parser userData, const XML_Char *openEntity
 	zval args[5];
 	zval retval;
 
-	ZVAL_COPY(&args[0], &parser->index);
+	ZVAL_OBJ(&args[0], &parser->std);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(openEntityNames, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[1]);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(base, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[2]);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(systemId, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[3]);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(publicId, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[4]);
 
 	zend_call_known_fcc(&parser->externalEntityRefHandler, /* retval */ &retval, /* param_count */ 5, args, /* named_params */ NULL);
-	zval_ptr_dtor(&args[0]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[1]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[2]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[3]);
@@ -1048,12 +1036,11 @@ void xml_startNamespaceDeclHandler(void *userData,const XML_Char *prefix, const
 
 	zval args[3];
 
-	ZVAL_COPY(&args[0], &parser->index);
+	ZVAL_OBJ(&args[0], &parser->std);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(prefix, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[1]);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(uri, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[2]);
 
 	zend_call_known_fcc(&parser->startNamespaceDeclHandler, /* retval */ NULL, /* param_count */ 3, args, /* named_params */ NULL);
-	zval_ptr_dtor(&args[0]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[1]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[2]);
 }
@@ -1070,11 +1057,10 @@ void xml_endNamespaceDeclHandler(void *userData, const XML_Char *prefix)
 
 	zval args[2];
 
-	ZVAL_COPY(&args[0], &parser->index);
+	ZVAL_OBJ(&args[0], &parser->std);
 	xml_xmlchar_zval(prefix, 0, parser->target_encoding, &args[1]);
 
 	zend_call_known_fcc(&parser->endNamespaceDeclHandler, /* retval */ NULL, /* param_count */ 2, args, /* named_params */ NULL);
-	zval_ptr_dtor(&args[0]);
 	zval_ptr_dtor_str(&args[1]);
 }
 /* }}} */
@@ -1133,7 +1119,6 @@ static void php_xml_parser_create_impl(INTERNAL_FUNCTION_PARAMETERS, int ns_supp
 	parser->parsehuge = false; /* It's the default for BC & DoS protection */
 
 	XML_SetUserData(parser->parser, parser);
-	ZVAL_COPY_VALUE(&parser->index, return_value);
 }
 /* }}} */