diff --git a/ext/opcache/Optimizer/dce.c b/ext/opcache/Optimizer/dce.c
index 8370bdc7792..0ba91e66e0c 100644
--- a/ext/opcache/Optimizer/dce.c
+++ b/ext/opcache/Optimizer/dce.c
@@ -503,6 +503,16 @@ int dce_optimize_op_array(zend_op_array *op_array, zend_ssa *ssa, zend_bool reor
 	ctx.phi_dead = alloca(sizeof(zend_ulong) * ctx.phi_worklist_len);
 	memset(ctx.phi_dead, 0xff, sizeof(zend_ulong) * ctx.phi_worklist_len);
 
+	/* Mark non-CV phis as live. Even if the result is unused, we generally cannot remove one
+	 * of the producing instructions, as it combines producing the result with control flow.
+	 * This can be made more precise if there are any cases where this is not the case. */
+	FOREACH_PHI(phi) {
+		if (phi->var >= op_array->last_var) {
+			zend_bitset_excl(ctx.phi_dead, phi->ssa_var);
+			add_phi_sources_to_worklists(&ctx, phi, 0);
+		}
+	} FOREACH_PHI_END();
+
 	/* Mark reacable instruction without side effects as dead */
 	int b = ssa->cfg.blocks_count;
 	while (b > 0) {
diff --git a/ext/opcache/tests/opt/dce_009.phpt b/ext/opcache/tests/opt/dce_009.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d6eba581728
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/opcache/tests/opt/dce_009.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+--TEST--
+Incorrect DCE of FREE of COALESCE
+--FILE--
+<?php
+
+function test(?string $str) {
+    $str ?? $str = '';
+    return strlen($str);
+}
+
+$foo = 'foo';
+$foo .= 'bar';
+var_dump(test($foo));
+
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+int(6)