diff --git a/ext/dba/dba.c b/ext/dba/dba.c
index 1a3a3c3fa8b..cc68f5c43b6 100644
--- a/ext/dba/dba.c
+++ b/ext/dba/dba.c
@@ -117,9 +117,9 @@ typedef struct dba_handler {
 	
 #define DBA_ID_GET 												\
 	convert_to_long_ex(id); 									\
-	DBA_IF_NOT_CORRECT_TYPE((*id)->value.lval) { 				\
+	DBA_IF_NOT_CORRECT_TYPE(Z_LVAL_PP(id)) { 				\
 		php_error(E_WARNING, "Unable to find DBA identifier %d", \
-				(*id)->value.lval); 							\
+				Z_LVAL_PP(id)); 							\
 		RETURN_FALSE; 											\
 	}
 	
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ static void php_dba_open(INTERNAL_FUNCTION_PARAMETERS, int persistent)
 	/* we only take string arguments */
 	for(i = 0; i < ac; i++) {
 		convert_to_string_ex(args[i]);
-		keylen += (*args[i])->value.str.len;
+		keylen += Z_STRLEN_PP(args[i]);
 	}
 
 	if(persistent) {
@@ -276,8 +276,8 @@ static void php_dba_open(INTERNAL_FUNCTION_PARAMETERS, int persistent)
 		keylen = 0;
 		
 		for(i = 0; i < ac; i++) {
-			memcpy(key+keylen,(*args[i])->value.str.val,(*args[i])->value.str.len);
-			keylen += (*args[i])->value.str.len;
+			memcpy(key+keylen,Z_STRVAL_PP(args[i]),Z_STRLEN_PP(args[i]));
+			keylen += Z_STRLEN_PP(args[i]);
 		}
 		
 		if(zend_hash_find(&ht_keys, key, keylen, (void **) &info) == SUCCESS) {
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(dba_close)
 {
 	DBA_ID_GET1;	
 	
-	zend_list_delete((*id)->value.lval);
+	zend_list_delete(Z_LVAL_PP(id));
 }
 /* }}} */
 
diff --git a/ext/dba/php_dba.h b/ext/dba/php_dba.h
index d8d1c9cbfe8..699b80f7771 100644
--- a/ext/dba/php_dba.h
+++ b/ext/dba/php_dba.h
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ extern zend_module_entry dba_module_entry;
 	DBA_OPTIMIZE_FUNC(x); \
 	DBA_SYNC_FUNC(x)
 
-#define VALLEN(p) (*p)->value.str.val, (*p)->value.str.len
+#define VALLEN(p) Z_STRVAL_PP(p), Z_STRLEN_PP(p)
 	
 PHP_FUNCTION(dba_open);
 PHP_FUNCTION(dba_popen);
diff --git a/ext/mhash/mhash.c b/ext/mhash/mhash.c
index 81303d96383..4e65718f08f 100644
--- a/ext/mhash/mhash.c
+++ b/ext/mhash/mhash.c
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mhash_get_block_size)
 
 	convert_to_long_ex(hash);
 
-	RETURN_LONG(mhash_get_block_size((*hash)->value.lval));
+	RETURN_LONG(mhash_get_block_size(Z_LVAL_PP(hash)));
 }
 
 /* }}} */
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mhash_get_hash_name)
 
 	convert_to_long_ex(hash);
 
-	name = mhash_get_hash_name((*hash)->value.lval);
+	name = mhash_get_hash_name(Z_LVAL_PP(hash));
 	if (name) {
 		RETVAL_STRING(name, 1);
 		free(name);
@@ -157,28 +157,28 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mhash)
 	convert_to_long_ex(hash);
 	convert_to_string_ex(data);
 
-	bsize = mhash_get_block_size((*hash)->value.lval);
+	bsize = mhash_get_block_size(Z_LVAL_PP(hash));
 
 	if (num_args == 3) {
-		if (mhash_get_hash_pblock((*hash)->value.lval) == 0) {
+		if (mhash_get_hash_pblock(Z_LVAL_PP(hash)) == 0) {
 			php_error(E_WARNING, MHASH_FAILED_MSG);
 			RETURN_FALSE;
 		}
 		td =
-		    mhash_hmac_init((*hash)->value.lval,
-				    (*key)->value.str.val,
-				    (*key)->value.str.len,
+		    mhash_hmac_init(Z_LVAL_PP(hash),
+				    Z_STRVAL_PP(key),
+				    Z_STRLEN_PP(key),
 				    mhash_get_hash_pblock((*hash)->value.
 							  lval));
 	} else {
-		td = mhash_init((*hash)->value.lval);
+		td = mhash_init(Z_LVAL_PP(hash));
 	}
 	if (td == MHASH_FAILED) {
 		php_error(E_WARNING, MHASH_FAILED_MSG);
 		RETURN_FALSE;
 	}
 
-	mhash(td, (*data)->value.str.val, (*data)->value.str.len);
+	mhash(td, Z_STRVAL_PP(data), Z_STRLEN_PP(data));
 
 	if (num_args == 3) {
 		hash_data = (unsigned char *) mhash_hmac_end(td);
@@ -220,10 +220,10 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mhash_keygen_s2k)
 	convert_to_string_ex(input_salt);
 	convert_to_long_ex(bytes);
 
-	password = (*input_password)->value.str.val;
-	password_len = (*input_password)->value.str.len;
+	password = Z_STRVAL_PP(input_password);
+	password_len = Z_STRLEN_PP(input_password);
 
-	salt_len = (*input_salt)->value.str.len;
+	salt_len = Z_STRLEN_PP(input_salt);
 
 	if (salt_len > mhash_get_keygen_salt_size(KEYGEN_S2K_SALTED)) {
 		sprintf( error, "The specified salt [%d] is more bytes than the required by the algorithm [%d]\n", salt_len, mhash_get_keygen_salt_size(KEYGEN_S2K_SALTED));
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mhash_keygen_s2k)
 	}
 
 	memset( salt, 0, SALT_SIZE);
-	memcpy( salt, (*input_salt)->value.str.val, salt_len);
+	memcpy( salt, Z_STRVAL_PP(input_salt), salt_len);
 	salt_len=SALT_SIZE;
 	
 /*	if (salt_len==0) {
@@ -240,8 +240,8 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mhash_keygen_s2k)
  *	}
  */
 	
-	hashid = (*hash)->value.lval;
-	size = (*bytes)->value.lval;
+	hashid = Z_LVAL_PP(hash);
+	size = Z_LVAL_PP(bytes);
 
 	keystruct.hash_algorithm[0]=hashid;
 	keystruct.hash_algorithm[1]=hashid;