diff --git a/Zend/zend.c b/Zend/zend.c
index 4d024444a4be9..bb076fa819839 100644
--- a/Zend/zend.c
+++ b/Zend/zend.c
@@ -1813,7 +1813,6 @@ ZEND_API void zend_free_recorded_errors(void)
 ZEND_API ZEND_COLD void zend_throw_error(zend_class_entry *exception_ce, const char *format, ...) /* {{{ */
 {
 	va_list va;
-	char *message = NULL;
 
 	if (!exception_ce) {
 		exception_ce = zend_ce_error;
@@ -1825,16 +1824,16 @@ ZEND_API ZEND_COLD void zend_throw_error(zend_class_entry *exception_ce, const c
 	}
 
 	va_start(va, format);
-	zend_vspprintf(&message, 0, format, va);
+	zend_string *message = zend_vstrpprintf(0, format, va);
 
 	//TODO: we can't convert compile-time errors to exceptions yet???
 	if (EG(current_execute_data) && !CG(in_compilation)) {
-		zend_throw_exception(exception_ce, message, 0);
+		zend_throw_exception_zstr(exception_ce, message, 0);
 	} else {
-		zend_error_noreturn(E_ERROR, "%s", message);
+		zend_error_noreturn(E_ERROR, "%s", ZSTR_VAL(message));
 	}
 
-	efree(message);
+	zend_string_release_ex(message, false);
 	va_end(va);
 }
 /* }}} */
@@ -1865,24 +1864,22 @@ ZEND_API ZEND_COLD void zend_illegal_container_offset(const zend_string *contain
 ZEND_API ZEND_COLD void zend_type_error(const char *format, ...) /* {{{ */
 {
 	va_list va;
-	char *message = NULL;
 
 	va_start(va, format);
-	zend_vspprintf(&message, 0, format, va);
-	zend_throw_exception(zend_ce_type_error, message, 0);
-	efree(message);
+	zend_string *message = zend_vstrpprintf(0, format, va);
+	zend_throw_exception_zstr(zend_ce_type_error, message, 0);
+	zend_string_release_ex(message, false);
 	va_end(va);
 } /* }}} */
 
 ZEND_API ZEND_COLD void zend_argument_count_error(const char *format, ...) /* {{{ */
 {
 	va_list va;
-	char *message = NULL;
 
 	va_start(va, format);
-	zend_vspprintf(&message, 0, format, va);
-	zend_throw_exception(zend_ce_argument_count_error, message, 0);
-	efree(message);
+	zend_string *message = zend_vstrpprintf(0, format, va);
+	zend_throw_exception_zstr(zend_ce_argument_count_error, message, 0);
+	zend_string_release_ex(message, false);
 
 	va_end(va);
 } /* }}} */
@@ -1890,12 +1887,11 @@ ZEND_API ZEND_COLD void zend_argument_count_error(const char *format, ...) /* {{
 ZEND_API ZEND_COLD void zend_value_error(const char *format, ...) /* {{{ */
 {
 	va_list va;
-	char *message = NULL;
 
 	va_start(va, format);
-	zend_vspprintf(&message, 0, format, va);
-	zend_throw_exception(zend_ce_value_error, message, 0);
-	efree(message);
+	zend_string *message = zend_vstrpprintf(0, format, va);
+	zend_throw_exception_zstr(zend_ce_value_error, message, 0);
+	zend_string_release_ex(message, false);
 	va_end(va);
 } /* }}} */
 
diff --git a/Zend/zend_exceptions.c b/Zend/zend_exceptions.c
index 191d8f7fe6aec..52af3697d763a 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_exceptions.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_exceptions.c
@@ -853,7 +853,7 @@ void zend_register_default_exception(void) /* {{{ */
 }
 /* }}} */
 
-static zend_object *zend_throw_exception_zstr(zend_class_entry *exception_ce, zend_string *message, zend_long code) /* {{{ */
+ZEND_API ZEND_COLD zend_object *zend_throw_exception_zstr(zend_class_entry *exception_ce, zend_string *message, zend_long code) /* {{{ */
 {
 	zval ex, tmp;
 
diff --git a/Zend/zend_exceptions.h b/Zend/zend_exceptions.h
index 24d9f4efd80a3..0db86fd539544 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_exceptions.h
+++ b/Zend/zend_exceptions.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ ZEND_API void zend_register_default_classes(void);
 
 /* exception_ce   NULL, zend_ce_exception, zend_ce_error, or a derived class
  * message        NULL or the message of the exception */
+ZEND_API ZEND_COLD zend_object *zend_throw_exception_zstr(zend_class_entry *exception_ce, zend_string *message, zend_long code);
 ZEND_API ZEND_COLD zend_object *zend_throw_exception(zend_class_entry *exception_ce, const char *message, zend_long code);
 ZEND_API ZEND_COLD zend_object *zend_throw_exception_ex(zend_class_entry *exception_ce, zend_long code, const char *format, ...) ZEND_ATTRIBUTE_FORMAT(printf, 3, 4);
 ZEND_API ZEND_COLD void zend_throw_exception_object(zval *exception);
diff --git a/ext/ffi/ffi.c b/ext/ffi/ffi.c
index 86b8d29209f40..aeb510e60afc5 100644
--- a/ext/ffi/ffi.c
+++ b/ext/ffi/ffi.c
@@ -3687,18 +3687,17 @@ void zend_ffi_cleanup_dcl(zend_ffi_dcl *dcl) /* {{{ */
 static void zend_ffi_throw_parser_error(const char *format, ...) /* {{{ */
 {
 	va_list va;
-	char *message = NULL;
 
 	va_start(va, format);
-	zend_vspprintf(&message, 0, format, va);
+	zend_string *message = zend_vstrpprintf(0, format, va);
 
 	if (EG(current_execute_data)) {
-		zend_throw_exception(zend_ffi_parser_exception_ce, message, 0);
+		zend_throw_exception_zstr(zend_ffi_parser_exception_ce, message, 0);
 	} else {
-		zend_error(E_WARNING, "FFI Parser: %s", message);
+		zend_error(E_WARNING, "FFI Parser: %s", ZSTR_VAL(message));
 	}
 
-	efree(message);
+	zend_string_release_ex(message, false);
 	va_end(va);
 }
 /* }}} */
@@ -5790,18 +5789,17 @@ ZEND_GET_MODULE(ffi)
 void zend_ffi_parser_error(const char *format, ...) /* {{{ */
 {
 	va_list va;
-	char *message = NULL;
 
 	va_start(va, format);
-	zend_vspprintf(&message, 0, format, va);
+	zend_string *message = zend_vstrpprintf(0, format, va);
 
 	if (EG(current_execute_data)) {
-		zend_throw_exception(zend_ffi_parser_exception_ce, message, 0);
+		zend_throw_exception_zstr(zend_ffi_parser_exception_ce, message, 0);
 	} else {
-		zend_error(E_WARNING, "FFI Parser: %s", message);
+		zend_error(E_WARNING, "FFI Parser: %s", ZSTR_VAL(message));
 	}
 
-	efree(message);
+	zend_string_release_ex(message, false);
 	va_end(va);
 
 	LONGJMP(FFI_G(bailout), FAILURE);
diff --git a/ext/reflection/php_reflection.c b/ext/reflection/php_reflection.c
index a86ce16feb407..cb8cdc9a682dd 100644
--- a/ext/reflection/php_reflection.c
+++ b/ext/reflection/php_reflection.c
@@ -7379,7 +7379,7 @@ ZEND_METHOD(ReflectionAttribute, newInstance)
 		);
 		ZEND_ASSERT(delayed_target_validation != NULL);
 #endif
-		zend_throw_exception(zend_ce_error, ZSTR_VAL(attr->data->validation_error), 0);
+		zend_throw_exception_zstr(zend_ce_error, attr->data->validation_error, 0);
 		RETURN_THROWS();
 	}
 
diff --git a/ext/standard/assert.c b/ext/standard/assert.c
index 258447576e1f4..e350ae18705d2 100644
--- a/ext/standard/assert.c
+++ b/ext/standard/assert.c
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(assert)
 	}
 
 	if (ASSERTG(exception)) {
-		zend_throw_exception(assertion_error_ce, description_str ? ZSTR_VAL(description_str) : NULL, E_ERROR);
+		zend_throw_exception_zstr(assertion_error_ce, description_str, E_ERROR);
 		if (ASSERTG(bail)) {
 			/* When bail is turned on, the exception will not be caught. */
 			zend_exception_error(EG(exception), E_ERROR);