diff --git a/Zend/zend_hash.c b/Zend/zend_hash.c
index 56695c42293..3d631526f65 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_hash.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_hash.c
@@ -258,6 +258,26 @@ ZEND_API HashTable* ZEND_FASTCALL _zend_new_array(uint32_t nSize)
 	return ht;
 }
 
+ZEND_API HashTable* ZEND_FASTCALL zend_new_pair(zval *val1, zval *val2)
+{
+	Bucket *p;
+	HashTable *ht = emalloc(sizeof(HashTable));
+	_zend_hash_init_int(ht, HT_MIN_SIZE, ZVAL_PTR_DTOR, 0);
+	ht->nNumUsed = ht->nNumOfElements = ht->nNextFreeElement = 2;
+	zend_hash_real_init_packed_ex(ht);
+
+	p = ht->arData;
+	ZVAL_COPY_VALUE(&p->val, val1);
+	p->h = 0;
+	p->key = NULL;
+
+	p++;
+	ZVAL_COPY_VALUE(&p->val, val2);
+	p->h = 1;
+	p->key = NULL;
+	return ht;
+}
+
 static void ZEND_FASTCALL zend_hash_packed_grow(HashTable *ht)
 {
 	HT_ASSERT_RC1(ht);
diff --git a/Zend/zend_hash.h b/Zend/zend_hash.h
index 166a9b2d6cd..f1e2d34685d 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_hash.h
+++ b/Zend/zend_hash.h
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ ZEND_API int ZEND_FASTCALL zend_hash_rehash(HashTable *ht);
 
 ZEND_API HashTable* ZEND_FASTCALL _zend_new_array_0(void);
 ZEND_API HashTable* ZEND_FASTCALL _zend_new_array(uint32_t size);
+ZEND_API HashTable* ZEND_FASTCALL zend_new_pair(zval *val1, zval *val2);
 ZEND_API uint32_t zend_array_count(HashTable *ht);
 ZEND_API HashTable* ZEND_FASTCALL zend_array_dup(HashTable *source);
 ZEND_API void ZEND_FASTCALL zend_array_destroy(HashTable *ht);
diff --git a/ext/pcre/php_pcre.c b/ext/pcre/php_pcre.c
index 46794fe1d1a..5ce2f3f4e59 100644
--- a/ext/pcre/php_pcre.c
+++ b/ext/pcre/php_pcre.c
@@ -931,23 +931,17 @@ PHPAPI void php_pcre_free_match_data(pcre2_match_data *match_data)
 }/*}}}*/
 
 static void init_unmatched_null_pair() {
-	zval tmp;
-	zval *pair = &PCRE_G(unmatched_null_pair);
-	array_init_size(pair, 2);
-	ZVAL_NULL(&tmp);
-	zend_hash_next_index_insert_new(Z_ARRVAL_P(pair), &tmp);
-	ZVAL_LONG(&tmp, -1);
-	zend_hash_next_index_insert_new(Z_ARRVAL_P(pair), &tmp);
+	zval val1, val2;
+	ZVAL_NULL(&val1);
+	ZVAL_LONG(&val2, -1);
+	ZVAL_ARR(&PCRE_G(unmatched_null_pair), zend_new_pair(&val1, &val2));
 }
 
 static void init_unmatched_empty_pair() {
-	zval tmp;
-	zval *pair = &PCRE_G(unmatched_empty_pair);
-	array_init_size(pair, 2);
-	ZVAL_EMPTY_STRING(&tmp);
-	zend_hash_next_index_insert_new(Z_ARRVAL_P(pair), &tmp);
-	ZVAL_LONG(&tmp, -1);
-	zend_hash_next_index_insert_new(Z_ARRVAL_P(pair), &tmp);
+	zval val1, val2;
+	ZVAL_EMPTY_STRING(&val1);
+	ZVAL_LONG(&val2, -1);
+	ZVAL_ARR(&PCRE_G(unmatched_empty_pair), zend_new_pair(&val1, &val2));
 }
 
 static zend_always_inline void populate_match_value_str(
@@ -980,7 +974,7 @@ static inline void add_offset_pair(
 		zval *result, const char *subject, PCRE2_SIZE start_offset, PCRE2_SIZE end_offset,
 		zend_string *name, uint32_t unmatched_as_null)
 {
-	zval match_pair, tmp;
+	zval match_pair;
 
 	/* Add (match, offset) to the return value */
 	if (PCRE2_UNSET == start_offset) {
@@ -996,11 +990,10 @@ static inline void add_offset_pair(
 			ZVAL_COPY(&match_pair, &PCRE_G(unmatched_empty_pair));
 		}
 	} else {
-		array_init_size(&match_pair, 2);
-		populate_match_value_str(&tmp, subject, start_offset, end_offset);
-		zend_hash_next_index_insert_new(Z_ARRVAL(match_pair), &tmp);
-		ZVAL_LONG(&tmp, start_offset);
-		zend_hash_next_index_insert_new(Z_ARRVAL(match_pair), &tmp);
+		zval val1, val2;
+		populate_match_value_str(&val1, subject, start_offset, end_offset);
+		ZVAL_LONG(&val2, start_offset);
+		ZVAL_ARR(&match_pair, zend_new_pair(&val1, &val2));
 	}
 
 	if (name) {