diff --git a/Zend/zend_constants.c b/Zend/zend_constants.c
index 5cee47fc413..b4deb62f825 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_constants.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_constants.c
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ void copy_zend_constant(zend_constant *c)
 	c->name = zend_strndup(c->name, c->name_len);
 	if (!(c->flags & CONST_PERSISTENT)) {
 		zval_copy_ctor(&c->value);
+		if (c->flags & CONST_EFREE_PERSISTENT) { /* persist_alloc()'d data */
+			persist_alloc(&c->value);
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/Zend/zend_constants.h b/Zend/zend_constants.h
index d8491460c4d..85df4c86569 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_constants.h
+++ b/Zend/zend_constants.h
@@ -23,8 +23,12 @@
 
 #include "zend_globals.h"
 
-#define CONST_CS 0x1				/* Case Sensitive */
-#define CONST_PERSISTENT 0x2
+#define CONST_CS				(1<<0)				/* Case Sensitive */
+#define CONST_PERSISTENT		(1<<1)				/* Persistent */
+#define CONST_EFREE_PERSISTENT	(1<<2)				/* In conjunction with CONST_PERSISTENT,
+													 * means that the constant should be freed
+													 * using zval_dtor() on shutdown.
+													 */
 
 typedef struct _zend_constant {
 	zval value;
diff --git a/Zend/zend_variables.c b/Zend/zend_variables.c
index 757019860c9..f919fb8c85f 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_variables.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_variables.c
@@ -126,6 +126,40 @@ ZEND_API int _zval_copy_ctor(zval *zvalue ZEND_FILE_LINE_DC)
 }
 
 
+ZEND_API int zval_persist(zval *zvalue TSRMLS_DC)
+{
+	switch (zvalue->type) {
+		case IS_RESOURCE:
+			return FAILURE; /* resources cannot be persisted */
+			break;
+		case IS_BOOL:
+		case IS_LONG:
+		case IS_NULL:
+			break;
+		case IS_CONSTANT:
+		case IS_STRING:
+			if (zvalue->value.str.val) {
+				if (zvalue->value.str.len==0) {
+					zvalue->value.str.val = empty_string;
+					return SUCCESS;
+				}
+			}
+			persist_alloc(zvalue->value.str.val);
+			break;
+		case IS_ARRAY:
+		case IS_CONSTANT_ARRAY:
+			persist_alloc(zvalue->value.ht);
+			zend_hash_apply(zvalue->value.ht, (apply_func_t) zval_persist TSRMLS_CC);
+			break;
+		case IS_OBJECT:
+			persist_alloc(zvalue->value.obj.properties);
+			zend_hash_apply(zvalue->value.obj.properties, (apply_func_t) zval_persist TSRMLS_CC);
+			break;
+	}
+	return SUCCESS;
+}
+
+
 ZEND_API int zend_print_variable(zval *var) 
 {
 	return zend_print_zval(var, 0);
diff --git a/Zend/zend_variables.h b/Zend/zend_variables.h
index 5b6a68481c0..20a75b50e67 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_variables.h
+++ b/Zend/zend_variables.h
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ ZEND_API void _zval_ptr_dtor(zval **zval_ptr ZEND_FILE_LINE_DC);
 #define zval_dtor(zvalue) _zval_dtor((zvalue) ZEND_FILE_LINE_CC)
 #define zval_ptr_dtor(zval_ptr) _zval_ptr_dtor((zval_ptr) ZEND_FILE_LINE_CC)
 
+ZEND_API int zval_persist(zval *zvalue TSRMLS_DC);
+
 #if ZEND_DEBUG
 ZEND_API int _zval_copy_ctor_wrapper(zval *zvalue);
 ZEND_API void _zval_dtor_wrapper(zval *zvalue);