diff --git a/ext/zlib/tests/gh22142.phpt b/ext/zlib/tests/gh22142.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..8632146dade6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/zlib/tests/gh22142.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+--TEST--
+GH-22142: deflate_init() handles undefined variable without assertion failure
+--FILE--
+<?php
+
+try {
+    $cls = new LibXMLError();
+    deflate_init($fusion, $cls);
+} catch (\Throwable $e) {
+    echo $e::class, ": ", $e->getMessage(), "\n";
+}
+
+?>
+--EXPECTF--
+Warning: Undefined variable $fusion in %s on line %d
+
+Deprecated: deflate_init(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($encoding) of type int is deprecated in %s on line %d
+TypeError: deflate_init(): Argument #2 ($options) the value for option "level" must be of type int, null given
diff --git a/ext/zlib/zlib.c b/ext/zlib/zlib.c
index 3b987fa45e48..59672e5dd918 100644
--- a/ext/zlib/zlib.c
+++ b/ext/zlib/zlib.c
@@ -865,6 +865,17 @@ ZEND_ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL static bool zlib_get_long_option(HashTable *options, cons
 
 	/* The |H ZPP specifier may leave HashTable entries wrapped in IS_INDIRECT. */
 	ZVAL_DEINDIRECT(option_buffer);
+	if (UNEXPECTED(Z_TYPE_P(option_buffer) == IS_UNDEF)) {
+		zend_argument_type_error(
+			2,
+			"the value for option \"%.*s\" must be of type int, %s given",
+			(int) option_name_len,
+			option_name,
+			zend_zval_value_name(option_buffer)
+		);
+		return false;
+	}
+	
 	*value = zval_try_get_long(option_buffer, &failed);
 	if (UNEXPECTED(failed)) {
 		zend_argument_type_error(