diff --git a/ext/filter/filter.c b/ext/filter/filter.c
index 4a928379877b..a169ecf987d0 100644
--- a/ext/filter/filter.c
+++ b/ext/filter/filter.c
@@ -298,10 +298,10 @@ static void php_zval_filter(zval *value, zend_long filter, zend_long flags, zval
 				filter_func.name,
 				ZSTR_VAL(copy_for_throwing)
 			);
-			zend_string_delref(copy_for_throwing);
+			zend_string_release(copy_for_throwing);
 			return;
 		}
-		zend_string_delref(copy_for_throwing);
+		zend_string_release(copy_for_throwing);
 		copy_for_throwing = NULL;
 	}
 
diff --git a/ext/filter/tests/filter_throw_on_failure_leak.phpt b/ext/filter/tests/filter_throw_on_failure_leak.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d42896a94e8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/filter/tests/filter_throw_on_failure_leak.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+--TEST--
+filter: FILTER_THROW_ON_FAILURE does not leak the preserved input string
+--EXTENSIONS--
+filter
+--FILE--
+<?php
+// php_zval_filter() copies the input string so it can be quoted in the
+// exception message. A non-string scalar input (here a float / a large int)
+// is turned into a fresh heap string by convert_to_string(), so the copy is
+// the sole extra owner. Releasing it with zend_string_delref() decremented
+// without freeing, leaking one string per call on both the failure and the
+// success path. Loop and assert memory stays flat.
+function leakcheck(callable $fn): bool {
+    $fn();
+    $before = memory_get_usage();
+    for ($i = 0; $i < 2000; $i++) {
+        $fn();
+    }
+    return memory_get_usage() - $before === 0;
+}
+
+// Validation fails -> exception thrown.
+var_dump(leakcheck(function () {
+    try {
+        filter_var(1.5, FILTER_VALIDATE_INT, ['flags' => FILTER_THROW_ON_FAILURE]);
+    } catch (\Filter\FilterFailedException $e) {
+    }
+}));
+
+// Validation succeeds.
+var_dump(leakcheck(function () {
+    filter_var(15, FILTER_VALIDATE_INT, ['flags' => FILTER_THROW_ON_FAILURE]);
+}));
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+bool(true)
+bool(true)