diff --git a/UPGRADING b/UPGRADING
index c77bfbfa4e02..9f7917301b59 100644
--- a/UPGRADING
+++ b/UPGRADING
@@ -481,6 +481,9 @@ PHP 8.6 UPGRADE NOTES
   . Improved performance of indentation generation in json_encode()
     when using PHP_JSON_PRETTY_PRINT.
 
+- Phar:
+  . Reduced temporary allocations when iterating Phar directories.
+
 - Standard:
   . Improved performance of array_fill_keys().
   . Improved performance of array_map() with multiple arrays passed.
diff --git a/ext/phar/dirstream.c b/ext/phar/dirstream.c
index b1c8c4747cc6..f700cc3d84b3 100644
--- a/ext/phar/dirstream.c
+++ b/ext/phar/dirstream.c
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ static int phar_compare_dir_name(Bucket *f, Bucket *s)  /* {{{ */
 static php_stream *phar_make_dirstream(const char *dir, size_t dirlen, const HashTable *manifest) /* {{{ */
 {
 	HashTable *data;
-	char *entry;
+	const char *entry;
 
 	ALLOC_HASHTABLE(data);
 	zend_hash_init(data, 64, NULL, NULL, 0);
@@ -181,9 +181,7 @@ static php_stream *phar_make_dirstream(const char *dir, size_t dirlen, const Has
 				/* the entry has a path separator and is a subdirectory */
 				keylen = has_slash - ZSTR_VAL(str_key);
 			}
-			entry = safe_emalloc(keylen, 1, 1);
-			memcpy(entry, ZSTR_VAL(str_key), keylen);
-			entry[keylen] = '\0';
+			entry = ZSTR_VAL(str_key);
 		} else {
 			if (0 != memcmp(ZSTR_VAL(str_key), dir, dirlen)) {
 				/* entry in directory not found */
@@ -201,16 +199,12 @@ static php_stream *phar_make_dirstream(const char *dir, size_t dirlen, const Has
 			if (has_slash) {
 				/* is subdirectory */
 				save -= dirlen + 1;
-				entry = safe_emalloc(has_slash - save + dirlen, 1, 1);
-				memcpy(entry, save + dirlen + 1, has_slash - save - dirlen - 1);
 				keylen = has_slash - save - dirlen - 1;
-				entry[keylen] = '\0';
+				entry = save + dirlen + 1;
 			} else {
 				/* is file */
 				save -= dirlen + 1;
-				entry = safe_emalloc(keylen - dirlen, 1, 1);
-				memcpy(entry, save + dirlen + 1, keylen - dirlen - 1);
-				entry[keylen - dirlen - 1] = '\0';
+				entry = save + dirlen + 1;
 				keylen = keylen - dirlen - 1;
 			}
 		}
@@ -227,8 +221,6 @@ static php_stream *phar_make_dirstream(const char *dir, size_t dirlen, const Has
 			ZVAL_NULL(&dummy);
 			zend_hash_str_update(data, entry, keylen, &dummy);
 		}
-
-		efree(entry);
 	} ZEND_HASH_FOREACH_END();
 
 	if (FAILURE != zend_hash_has_more_elements(data)) {