diff --git a/Zend/zend.c b/Zend/zend.c
index b4fd4fd269c8a..75dc52d4fd8dd 100644
--- a/Zend/zend.c
+++ b/Zend/zend.c
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ ZEND_API zend_result (*zend_stream_open_function)(zend_file_handle *handle);
 ZEND_API void (*zend_ticks_function)(int ticks);
 ZEND_API void (*zend_interrupt_function)(zend_execute_data *execute_data);
 ZEND_API void (*zend_error_cb)(int type, zend_string *error_filename, const uint32_t error_lineno, zend_string *message);
+ZEND_API void (*zend_exit)(zend_string *str, zend_long status);
 void (*zend_printf_to_smart_string)(smart_string *buf, const char *format, va_list ap);
 void (*zend_printf_to_smart_str)(smart_str *buf, const char *format, va_list ap);
 ZEND_API char *(*zend_getenv)(const char *name, size_t name_len);
@@ -994,6 +995,7 @@ void zend_startup(zend_utility_functions *utility_functions) /* {{{ */
 
 	/* Set up the default garbage collection implementation. */
 	gc_collect_cycles = zend_gc_collect_cycles;
+	zend_exit = zend_exit_function_impl;
 
 	zend_vm_init();
 
diff --git a/Zend/zend.h b/Zend/zend.h
index 0cf1faeb653fe..3fefc6721de3b 100644
--- a/Zend/zend.h
+++ b/Zend/zend.h
@@ -356,6 +356,7 @@ extern ZEND_API void (*zend_ticks_function)(int ticks);
  * internal frame is still on top.
  */
 extern ZEND_API void (*zend_interrupt_function)(zend_execute_data *execute_data);
+extern ZEND_API void (*zend_exit)(zend_string *str, zend_long status);
 
 extern ZEND_API void (*zend_error_cb)(int type, zend_string *error_filename, const uint32_t error_lineno, zend_string *message);
 extern ZEND_API void (*zend_on_timeout)(int seconds);
diff --git a/Zend/zend_builtin_functions.c b/Zend/zend_builtin_functions.c
index bb8bb28bf6e4f..f0286ade1f532 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_builtin_functions.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_builtin_functions.c
@@ -73,27 +73,12 @@ ZEND_FUNCTION(exit)
 {
 	zend_string *str = NULL;
 	zend_long status = 0;
-
 	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_START(0, 1)
 		Z_PARAM_OPTIONAL
 		Z_PARAM_STR_OR_LONG(str, status)
 	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_END();
 
-	if (str) {
-		size_t len = ZSTR_LEN(str);
-		if (len != 0) {
-			/* An exception might be emitted by an output handler */
-			zend_write(ZSTR_VAL(str), len);
-			if (EG(exception)) {
-				RETURN_THROWS();
-			}
-		}
-	} else {
-		EG(exit_status) = status;
-	}
-
-	ZEND_ASSERT(!EG(exception));
-	zend_throw_unwind_exit();
+	zend_exit(str, status);
 }
 
 /* {{{ Get the version of the Zend Engine */
diff --git a/Zend/zend_execute.h b/Zend/zend_execute.h
index a11aca81e84c1..ec89a167cde9b 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_execute.h
+++ b/Zend/zend_execute.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ void init_executor(void);
 void shutdown_executor(void);
 void shutdown_destructors(void);
 ZEND_API void zend_shutdown_executor_values(bool fast_shutdown);
+ZEND_API void  zend_exit_function_impl(zend_string *str, zend_long status);
 
 ZEND_API void zend_init_execute_data(zend_execute_data *execute_data, zend_op_array *op_array, zval *return_value);
 ZEND_API void zend_init_func_execute_data(zend_execute_data *execute_data, zend_op_array *op_array, zval *return_value);
diff --git a/Zend/zend_execute_API.c b/Zend/zend_execute_API.c
index f42479cf745d2..90296639719fd 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_execute_API.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_execute_API.c
@@ -793,6 +793,26 @@ zend_result _call_user_function_impl(zval *object, zval *function_name, zval *re
 }
 /* }}} */
 
+ZEND_API void zend_exit_function_impl(zend_string *str, zend_long status)
+{
+	if (str) {
+		size_t len = ZSTR_LEN(str);
+		if (len != 0) {
+			/* An exception might be emitted by an output handler */
+			zend_write(ZSTR_VAL(str), len);
+			if (EG(exception)) {
+				ZEND_ASSERT(EG(exception));
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		EG(exit_status) = status;
+	}
+
+	ZEND_ASSERT(!EG(exception));
+	zend_throw_unwind_exit();
+}
+
 zend_result zend_call_function(zend_fcall_info *fci, zend_fcall_info_cache *fci_cache) /* {{{ */
 {
 	uint32_t i;