diff --git a/ext/intl/breakiterator/rulebasedbreakiterator_methods.cpp b/ext/intl/breakiterator/rulebasedbreakiterator_methods.cpp
index a7c322b1d8169..6a36086739730 100644
--- a/ext/intl/breakiterator/rulebasedbreakiterator_methods.cpp
+++ b/ext/intl/breakiterator/rulebasedbreakiterator_methods.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #include <limits.h>
 }
 
+#include "../intl_cppshims.h"
 #include "../intl_convertcpp.h"
 #include "../intl_common.h"
 
@@ -138,7 +139,10 @@ U_CFUNC PHP_METHOD(IntlRuleBasedBreakIterator, getRuleStatusVec)
 	ZEND_ASSERT(BREAKITER_ERROR_CODE(bio) == U_BUFFER_OVERFLOW_ERROR);
 	BREAKITER_ERROR_CODE(bio) = U_ZERO_ERROR;
 
-	std::unique_ptr<int32_t[]> rules = std::unique_ptr<int32_t[]>(new int32_t[num_rules]);
+	int32_t *r = zend_mm_safe_alloc<int32_t *>(static_cast<size_t>(num_rules), sizeof(int32_t));
+
+	std::unique_ptr<int32_t[], decltype(&zend_mm_destructor<int32_t>)> rules(r, zend_mm_destructor);
+
 	num_rules = fetch_rbbi(bio)->getRuleStatusVec(rules.get(), num_rules,
 			BREAKITER_ERROR_CODE(bio));
 	if (U_FAILURE(BREAKITER_ERROR_CODE(bio))) {
diff --git a/ext/intl/intl_cppshims.h b/ext/intl/intl_cppshims.h
index 169448a2edf33..faedc6fb8623f 100644
--- a/ext/intl/intl_cppshims.h
+++ b/ext/intl/intl_cppshims.h
@@ -29,4 +29,32 @@
 #define _MSC_STDINT_H_ 1
 #endif
 
+#include <type_traits>
+
+template<typename T, typename S = std::size_t, typename std::enable_if<std::is_integral<S>::value && std::is_unsigned<S>::value, int>::type = 0>
+T zend_mm_fast_alloc(S len) {
+	return static_cast<T>(emalloc(len));
+}
+
+// we try to provide enough flexibility for nm and size types as long they re unsigned together
+template<typename T, typename N, typename S,
+         typename std::enable_if<std::is_integral<N>::value && std::is_unsigned<N>::value && std::is_integral<S>::value && std::is_unsigned<S>::value, int>::type = 0>
+T zend_mm_safe_alloc(N num, S len, S offset = 0) {
+    return static_cast<T>(safe_emalloc(num, len, offset));
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename std::enable_if<std::is_class<T>::value, int>::type = 0>
+void zend_mm_destructor(T *inst) {
+	if (inst) {
+		inst->~T();
+		efree(inst);
+	}
+}
+
+template<typename T, typename std::enable_if<!std::is_class<T>::value, int>::type = 0>
+void zend_mm_destructor(T *ptr) {
+	if (ptr) {
+		efree(ptr);
+	}
+}
 #endif