diff --git a/Zend/tests/bug34786.phpt b/Zend/tests/bug34786.phpt
index 18642848d8424..ef0627633fcda 100644
--- a/Zend/tests/bug34786.phpt
+++ b/Zend/tests/bug34786.phpt
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ function bar() {
 echo "bar: ".error_reporting()."\n";
 }
 
-error_reporting(1);
+error_reporting(E_WARNING);
 echo "before: ".error_reporting()."\n";
 @foo(1,@bar(),3);
 echo "after: ".error_reporting()."\n";
 ?>
 --EXPECT--
-before: 1
+before: 2
 bar: 0
 foo: 0
-after: 1
+after: 2
diff --git a/Zend/zend_errors.h b/Zend/zend_errors.h
index 441458c033afe..6fda0f843e3bd 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_errors.h
+++ b/Zend/zend_errors.h
@@ -39,4 +39,9 @@
 #define E_ALL (E_ERROR | E_WARNING | E_PARSE | E_NOTICE | E_CORE_ERROR | E_CORE_WARNING | E_COMPILE_ERROR | E_COMPILE_WARNING | E_USER_ERROR | E_USER_WARNING | E_USER_NOTICE | E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR | E_DEPRECATED | E_USER_DEPRECATED | E_STRICT)
 #define E_CORE (E_CORE_ERROR | E_CORE_WARNING)
 
+/* Fatal errors that are ignored by the silence operator */
+#define E_FATAL_ERRORS (E_ERROR | E_CORE_ERROR | E_COMPILE_ERROR | E_USER_ERROR | E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR | E_PARSE)
+
+#define E_HAS_ONLY_FATAL_ERRORS(mask) !((mask) & ~E_FATAL_ERRORS)
+
 #endif /* ZEND_ERRORS_H */
diff --git a/Zend/zend_execute.c b/Zend/zend_execute.c
index edaed2c63f059..c1af0d6f2570f 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_execute.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_execute.c
@@ -3755,7 +3755,8 @@ static void cleanup_live_vars(zend_execute_data *execute_data, uint32_t op_num,
 					}
 				} else if (kind == ZEND_LIVE_SILENCE) {
 					/* restore previous error_reporting value */
-					if (!EG(error_reporting) && Z_LVAL_P(var) != 0) {
+					if (E_HAS_ONLY_FATAL_ERRORS(EG(error_reporting))
+							&& !E_HAS_ONLY_FATAL_ERRORS(Z_LVAL_P(var))) {
 						EG(error_reporting) = Z_LVAL_P(var);
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/Zend/zend_vm_def.h b/Zend/zend_vm_def.h
index 9b808a6e120cc..cb1b5b7647e99 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_vm_def.h
+++ b/Zend/zend_vm_def.h
@@ -6772,9 +6772,10 @@ ZEND_VM_HANDLER(57, ZEND_BEGIN_SILENCE, ANY, ANY)
 
 	ZVAL_LONG(EX_VAR(opline->result.var), EG(error_reporting));
 
-	if (EG(error_reporting)) {
+	if (!E_HAS_ONLY_FATAL_ERRORS(EG(error_reporting))) {
 		do {
-			EG(error_reporting) = 0;
+			/* Do not silence fatal errors */
+			EG(error_reporting) &= E_FATAL_ERRORS;
 			if (!EG(error_reporting_ini_entry)) {
 				zval *zv = zend_hash_find_ex(EG(ini_directives), ZSTR_KNOWN(ZEND_STR_ERROR_REPORTING), 1);
 				if (zv) {
@@ -6803,7 +6804,8 @@ ZEND_VM_HANDLER(58, ZEND_END_SILENCE, TMP, ANY)
 {
 	USE_OPLINE
 
-	if (!EG(error_reporting) && Z_LVAL_P(EX_VAR(opline->op1.var)) != 0) {
+	if (E_HAS_ONLY_FATAL_ERRORS(EG(error_reporting))
+			&& !E_HAS_ONLY_FATAL_ERRORS(Z_LVAL_P(EX_VAR(opline->op1.var)))) {
 		EG(error_reporting) = Z_LVAL_P(EX_VAR(opline->op1.var));
 	}
 	ZEND_VM_NEXT_OPCODE();
diff --git a/Zend/zend_vm_execute.h b/Zend/zend_vm_execute.h
index f08bb0d3f38f3..c4a222bde9293 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_vm_execute.h
+++ b/Zend/zend_vm_execute.h
@@ -1523,9 +1523,10 @@ static ZEND_OPCODE_HANDLER_RET ZEND_FASTCALL ZEND_BEGIN_SILENCE_SPEC_HANDLER(ZEN
 
 	ZVAL_LONG(EX_VAR(opline->result.var), EG(error_reporting));
 
-	if (EG(error_reporting)) {
+	if (!E_HAS_ONLY_FATAL_ERRORS(EG(error_reporting))) {
 		do {
-			EG(error_reporting) = 0;
+			/* Do not silence fatal errors */
+			EG(error_reporting) &= E_FATAL_ERRORS;
 			if (!EG(error_reporting_ini_entry)) {
 				zval *zv = zend_hash_find_ex(EG(ini_directives), ZSTR_KNOWN(ZEND_STR_ERROR_REPORTING), 1);
 				if (zv) {
@@ -19660,7 +19661,8 @@ static ZEND_OPCODE_HANDLER_RET ZEND_FASTCALL ZEND_END_SILENCE_SPEC_TMP_HANDLER(Z
 {
 	USE_OPLINE
 
-	if (!EG(error_reporting) && Z_LVAL_P(EX_VAR(opline->op1.var)) != 0) {
+	if (E_HAS_ONLY_FATAL_ERRORS(EG(error_reporting))
+			&& !E_HAS_ONLY_FATAL_ERRORS(Z_LVAL_P(EX_VAR(opline->op1.var)))) {
 		EG(error_reporting) = Z_LVAL_P(EX_VAR(opline->op1.var));
 	}
 	ZEND_VM_NEXT_OPCODE();
diff --git a/ext/mbstring/tests/mb_substitute_character_variation1.phpt b/ext/mbstring/tests/mb_substitute_character_variation1.phpt
index 68e1ad7ca89ba..69912eca50876 100644
--- a/ext/mbstring/tests/mb_substitute_character_variation1.phpt
+++ b/ext/mbstring/tests/mb_substitute_character_variation1.phpt
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ echo "*** Testing mb_substitute_character() : usage variation ***\n";
 
 // Define error handler
 function test_error_handler($err_no, $err_msg, $filename, $linenum) {
-	if (error_reporting() != 0) {
+	if (error_reporting() & $err_no) {
 		// report non-silenced errors
 		echo "Error: $err_no - $err_msg, $filename($linenum)\n";
 	}
diff --git a/ext/spl/tests/class_implements_variation1.phpt b/ext/spl/tests/class_implements_variation1.phpt
index 8b122a79f1525..4c70f2b412fb1 100644
--- a/ext/spl/tests/class_implements_variation1.phpt
+++ b/ext/spl/tests/class_implements_variation1.phpt
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ echo "*** Testing class_implements() : variation ***\n";
 
 // Define error handler
 function test_error_handler($err_no, $err_msg, $filename, $linenum) {
-	if (error_reporting() != 0) {
+	if (error_reporting() & $err_no) {
 		// report non-silenced errors
 		echo "Error: $err_no - $err_msg, $filename($linenum)\n";
 	}
diff --git a/ext/spl/tests/class_uses_variation1.phpt b/ext/spl/tests/class_uses_variation1.phpt
index fbf476b493642..538c9257e7b3e 100644
--- a/ext/spl/tests/class_uses_variation1.phpt
+++ b/ext/spl/tests/class_uses_variation1.phpt
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ echo "*** Testing class_uses() : variation ***\n";
 
 // Define error handler
 function test_error_handler($err_no, $err_msg, $filename, $linenum) {
-	if (error_reporting() != 0) {
+	if (error_reporting() & $err_no) {
 		// report non-silenced errors
 		echo "Error: $err_no - $err_msg, $filename($linenum)\n";
 	}
diff --git a/ext/standard/tests/array/array_multisort_variation1.phpt b/ext/standard/tests/array/array_multisort_variation1.phpt
index 4d7281b92b71d..677a87103fc94 100644
--- a/ext/standard/tests/array/array_multisort_variation1.phpt
+++ b/ext/standard/tests/array/array_multisort_variation1.phpt
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ echo "*** Testing array_multisort() : usage variation ***\n";
 
 // Define error handler
 function test_error_handler($err_no, $err_msg, $filename, $linenum) {
-	if (error_reporting() != 0) {
+	if (error_reporting() & $err_no) {
 		// report non-silenced errors
 		echo "Error: $err_no - $err_msg, $filename($linenum)\n";
 	}
diff --git a/ext/standard/tests/array/array_multisort_variation2.phpt b/ext/standard/tests/array/array_multisort_variation2.phpt
index 994e27ecd04a7..f9a00e9701dc5 100644
--- a/ext/standard/tests/array/array_multisort_variation2.phpt
+++ b/ext/standard/tests/array/array_multisort_variation2.phpt
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ echo "*** Testing array_multisort() : usage variation ***\n";
 
 // Define error handler
 function test_error_handler($err_no, $err_msg, $filename, $linenum) {
-	if (error_reporting() != 0) {
+	if (error_reporting() & $err_no) {
 		// report non-silenced errors
 		echo "Error: $err_no - $err_msg, $filename($linenum)\n";
 	}
diff --git a/ext/standard/tests/array/array_multisort_variation3.phpt b/ext/standard/tests/array/array_multisort_variation3.phpt
index 5939b7bef994f..c625d2a56606e 100644
--- a/ext/standard/tests/array/array_multisort_variation3.phpt
+++ b/ext/standard/tests/array/array_multisort_variation3.phpt
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ echo "*** Testing array_multisort() : usage variation ***\n";
 
 // Define error handler
 function test_error_handler($err_no, $err_msg, $filename, $linenum) {
-	if (error_reporting() != 0) {
+	if (error_reporting() & $err_no) {
 		// report non-silenced errors
 		echo "Error: $err_no - $err_msg, $filename($linenum)\n";
 	}
diff --git a/ext/standard/tests/file/file_put_contents_variation2.phpt b/ext/standard/tests/file/file_put_contents_variation2.phpt
index 1bf30340e4818..5e18ce1948d60 100644
--- a/ext/standard/tests/file/file_put_contents_variation2.phpt
+++ b/ext/standard/tests/file/file_put_contents_variation2.phpt
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ echo "*** Testing file_put_contents() : usage variation ***\n";
 
 // Define error handler
 function test_error_handler($err_no, $err_msg, $filename, $linenum) {
-	if (error_reporting() != 0) {
+	if (error_reporting() & $err_no) {
 		// report non-silenced errors
 		echo "Error: $err_no - $err_msg, $filename($linenum)\n";
 	}
diff --git a/ext/standard/tests/file/file_put_contents_variation3.phpt b/ext/standard/tests/file/file_put_contents_variation3.phpt
index aaf18c0776558..8adddef2ee758 100644
--- a/ext/standard/tests/file/file_put_contents_variation3.phpt
+++ b/ext/standard/tests/file/file_put_contents_variation3.phpt
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ echo "*** Testing file_put_contents() : usage variation ***\n";
 
 // Define error handler
 function test_error_handler($err_no, $err_msg, $filename, $linenum) {
-	if (error_reporting() != 0) {
+	if (error_reporting() & $err_no) {
 		// report non-silenced errors
 		echo "Error: $err_no - $err_msg, $filename($linenum)\n";
 	}
diff --git a/ext/standard/tests/general_functions/intval_variation1.phpt b/ext/standard/tests/general_functions/intval_variation1.phpt
index 086161de6c327..e44bc1db805d2 100644
--- a/ext/standard/tests/general_functions/intval_variation1.phpt
+++ b/ext/standard/tests/general_functions/intval_variation1.phpt
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ echo "*** Testing intval() : usage variation ***\n";
 
 // Define error handler
 function test_error_handler($err_no, $err_msg, $filename, $linenum) {
-	if (error_reporting() != 0) {
+	if (error_reporting() & $err_no) {
 		// report non-silenced errors
 		echo "Error: $err_no - $err_msg, $filename($linenum)\n";
 	}