diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 675ac03745659..ea08065ce01e3 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ PHP                                                                        NEWS
 - CLI:
   . Extended --ini to print INI settings changed from the builtin default.
     (timwolla)
+  . Drop support for -z CLI/CGI flag. (nielsdos)
 
 - COM:
   . Fixed property access of PHP objects wrapped in variant. (cmb)
diff --git a/UPGRADING b/UPGRADING
index 6b4f6c335843a..ab034f7f684b1 100644
--- a/UPGRADING
+++ b/UPGRADING
@@ -362,9 +362,13 @@ PHP 8.5 UPGRADE NOTES
 ========================================
 
 - Core:
-  The high resolution timer (`hrtime()`) on macOS now uses the recommended
-  `clock_gettime_nsec_np(CLOCK_UPTIME_RAW)` API instead of
-  `mach_absolute_time()`.
+  . The high resolution timer (`hrtime()`) on macOS now uses the recommended
+    `clock_gettime_nsec_np(CLOCK_UPTIME_RAW)` API instead of
+    `mach_absolute_time()`.
+
+- CLI/CGI:
+  . The `-z` or `--zend-extension` option has been removed as it was
+    non-functional. Use `-d zend_extension=<path>` instead.
 
 ========================================
 14. Performance Improvements
diff --git a/ext/zend_test/test.c b/ext/zend_test/test.c
index 3ec469382cad9..e3f87ee1e1636 100644
--- a/ext/zend_test/test.c
+++ b/ext/zend_test/test.c
@@ -697,6 +697,15 @@ void * zend_test_custom_realloc(void * ptr, size_t len ZEND_FILE_LINE_DC ZEND_FI
 	return _zend_mm_realloc(ZT_G(zend_orig_heap), ptr, len ZEND_FILE_LINE_EMPTY_CC ZEND_FILE_LINE_EMPTY_CC);
 }
 
+static void zend_test_reset_heap(zend_zend_test_globals *zend_test_globals)
+{
+	if (zend_test_globals->zend_test_heap) {
+		free(zend_test_globals->zend_test_heap);
+		zend_test_globals->zend_test_heap = NULL;
+		zend_mm_set_heap(zend_test_globals->zend_orig_heap);
+	}
+}
+
 static PHP_INI_MH(OnUpdateZendTestObserveOplineInZendMM)
 {
 	if (new_value == NULL) {
@@ -718,10 +727,8 @@ static PHP_INI_MH(OnUpdateZendTestObserveOplineInZendMM)
 		);
 		ZT_G(zend_orig_heap) = zend_mm_get_heap();
 		zend_mm_set_heap(ZT_G(zend_test_heap));
-	} else if (ZT_G(zend_test_heap))  {
-		free(ZT_G(zend_test_heap));
-		ZT_G(zend_test_heap) = NULL;
-		zend_mm_set_heap(ZT_G(zend_orig_heap));
+	} else {
+		zend_test_reset_heap(ZEND_MODULE_GLOBALS_BULK(zend_test));
 	}
 	return OnUpdateBool(entry, new_value, mh_arg1, mh_arg2, mh_arg3, stage);
 }
@@ -1387,6 +1394,7 @@ static PHP_GINIT_FUNCTION(zend_test)
 static PHP_GSHUTDOWN_FUNCTION(zend_test)
 {
 	zend_test_observer_gshutdown(zend_test_globals);
+	zend_test_reset_heap(zend_test_globals);
 }
 
 PHP_MINFO_FUNCTION(zend_test)
diff --git a/sapi/cgi/cgi_main.c b/sapi/cgi/cgi_main.c
index 5ede45e766674..392a95d25ea3b 100644
--- a/sapi/cgi/cgi_main.c
+++ b/sapi/cgi/cgi_main.c
@@ -158,7 +158,6 @@ static const opt_struct OPTIONS[] = {
 	{'w', 0, "strip"},
 	{'?', 0, "usage"},/* help alias (both '?' and 'usage') */
 	{'v', 0, "version"},
-	{'z', 1, "zend-extension"},
 	{'T', 1, "timing"},
 	{'-', 0, NULL} /* end of args */
 };
@@ -1042,7 +1041,6 @@ static void php_cgi_usage(char *argv0)
 				"  -s               Display colour syntax highlighted source.\n"
 				"  -v               Version number\n"
 				"  -w               Display source with stripped comments and whitespace.\n"
-				"  -z <file>        Load Zend extension <file>.\n"
 				"  -T <count>       Measure execution time of script repeated <count> times.\n",
 				prog, prog);
 }
@@ -2383,10 +2381,6 @@ consult the installation file that came with this distribution, or visit \n\
 							behavior = PHP_MODE_STRIP;
 							break;
 
-						case 'z': /* load extension file */
-							zend_load_extension(php_optarg);
-							break;
-
 						default:
 							break;
 					}
diff --git a/sapi/cli/php.1.in b/sapi/cli/php.1.in
index e8ac382402d23..797ef3242b6a3 100644
--- a/sapi/cli/php.1.in
+++ b/sapi/cli/php.1.in
@@ -303,13 +303,6 @@ Version number
 .PD 1
 .B \-w
 Output source with stripped comments and whitespace
-.TP
-.PD 0
-.B \-\-zend\-extension \fIfile\fP
-.TP
-.PD 1
-.B \-z \fIfile\fP
-Load Zend extension
 .IR file
 .TP
 .IR args.\|.\|.
diff --git a/sapi/cli/php_cli.c b/sapi/cli/php_cli.c
index ad2c8d1572715..55246cf96c91d 100644
--- a/sapi/cli/php_cli.c
+++ b/sapi/cli/php_cli.c
@@ -148,7 +148,6 @@ const opt_struct OPTIONS[] = {
 	{'w', 0, "strip"},
 	{'?', 0, "usage"},/* help alias (both '?' and 'usage') */
 	{'v', 0, "version"},
-	{'z', 1, "zend-extension"},
 	{10,  1, "rf"},
 	{10,  1, "rfunction"},
 	{11,  1, "rc"},
@@ -496,7 +495,6 @@ static void php_cli_usage(char *argv0)
 				"  -s               Output HTML syntax highlighted source.\n"
 				"  -v               Version number\n"
 				"  -w               Output source with stripped comments and whitespace.\n"
-				"  -z <file>        Load Zend extension <file>.\n"
 				"\n"
 				"  args...          Arguments passed to script. Use -- args when first argument\n"
 				"                   starts with - or script is read from stdin\n"
@@ -800,9 +798,6 @@ static int do_cli(int argc, char **argv) /* {{{ */
 				context.mode = PHP_CLI_MODE_STRIP;
 				break;
 
-			case 'z': /* load extension file */
-				zend_load_extension(php_optarg);
-				break;
 			case 'H':
 				hide_argv = true;
 				break;