diff --git a/appsec/src/extension/php_compat.c b/appsec/src/extension/php_compat.c
index f4f8ddce870..608b16d097b 100644
--- a/appsec/src/extension/php_compat.c
+++ b/appsec/src/extension/php_compat.c
@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@
 #include "php_compat.h"
 
 #if PHP_VERSION_ID < 70300
+static zend_string _zend_empty_string_st = {
+    .gc.refcount = 1,
+    .gc.u.v.type = IS_STRING,
+    .gc.u.v.flags = IS_STR_PERSISTENT | IS_STR_INTERNED,
+};
+zend_string *zend_empty_string = &_zend_empty_string_st;
+
 zend_bool zend_ini_parse_bool(zend_string *str)
 {
     if ((ZSTR_LEN(str) == 4 && strcasecmp(ZSTR_VAL(str), "true") == 0) ||
diff --git a/appsec/src/extension/php_compat.h b/appsec/src/extension/php_compat.h
index abd3205d528..14be5aa73b6 100644
--- a/appsec/src/extension/php_compat.h
+++ b/appsec/src/extension/php_compat.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ static zend_always_inline zend_string *zend_string_init_interned(
     return zend_new_interned_string(ret);
 #    endif
 }
+extern zend_string *zend_empty_string;
 #endif
 
 #if PHP_VERSION_ID < 70300
diff --git a/appsec/src/extension/request_abort.c b/appsec/src/extension/request_abort.c
index 08b8744666e..0f0ed713731 100644
--- a/appsec/src/extension/request_abort.c
+++ b/appsec/src/extension/request_abort.c
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ static zend_string *_content_length_zstr;
 static zend_string *_location_zstr;
 static zend_string *_content_type_html_zstr;
 static zend_string *_content_type_json_zstr;
-static zend_string *_empty_zstr; // older versions don't have zend_empty_string
 static THREAD_LOCAL_ON_ZTS int _response_code = DEFAULT_BLOCKING_RESPONSE_CODE;
 static THREAD_LOCAL_ON_ZTS dd_response_type _response_type =
     DEFAULT_RESPONSE_TYPE;
@@ -107,7 +106,7 @@ static zend_string *nullable _read_file_contents(const char *nonnull path)
     php_stream_close(fs);
 
     if (!contents) {
-        return _empty_zstr;
+        return zend_empty_string;
     }
     return contents;
 }
@@ -600,7 +599,6 @@ void dd_request_abort_startup()
         zend_string_init_interned(ZEND_STRL(HTML_CONTENT_TYPE), 1);
     _content_type_json_zstr =
         zend_string_init_interned(ZEND_STRL(JSON_CONTENT_TYPE), 1);
-    _empty_zstr = zend_string_init_interned(&(char){0}, 0, 1);
 
     if (!get_global_DD_APPSEC_TESTING()) {
         return;
@@ -620,7 +618,7 @@ static zend_string *nonnull _get_json_blocking_template()
         // * if the template file is not found, return an empty template
         // * if the template file is empty, return the default
         if (!body_error_json) {
-            return _empty_zstr;
+            return zend_empty_string;
         }
         if (ZSTR_LEN(body_error_json) == 0) {
             zend_string_release(body_error_json);
@@ -641,7 +639,7 @@ static zend_string *nonnull _get_html_blocking_template()
         zend_string *nullable body_error_html =
             _read_file_contents(ZSTR_VAL(html_template_file));
         if (!body_error_html) {
-            return _empty_zstr;
+            return zend_empty_string;
         }
         if (ZSTR_LEN(body_error_html) == 0) {
             zend_string_release(body_error_html);