diff --git a/sapi/fpm/fpm/fpm_status.c b/sapi/fpm/fpm/fpm_status.c
index ff6ef68f3949..118be47bfeee 100644
--- a/sapi/fpm/fpm/fpm_status.c
+++ b/sapi/fpm/fpm/fpm_status.c
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ int fpm_status_export_to_zval(zval *status)
 	int i;
 
 	scoreboard_p = fpm_scoreboard_copy(NULL, 1);
+	if (!scoreboard_p) {
+		return -1;
+	}
 
 	now_epoch = time(NULL);
 	fpm_clock_get(&now);
@@ -180,17 +183,19 @@ int fpm_status_handle_request(void) /* {{{ */
 			sapi_add_header_ex(ZEND_STRL("Expires: Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT"), 1, 1);
 			sapi_add_header_ex(ZEND_STRL("Cache-Control: no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate, max-age=0"), 1, 1);
 			PUTS("Internal error. Please review log file for errors.");
+			zend_string_release_ex(_GET_str, 0);
 			return 1;
 		}
 
 		if (scoreboard_p->idle < 0 || scoreboard_p->active < 0) {
-			fpm_scoreboard_free_copy(scoreboard_p);
 			zlog(ZLOG_ERROR, "[pool %s] invalid status values", scoreboard_p->pool);
 			SG(sapi_headers).http_response_code = 500;
 			sapi_add_header_ex(ZEND_STRL("Content-Type: text/plain"), 1, 1);
 			sapi_add_header_ex(ZEND_STRL("Expires: Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT"), 1, 1);
 			sapi_add_header_ex(ZEND_STRL("Cache-Control: no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate, max-age=0"), 1, 1);
 			PUTS("Internal error. Please review log file for errors.");
+			zend_string_release_ex(_GET_str, 0);
+			fpm_scoreboard_free_copy(scoreboard_p);
 			return 1;
 		}
 
@@ -201,6 +206,7 @@ int fpm_status_handle_request(void) /* {{{ */
 
 		/* handle HEAD */
 		if (SG(request_info).headers_only) {
+			zend_string_release_ex(_GET_str, 0);
 			fpm_scoreboard_free_copy(scoreboard_p);
 			return 1;
 		}
diff --git a/sapi/fpm/tests/status-head.phpt b/sapi/fpm/tests/status-head.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a21fb7a7f1f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sapi/fpm/tests/status-head.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+--TEST--
+FPM: Status HEAD request returns headers without body
+--SKIPIF--
+<?php include "skipif.inc"; ?>
+--FILE--
+<?php
+
+require_once "tester.inc";
+
+$cfg = <<<EOT
+[global]
+error_log = {{FILE:LOG}}
+[unconfined]
+listen = {{ADDR}}
+pm = static
+pm.max_children = 1
+pm.status_path = /status
+EOT;
+
+$tester = new FPM\Tester($cfg);
+$tester->start();
+$tester->expectLogStartNotices();
+$tester->request()->expectEmptyBody();
+
+$response = $tester->request(uri: '/status', method: 'HEAD');
+$response->expectEmptyBody();
+
+$tester->terminate();
+$tester->expectLogTerminatingNotices();
+$tester->close();
+
+?>
+Done
+--EXPECT--
+Done
+--CLEAN--
+<?php
+require_once "tester.inc";
+FPM\Tester::clean();
+?>