diff --git a/src/Php/CompilerBase.php b/src/Php/CompilerBase.php
index 959f1683..a17adf3c 100644
--- a/src/Php/CompilerBase.php
+++ b/src/Php/CompilerBase.php
@@ -669,6 +669,12 @@ class CompilerBase extends \PhpAot\Core\Translator
                 if ($this->isStdContainer($varName)) {
                     return $varName . '_ref';
                 }
+                // $GLOBALS is an INDIRECT to &EG(symbol_table),
+                // whose refcount MUST NOT be directly manipulated.
+                // Use php_globals_array() to create a separated copy.
+                if ($varName === 'GLOBALS') {
+                    return 'php_globals_array()';
+                }
                 return $varName;
             case 'Scalar_MagicConst_File':
             case 'Scalar_MagicConst_Dir':
@@ -3155,6 +3161,9 @@ class CompilerBase extends \PhpAot\Core\Translator
             }
         }
         $expr = $this->parseIdentifier($arg->value);
+        if ($this->isVarExpr($arg->value) and $arg->value->name === 'GLOBALS') {
+            return 'php_globals_array()';
+        }
         if ($this->isVarExpr($arg->value) and $this->isStdContainer($arg->value->name)) {
             return $this->convertArrayExpr($expr . '_ref');
         }
@@ -5664,6 +5673,10 @@ class CompilerBase extends \PhpAot\Core\Translator
         }
         $code .= $this->genLocalVarDecl($this->context->localVars);
         foreach ($this->context->globalVars as $name => $type) {
+            // $GLOBALS is handled via php_globals_array() at each read site
+            if ($name === 'GLOBALS') {
+                continue;
+            }
             $code .= $this->getIndent() . self::TYPE_VAR . ' &' . $name . ' = ' . $this->escapeGlobalVar($name) . ';' . PHP_EOL;
         }
         foreach ($this->context->objectProps as $name => $info) {
diff --git a/src/Php/Optimizer/FuncCallOptimizer.php b/src/Php/Optimizer/FuncCallOptimizer.php
index 2863d24d..f0b9a08d 100644
--- a/src/Php/Optimizer/FuncCallOptimizer.php
+++ b/src/Php/Optimizer/FuncCallOptimizer.php
@@ -336,7 +336,11 @@ trait FuncCallOptimizer
 
     protected function getArg(Node\Expr\FuncCall $expr, int $i): string
     {
-        return $this->parseIdentifier($expr->args[$i]->value);
+        $arg = $expr->args[$i]->value;
+        if ($this->isVarExpr($arg) and $arg->name === 'GLOBALS') {
+            return 'php_globals_array()';
+        }
+        return $this->parseIdentifier($arg);
     }
 
     protected function getRefArg(Node\Expr\FuncCall $expr, int $i): string
diff --git a/src/Php/Translator.php b/src/Php/Translator.php
index 3432cabc..38e01484 100644
--- a/src/Php/Translator.php
+++ b/src/Php/Translator.php
@@ -864,12 +864,9 @@ CODE;
         $code .= '// global vars ' . PHP_EOL;
         foreach ($this->globalVars as $name => $type) {
             if ($name == 'GLOBALS') {
-                $var = $this->escapeGlobalVar($name);
-                $code .= 'ZVAL_ARR(&globals_array, &EG(symbol_table));' . PHP_EOL;
-                $code .= 'ZVAL_INDIRECT(' . $var. '.ptr(), &globals_array);' . PHP_EOL;
-            } else {
-                $code .= 'php::initGlobal(' . $this->genCharPtr($name) . ', ' . $this->escapeGlobalVar($name) . ');' . PHP_EOL;
+                continue;
             }
+            $code .= 'php::initGlobal(' . $this->genCharPtr($name) . ', ' . $this->escapeGlobalVar($name) . ');' . PHP_EOL;
         }
 
         $code .= '// static property ' . PHP_EOL;