diff --git a/ext/mbstring/mbstring.c b/ext/mbstring/mbstring.c
index 4f5662f30afd1..6b37881589b78 100644
--- a/ext/mbstring/mbstring.c
+++ b/ext/mbstring/mbstring.c
@@ -4217,19 +4217,11 @@ static inline int php_mb_check_encoding_impl(mbfl_buffer_converter *convd, const
 }
 
 
-MBSTRING_API int php_mb_check_encoding(const char *input, size_t length, const char *enc)
+MBSTRING_API int php_mb_check_encoding(
+		const char *input, size_t length, const mbfl_encoding *encoding)
 {
-	const mbfl_encoding *encoding = MBSTRG(current_internal_encoding);
 	mbfl_buffer_converter *convd;
 
-	if (enc != NULL) {
-		encoding = mbfl_name2encoding(enc);
-		if (!encoding || encoding == &mbfl_encoding_pass) {
-			php_error_docref(NULL, E_WARNING, "Invalid encoding \"%s\"", enc);
-			return 0;
-		}
-	}
-
 	convd = php_mb_init_convd(encoding);
 	if (convd == NULL) {
 		php_error_docref(NULL, E_WARNING, "Unable to create converter");
@@ -4245,9 +4237,8 @@ MBSTRING_API int php_mb_check_encoding(const char *input, size_t length, const c
 }
 
 
-MBSTRING_API int php_mb_check_encoding_recursive(HashTable *vars, const zend_string *enc)
+static int php_mb_check_encoding_recursive(HashTable *vars, const mbfl_encoding *encoding)
 {
-	const mbfl_encoding *encoding = MBSTRG(current_internal_encoding);
 	mbfl_buffer_converter *convd;
 	zend_long idx;
 	zend_string *key;
@@ -4256,14 +4247,6 @@ MBSTRING_API int php_mb_check_encoding_recursive(HashTable *vars, const zend_str
 
 	(void)(idx);
 
-	if (enc != NULL) {
-		encoding = mbfl_name2encoding(ZSTR_VAL(enc));
-		if (!encoding || encoding == &mbfl_encoding_pass) {
-			php_error_docref(NULL, E_WARNING, "Invalid encoding \"%s\"", ZSTR_VAL(enc));
-			return 0;
-		}
-	}
-
 	convd = php_mb_init_convd(encoding);
 	if (convd == NULL) {
 		php_error_docref(NULL, E_WARNING, "Unable to create converter");
@@ -4292,7 +4275,7 @@ MBSTRING_API int php_mb_check_encoding_recursive(HashTable *vars, const zend_str
 				}
 				break;
 			case IS_ARRAY:
-				if (!php_mb_check_encoding_recursive(Z_ARRVAL_P(entry), enc)) {
+				if (!php_mb_check_encoding_recursive(Z_ARRVAL_P(entry), encoding)) {
 					valid = 0;
 					break;
 				}
@@ -4321,6 +4304,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mb_check_encoding)
 {
 	zend_string *input_str = NULL, *enc = NULL;
 	HashTable *input_ht = NULL;
+	const mbfl_encoding *encoding = MBSTRG(current_internal_encoding);
 
 	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_START(0, 2)
 		Z_PARAM_OPTIONAL
@@ -4328,13 +4312,21 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mb_check_encoding)
 		Z_PARAM_STR(enc)
 	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_END();
 
+	if (enc != NULL) {
+		encoding = mbfl_name2encoding(ZSTR_VAL(enc));
+		if (!encoding || encoding == &mbfl_encoding_pass) {
+			php_error_docref(NULL, E_WARNING, "Invalid encoding \"%s\"", ZSTR_VAL(enc));
+			RETURN_FALSE;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (input_ht) {
-		if (!php_mb_check_encoding_recursive(input_ht, enc)) {
+		if (!php_mb_check_encoding_recursive(input_ht, encoding)) {
 			RETURN_FALSE;
 		}
 		RETURN_TRUE;
 	} else if (input_str) {
-		if (!php_mb_check_encoding(ZSTR_VAL(input_str), ZSTR_LEN(input_str), enc ? ZSTR_VAL(enc): NULL)) {
+		if (!php_mb_check_encoding(ZSTR_VAL(input_str), ZSTR_LEN(input_str), encoding)) {
 			RETURN_FALSE;
 		}
 		RETURN_TRUE;
diff --git a/ext/mbstring/mbstring.h b/ext/mbstring/mbstring.h
index 0e16bf7631733..290bdf04d76d8 100644
--- a/ext/mbstring/mbstring.h
+++ b/ext/mbstring/mbstring.h
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ MBSTRING_API size_t php_mb_mbchar_bytes_ex(const char *s, const mbfl_encoding *e
 MBSTRING_API size_t php_mb_mbchar_bytes(const char *s);
 
 MBSTRING_API size_t php_mb_stripos(int mode, const char *old_haystack, size_t old_haystack_len, const char *old_needle, size_t old_needle_len, zend_long offset, const mbfl_encoding *encoding);
-MBSTRING_API int php_mb_check_encoding(const char *input, size_t length, const char *enc);
+MBSTRING_API int php_mb_check_encoding(const char *input, size_t length, const mbfl_encoding *encoding);
 
 ZEND_BEGIN_MODULE_GLOBALS(mbstring)
 	char *internal_encoding_name;
diff --git a/ext/mbstring/php_mbregex.c b/ext/mbstring/php_mbregex.c
index 2f50b5f618391..c4e066fccc31a 100644
--- a/ext/mbstring/php_mbregex.c
+++ b/ext/mbstring/php_mbregex.c
@@ -438,6 +438,13 @@ const char *php_mb_regex_get_mbctype(void)
 }
 /* }}} */
 
+/* {{{ php_mb_regex_get_mbctype_encoding */
+const mbfl_encoding *php_mb_regex_get_mbctype_encoding(void)
+{
+	return mbfl_name2encoding(_php_mb_regex_mbctype2name(MBREX(current_mbctype)));
+}
+/* }}} */
+
 /* {{{ php_mb_regex_get_default_mbctype */
 const char *php_mb_regex_get_default_mbctype(void)
 {
@@ -457,7 +464,7 @@ static php_mb_regex_t *php_mbregex_compile_pattern(const char *pattern, size_t p
 	OnigUChar err_str[ONIG_MAX_ERROR_MESSAGE_LEN];
 	OnigEncoding enc = MBREX(current_mbctype);
 
-	if (!php_mb_check_encoding(pattern, patlen, _php_mb_regex_mbctype2name(enc))) {
+	if (!php_mb_check_encoding(pattern, patlen, php_mb_regex_get_mbctype_encoding())) {
 		php_error_docref(NULL, E_WARNING,
 			"Pattern is not valid under %s encoding", _php_mb_regex_mbctype2name(enc));
 		return NULL;
@@ -912,7 +919,7 @@ static void _php_mb_regex_ereg_exec(INTERNAL_FUNCTION_PARAMETERS, int icase)
 	if (!php_mb_check_encoding(
 		string,
 		string_len,
-		php_mb_regex_get_mbctype()
+		php_mb_regex_get_mbctype_encoding()
 	)) {
 		RETURN_FALSE;
 	}
@@ -1053,7 +1060,7 @@ static void _php_mb_regex_ereg_replace_exec(INTERNAL_FUNCTION_PARAMETERS, OnigOp
 		if (!php_mb_check_encoding(
 		string,
 		string_len,
-		php_mb_regex_get_mbctype()
+		php_mb_regex_get_mbctype_encoding()
 		)) {
 			RETURN_NULL();
 		}
@@ -1260,7 +1267,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mb_split)
 		count--;
 	}
 
-	if (!php_mb_check_encoding(string, string_len, php_mb_regex_get_mbctype())) {
+	if (!php_mb_check_encoding(string, string_len, php_mb_regex_get_mbctype_encoding())) {
 		RETURN_FALSE;
 	}
 
@@ -1354,7 +1361,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mb_ereg_match)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!php_mb_check_encoding(string, string_len, php_mb_regex_get_mbctype())) {
+	if (!php_mb_check_encoding(string, string_len, php_mb_regex_get_mbctype_encoding())) {
 		RETURN_FALSE;
 	}
 
@@ -1566,7 +1573,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mb_ereg_search_init)
 	if (php_mb_check_encoding(
 	ZSTR_VAL(arg_str),
 	ZSTR_LEN(arg_str),
-	php_mb_regex_get_mbctype()
+	php_mb_regex_get_mbctype_encoding()
 	)) {
 		MBREX(search_pos) = 0;
 		RETVAL_TRUE;