diff --git a/Zend/zend_ast.c b/Zend/zend_ast.c
index 8c9607fcff1c7..b1823e2bd014b 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_ast.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_ast.c
@@ -342,6 +342,28 @@ ZEND_API void zend_ast_evaluate(zval *result, zend_ast *ast, zend_class_entry *s
 	}
 }
 
+/* addrefs zvals in an AST recursively */
+ZEND_API void zend_ast_addref(zend_ast *ast) /* {{{ */
+{
+	if (ast == NULL) {
+		return;
+	} else if (ast->kind == ZEND_AST_ZVAL) {
+		Z_TRY_ADDREF_P(zend_ast_get_zval(ast));
+	} else if (zend_ast_is_list(ast)) {
+		zend_ast_list *list = zend_ast_get_list(ast);
+		uint32_t i;
+		for (i = 0; i < list->children; i++) {
+			zend_ast_addref(list->child[i]);
+		}
+	} else {
+		uint32_t i, children = zend_ast_get_num_children(ast);
+		for (i = 0; i < children; i++) {
+			zend_ast_addref(ast->child[i]);
+		}
+	}
+}
+/* }}} */
+
 ZEND_API zend_ast *zend_ast_copy(zend_ast *ast)
 {
 	if (ast == NULL) {
diff --git a/Zend/zend_ast.h b/Zend/zend_ast.h
index 2a1582ca24a21..d0e6e856e1286 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_ast.h
+++ b/Zend/zend_ast.h
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ ZEND_API zend_ast *zend_ast_list_add(zend_ast *list, zend_ast *op);
 
 ZEND_API void zend_ast_evaluate(zval *result, zend_ast *ast, zend_class_entry *scope TSRMLS_DC);
 
+ZEND_API void zend_ast_addref(zend_ast *ast);
 ZEND_API zend_ast *zend_ast_copy(zend_ast *ast);
 ZEND_API void zend_ast_destroy(zend_ast *ast);
 ZEND_API void zend_ast_destroy_and_free(zend_ast *ast);
diff --git a/Zend/zend_compile.c b/Zend/zend_compile.c
index a5a32298d584a..0de145e2aae67 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_compile.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_compile.c
@@ -6902,8 +6902,24 @@ void zend_compile_conditional(znode *result, zend_ast *ast TSRMLS_DC) /* {{{ */
 	uint32_t opnum_jmpz, opnum_jmp, opnum_qm_assign1;
 
 	if (!true_ast) {
-		zend_compile_shorthand_conditional(result, ast TSRMLS_CC);
-		return;
+		/* if variable is isset()able, rewrite $a ?: $b to empty($a) ? $b : $a */
+		if (zend_is_variable(cond_ast) && !zend_is_call(cond_ast))
+		{
+			zend_ast *swap_temp = cond_ast;
+
+			cond_ast = ast->child[0] = zend_ast_create(ZEND_AST_EMPTY, cond_ast);
+
+			true_ast = ast->child[1] = false_ast;
+			false_ast = ast->child[2] = swap_temp;
+
+			/* avoid any zvals being double-freed due to cond_ast being referenced twice */
+			zend_ast_addref(swap_temp);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			zend_compile_shorthand_conditional(result, ast TSRMLS_CC);
+			return;
+		}
 	}
 	
 	zend_compile_expr(&cond_node, cond_ast TSRMLS_CC);
diff --git a/tests/lang/operators/shortTernaryIsset.phpt b/tests/lang/operators/shortTernaryIsset.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..381cfe6ee7047
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lang/operators/shortTernaryIsset.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+--TEST--
+Test short ternary operator for implicit isset cases
+--FILE--
+<?php
+
+$var = 7;
+$var2 = false;
+
+$obj = new StdClass;
+$obj->boo = 7;
+
+$arr = [
+	2 => 7,
+	"foo" => "bar",
+	"foobar" => "",
+	"qux" => $obj,
+	"bing" => [
+		"bang"
+	]
+];
+
+var_dump($nonexistant_variable ?: 3);
+echo PHP_EOL;
+var_dump($var ?: 3);
+var_dump($var2 ?: 3);
+echo PHP_EOL;
+var_dump($obj->boo ?: 3);
+var_dump($obj->bing ?: 3);
+var_dump($arr["qux"]->boo ?: 3);
+var_dump($arr["qux"]->bing ?: 3);
+echo PHP_EOL;
+var_dump($arr[2] ?: 3);
+var_dump($arr["foo"] ?: 3);
+var_dump($arr["foobar"] ?: 3);
+var_dump($arr["qux"] ?: 3);
+var_dump($arr["bing"][0] ?: 3);
+var_dump($arr["bing"][1] ?: 3);
+?>
+--EXPECTF--
+int(3)
+
+int(7)
+int(3)
+
+int(7)
+int(3)
+int(7)
+int(3)
+
+int(7)
+string(3) "bar"
+int(3)
+object(stdClass)#1 (%d) {
+  ["boo"]=>
+  int(7)
+}
+string(4) "bang"
+int(3)
\ No newline at end of file