diff --git a/UPGRADING.INTERNALS b/UPGRADING.INTERNALS
index b5f75747ef73..10f54d2395c1 100644
--- a/UPGRADING.INTERNALS
+++ b/UPGRADING.INTERNALS
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ PHP 8.7 INTERNALS UPGRADE NOTES
   . _php_math_basetozval() now returns zend_result instead of void. It throws
     an exception and returns FAILURE if the input contains invalid characters
     for the given base.
+  . php_dl() has been removed, use php_load_extension() instead.
 
 ========================
 4. OpCode changes
diff --git a/ext/standard/dl.c b/ext/standard/dl.c
index ca8ba57a16e9..ad2035fb5c74 100644
--- a/ext/standard/dl.c
+++ b/ext/standard/dl.c
@@ -64,14 +64,15 @@ PHPAPI PHP_FUNCTION(dl)
 	zend_rc_debug = false;
 #endif
 
-	php_dl(filename, MODULE_TEMPORARY, return_value, 0);
-	if (Z_TYPE_P(return_value) == IS_TRUE) {
-		EG(full_tables_cleanup) = 1;
+	zend_result loaded = php_load_extension(filename, MODULE_TEMPORARY, false);
+	if (loaded == SUCCESS) {
+		EG(full_tables_cleanup) = true;
 	}
 
 #if ZEND_RC_DEBUG
 	zend_rc_debug = orig_rc_debug;
 #endif
+	RETURN_BOOL(loaded == SUCCESS);
 }
 /* }}} */
 
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ PHPAPI void *php_load_shlib(const char *path, char **errp)
 /* }}} */
 
 /* {{{ php_load_extension */
-PHPAPI int php_load_extension(const char *filename, int type, int start_now)
+PHPAPI zend_result php_load_extension(const char *filename, int type, bool start_now)
 {
 	void *handle;
 	char *libpath;
@@ -266,7 +267,7 @@ PHPAPI void *php_load_shlib(const char *path, char **errp)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-PHPAPI int php_load_extension(const char *filename, int type, int start_now)
+PHPAPI zend_result php_load_extension(const char *filename, int type, bool start_now)
 {
 	php_dl_error(filename);
 
@@ -275,18 +276,6 @@ PHPAPI int php_load_extension(const char *filename, int type, int start_now)
 
 #endif
 
-/* {{{ php_dl */
-PHPAPI void php_dl(const char *file, int type, zval *return_value, int start_now)
-{
-	/* Load extension */
-	if (php_load_extension(file, type, start_now) == FAILURE) {
-		RETVAL_FALSE;
-	} else {
-		RETVAL_TRUE;
-	}
-}
-/* }}} */
-
 PHP_MINFO_FUNCTION(dl)
 {
 #if defined(HAVE_LIBDL)
diff --git a/ext/standard/dl.h b/ext/standard/dl.h
index 9354caa2ca8d..bd0118bd6ab2 100644
--- a/ext/standard/dl.h
+++ b/ext/standard/dl.h
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@
 #ifndef DL_H
 #define DL_H
 
-PHPAPI int php_load_extension(const char *filename, int type, int start_now);
-PHPAPI void php_dl(const char *file, int type, zval *return_value, int start_now);
+PHPAPI zend_result php_load_extension(const char *filename, int type, bool start_now);
 PHPAPI void *php_load_shlib(const char *path, char **errp);
 
 /* dynamic loading functions */
diff --git a/sapi/fpm/fpm/fpm_php.c b/sapi/fpm/fpm/fpm_php.c
index 8deb107d0a38..5914def28a51 100644
--- a/sapi/fpm/fpm/fpm_php.c
+++ b/sapi/fpm/fpm/fpm_php.c
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ int fpm_php_apply_defines_ex(struct key_value_s *kv, int mode) /* {{{ */
 	int value_len = strlen(value);
 
 	if (!strcmp(name, "extension") && *value) {
-		zval zv;
 		zend_interned_strings_switch_storage(0);
 
 #if ZEND_RC_DEBUG
@@ -75,14 +74,14 @@ int fpm_php_apply_defines_ex(struct key_value_s *kv, int mode) /* {{{ */
 		zend_rc_debug = false;
 #endif
 
-		php_dl(value, MODULE_PERSISTENT, &zv, 1);
+		zend_result loaded = php_load_extension(value, MODULE_PERSISTENT, true);
 
 #if ZEND_RC_DEBUG
 		zend_rc_debug = orig_rc_debug;
 #endif
 
 		zend_interned_strings_switch_storage(1);
-		return Z_TYPE(zv) == IS_TRUE ? FPM_PHP_INI_EXTENSION_LOADED : FPM_PHP_INI_EXTENSION_FAILED;
+		return loaded == SUCCESS ? FPM_PHP_INI_EXTENSION_LOADED : FPM_PHP_INI_EXTENSION_FAILED;
 	}
 
 	if (fpm_php_zend_ini_alter_master(name, name_len, value, value_len, mode, PHP_INI_STAGE_ACTIVATE) == FAILURE) {