diff --git a/Zend/zend_execute.c b/Zend/zend_execute.c
index 518cbb98fc0f8..5409df3b44a76 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_execute.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_execute.c
@@ -3624,11 +3624,20 @@ static zend_always_inline void zend_fetch_property_address(zval *result, zval *c
 			ZVAL_ERROR(result);
 			goto end;
 		}
+
+		if (EXPECTED(Z_TYPE_P(ptr) == IS_NULL)) {
+			zend_property_info *prop_info = CACHED_PTR_EX(cache_slot + 2);
+			
+			if (prop_info == NULL) {
+				ZVAL_NULL(result);
+				goto end;
+			}
+		}
 	} else if (UNEXPECTED(Z_ISERROR_P(ptr))) {
 		ZVAL_ERROR(result);
 		goto end;
 	}
-
+	
 	ZVAL_INDIRECT(result, ptr);
 	flags &= ZEND_FETCH_OBJ_FLAGS;
 	if (flags) {
@@ -5934,4 +5943,4 @@ ZEND_API zval *zend_get_zval_ptr(const zend_op *opline, int op_type, const znode
 			break;
 	}
 	return ret;
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ext/reflection/tests/bug20873.phpt b/ext/reflection/tests/bug20873.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..025abaee3608a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/reflection/tests/bug20873.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+--TEST--
+Lazy proxy with __get creating references and arithmetic
+--FILE--
+<?php
+class A {
+    public $_;
+    public function __get($n) {
+        global $obj;
+        $obj->x =& $this->_;
+        static $a = $a;
+        $e =& $this->_ - $a;
+    }
+}
+$rc = new ReflectionClass(A::class);
+$obj = $rc->newLazyProxy(fn() => new A);
+$rc->initializeLazyObject($obj);
+var_dump($obj->p);
+?>
+--EXPECTF--
+Deprecated: Creation of dynamic property A::$x is deprecated in %s on line %d
+
+Warning: Undefined property: A::$x in %s on line %d
+
+Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Cannot assign by reference to overloaded object in %s:%d
+Stack trace:
+#0 %s(%d): A->__get('x')
+#1 %s(%d): A->__get('p')
+#2 {main}
+  thrown in %s on line %d
+
+