diff --git a/ext/date/php_date.c b/ext/date/php_date.c
index d97dc0825937..d9e4492b1560 100644
--- a/ext/date/php_date.c
+++ b/ext/date/php_date.c
@@ -407,7 +407,6 @@ PHP_RINIT_FUNCTION(date)
 		efree(DATEG(timezone));
 	}
 	DATEG(timezone) = NULL;
-	DATEG(tzcache) = NULL;
 	DATEG(last_errors) = NULL;
 
 	return SUCCESS;
@@ -499,6 +498,11 @@ static timelib_tzinfo *php_date_parse_tzfile(const char *formal_tzname, const ti
 	timelib_tzinfo *tzi;
 	int dummy_error_code;
 
+	/* Startup memory is released before the first request, so don't cache it */
+	if (!EG(active)) {
+		return timelib_parse_tzfile(formal_tzname, tzdb, &dummy_error_code);
+	}
+
 	if(!DATEG(tzcache)) {
 		ALLOC_HASHTABLE(DATEG(tzcache));
 		zend_hash_init(DATEG(tzcache), 4, NULL, _php_date_tzinfo_dtor, 0);
diff --git a/ext/date/tests/gh25388.phpt b/ext/date/tests/gh25388.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..84dcdda15658
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/date/tests/gh25388.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+--TEST--
+GH-25388 (Invalid access or leak of startup data for ext/date after early usage (php_log_err in minit+rinit))
+--CREDITS--
+bwoebi
+--INI--
+allow_url_include=1
+log_errors=1
+error_log={PWD}/gh25388.log
+output_handler=inexistent
+date.timezone=Europe/Berlin
+--FILE--
+<?php
+echo date('e'), "\n";
+?>
+--CLEAN--
+<?php
+@unlink(__DIR__ . '/gh25388.log');
+?>
+--EXPECT--
+Deprecated: Directive 'allow_url_include' is deprecated in Unknown on line 0
+
+Warning: PHP Request Startup: function "inexistent" not found or invalid function name in Unknown on line 0
+Europe/Berlin