diff --git a/ext/date/php_date.c b/ext/date/php_date.c
index 0f8822a906006..a27b79429b06f 100644
--- a/ext/date/php_date.c
+++ b/ext/date/php_date.c
@@ -625,6 +625,7 @@ static zend_object_value date_object_clone_period(zval *this_ptr TSRMLS_DC);
 
 static int date_object_compare_date(zval *d1, zval *d2 TSRMLS_DC);
 static HashTable *date_object_get_gc(zval *object, zval ***table, int *n TSRMLS_DC);
+static zval *date_object_read_property(zval *object, zval *member, int type, const zend_literal *key TSRMLS_DC);
 static HashTable *date_object_get_properties(zval *object TSRMLS_DC);
 static HashTable *date_object_get_gc_interval(zval *object, zval ***table, int *n TSRMLS_DC);
 static HashTable *date_object_get_properties_interval(zval *object TSRMLS_DC);
@@ -1993,6 +1994,7 @@ static void date_register_classes(TSRMLS_D)
 	memcpy(&date_object_handlers_date, zend_get_std_object_handlers(), sizeof(zend_object_handlers));
 	date_object_handlers_date.clone_obj = date_object_clone_date;
 	date_object_handlers_date.compare_objects = date_object_compare_date;
+	date_object_handlers_date.read_property = date_object_read_property;
 	date_object_handlers_date.get_properties = date_object_get_properties;
 	date_object_handlers_date.get_gc = date_object_get_gc;
 	zend_class_implements(date_ce_date TSRMLS_CC, 1, date_ce_interface);
@@ -2180,12 +2182,73 @@ static HashTable *date_object_get_gc_timezone(zval *object, zval ***table, int *
        return zend_std_get_properties(object TSRMLS_CC);
 }
 
-static HashTable *date_object_get_properties(zval *object TSRMLS_DC)
+
+static inline zval *date_object_update_property_date(php_date_obj *dateobj, HashTable *props)
 {
-	HashTable *props;
 	zval *zv;
-	php_date_obj     *dateobj;
+	MAKE_STD_ZVAL(zv);
+	ZVAL_STRING(zv, date_format("Y-m-d H:i:s", 12, dateobj->time, 1), 0);
+	zend_hash_update(props, "date", sizeof("date"), &zv, sizeof(zval), NULL);
+	return zv;
+}
+
+static inline zval *date_object_update_property_timezone_type(php_date_obj *dateobj, HashTable *props)
+{
+	zval *zv;
+	MAKE_STD_ZVAL(zv);
+	ZVAL_LONG(zv, dateobj->time->zone_type);
+	zend_hash_update(props, "timezone_type", sizeof("timezone_type"), &zv, sizeof(zval), NULL);
+	return zv;
+}
+
+static inline zval *date_object_update_property_timezone(php_date_obj *dateobj, HashTable *props)
+{
+	zval *zv;
+	MAKE_STD_ZVAL(zv);
+	switch (dateobj->time->zone_type) {
+		case TIMELIB_ZONETYPE_ID:
+			ZVAL_STRING(zv, dateobj->time->tz_info->name, 1);
+			break;
+		case TIMELIB_ZONETYPE_OFFSET: {
+			char *tmpstr = emalloc(sizeof("UTC+05:00"));
+			timelib_sll utc_offset = dateobj->time->z;
+					
+			snprintf(tmpstr, sizeof("+05:00"), "%c%02d:%02d",
+					 utc_offset > 0 ? '-' : '+',
+					 abs(utc_offset / 60),
+					 abs((utc_offset % 60)));
+					
+			ZVAL_STRING(zv, tmpstr, 0);
+			}
+			break;
+		case TIMELIB_ZONETYPE_ABBR:
+			ZVAL_STRING(zv, dateobj->time->tz_abbr, 1);
+			break;
+	}
+	zend_hash_update(props, "timezone", sizeof("timezone"), &zv, sizeof(zval), NULL);
+  	return zv;
+}
+
+static zval *date_object_read_property(zval *object, zval *member, int type, const zend_literal *key TSRMLS_DC)
+{
+	php_date_obj *dateobj = (php_date_obj *) zend_object_store_get_object(object TSRMLS_CC);
+	
+	if (!zend_binary_strcmp(Z_STRVAL_P(member), Z_STRLEN_P(member), "date", sizeof("date")-1)) {
+		return date_object_update_property_date(dateobj, zend_std_get_properties(object TSRMLS_CC));
+	} else if (dateobj->time->is_localtime) {
+		if (!zend_binary_strcmp(Z_STRVAL_P(member), Z_STRLEN_P(member), "timezone_type", sizeof("timezone_type")-1))
+			return date_object_update_property_timezone_type(dateobj, zend_std_get_properties(object TSRMLS_CC));
+		else if (!zend_binary_strcmp(Z_STRVAL_P(member), Z_STRLEN_P(member), "timezone", sizeof("timezone")-1))
+			return date_object_update_property_timezone(dateobj, zend_std_get_properties(object TSRMLS_CC));
+	}
 
+	return (zend_get_std_object_handlers())->read_property(object, member, type, key TSRMLS_CC);
+}
+
+static HashTable *date_object_get_properties(zval *object TSRMLS_DC)
+{
+	HashTable *props;
+	php_date_obj *dateobj;
 
 	dateobj = (php_date_obj *) zend_object_store_get_object(object TSRMLS_CC);
 
@@ -2195,41 +2258,12 @@ static HashTable *date_object_get_properties(zval *object TSRMLS_DC)
 		return props;
 	}
 
-	/* first we add the date and time in ISO format */
-	MAKE_STD_ZVAL(zv);
-	ZVAL_STRING(zv, date_format("Y-m-d H:i:s", 12, dateobj->time, 1), 0);
-	zend_hash_update(props, "date", 5, &zv, sizeof(zval), NULL);
-
-	/* then we add the timezone name (or similar) */
+	date_object_update_property_date(dateobj, props);
 	if (dateobj->time->is_localtime) {
-		MAKE_STD_ZVAL(zv);
-		ZVAL_LONG(zv, dateobj->time->zone_type);
-		zend_hash_update(props, "timezone_type", 14, &zv, sizeof(zval), NULL);
-
-		MAKE_STD_ZVAL(zv);
-		switch (dateobj->time->zone_type) {
-			case TIMELIB_ZONETYPE_ID:
-				ZVAL_STRING(zv, dateobj->time->tz_info->name, 1);
-				break;
-			case TIMELIB_ZONETYPE_OFFSET: {
-				char *tmpstr = emalloc(sizeof("UTC+05:00"));
-				timelib_sll utc_offset = dateobj->time->z;
-
-				snprintf(tmpstr, sizeof("+05:00"), "%c%02d:%02d",
-					utc_offset > 0 ? '-' : '+',
-					abs(utc_offset / 60),
-					abs((utc_offset % 60)));
-
-				ZVAL_STRING(zv, tmpstr, 0);
-				}
-				break;
-			case TIMELIB_ZONETYPE_ABBR:
-				ZVAL_STRING(zv, dateobj->time->tz_abbr, 1);
-				break;
-		}
-		zend_hash_update(props, "timezone", 9, &zv, sizeof(zval), NULL);
+		date_object_update_property_timezone_type(dateobj, props);
+		date_object_update_property_timezone(dateobj, props);
 	}
-
+	
 	return props;
 }
 
diff --git a/ext/date/tests/bug60873.phpt b/ext/date/tests/bug60873.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..5ffc56b6cf6fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/date/tests/bug60873.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+--TEST--
+Bug #60873 (some inspections of DateTime member variables cause creation, can break asserts)
+--INI--
+date.timezone=GMT
+--FILE--
+<?php
+$a = new DateTime('2010-01-01 08:45:00', new DateTimeZone('UTC'));
+$str = $a->format(DateTime::ISO8601);
+$b = new DateTime($str, new DateTimeZone('UTC'));
+
+echo "\n";
+echo "a->timezone_type: " . $a->timezone_type . "\n";
+echo "b->timezone_type: " . $b->timezone_type . "\n";
+
+echo "\na:   " . print_r($a, true) . "\n";
+echo "\nstr: $str\n";
+echo "b:   " . print_r($b, true) . "\n";
+
+echo "a->timezone_type: " . $a->timezone_type . "\n";
+echo "b->timezone_type: " . $b->timezone_type . "\n";
+
+$eq = ($a == $b);
+echo "\na == b: $eq\n";
+?>
+--EXPECTF--
+a->timezone_type: 3
+b->timezone_type: 1
+
+a:   DateTime Object
+(
+    [timezone_type] => 3
+    [date] => 2010-01-01 08:45:00
+    [timezone] => UTC
+)
+
+
+str: 2010-01-01T08:45:00+0000
+b:   DateTime Object
+(
+    [timezone_type] => 1
+    [date] => 2010-01-01 08:45:00
+    [timezone] => +00:00
+)
+
+a->timezone_type: 3
+b->timezone_type: 1
+
+a == b: 1