diff --git a/ext/mysqli/mysqli_api.c b/ext/mysqli/mysqli_api.c
index 1bf74dd77eeab..bd3212937f361 100644
--- a/ext/mysqli/mysqli_api.c
+++ b/ext/mysqli/mysqli_api.c
@@ -1198,6 +1198,11 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mysqli_options)
 	MYSQLI_FETCH_RESOURCE_CONN(mysql, mysql_link, MYSQLI_STATUS_INITIALIZED);
 
 	expected_type = mysqli_options_get_option_zval_type(mysql_option);
+	if (expected_type == IS_NULL) {
+		zend_argument_value_error(ERROR_ARG_POS(2), "must be one of predefined options");
+		RETURN_THROWS();
+	}
+	
 	if (expected_type != Z_TYPE_P(mysql_value)) {
 		switch (expected_type) {
 			case IS_STRING:
diff --git a/ext/mysqli/tests/gh20968.phpt b/ext/mysqli/tests/gh20968.phpt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..95ceeeb5121bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/mysqli/tests/gh20968.phpt
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+--TEST--
+GH-20968 mysqli_options() with invalid option should triggers ValueError
+--EXTENSIONS--
+mysqli
+--CONFLICTS--
+mysqli
+--SKIPIF--
+<?php
+require_once 'skipifconnectfailure.inc';
+?>
+--FILE--
+<?php
+require_once 'connect.inc';
+
+$mysqli = new mysqli($host, $user, $passwd, $db, $port, $socket);
+   
+try {
+  $value = $mysqli->options(10, 'invalid_option');
+  var_dump($value);
+} catch (ValueError $exception) {
+  echo $exception->getMessage() . "\n";
+}
+
+?>
+--EXPECTF--
+mysqli::options(): Argument #1 ($option) must be one of predefined options
diff --git a/ext/mysqli/tests/mysqli_options.phpt b/ext/mysqli/tests/mysqli_options.phpt
index 64e42dc752b1a..e3daf2230fe3d 100644
--- a/ext/mysqli/tests/mysqli_options.phpt
+++ b/ext/mysqli/tests/mysqli_options.phpt
@@ -60,7 +60,13 @@ var_dump("MYSQLI_OPT_LOCAL_INFILE", mysqli_options($link, MYSQLI_OPT_LOCAL_INFIL
 var_dump("MYSQLI_INIT_COMMAND", mysqli_options($link, MYSQLI_INIT_COMMAND, 'SET AUTOCOMMIT=0'));
 
 /* mysqli_real_connect() */
-var_dump("MYSQLI_CLIENT_SSL", mysqli_options($link, MYSQLI_CLIENT_SSL, 'not a mysqli_option'));
+var_dump("MYSQLI_CLIENT_SSL");
+
+try {
+    var_dump(mysqli_options($link, MYSQLI_CLIENT_SSL, 'not a mysqli_option'));
+} catch (ValueError $exception) {
+    echo $exception->getMessage() . "\n";
+}
 
 mysqli_close($link);
 
@@ -81,8 +87,6 @@ try {
     echo $e->getMessage() . "\n";
 }
 
-// invalid options do not generate errors
-mysqli_options($link, -1, "Invalid option");
 
 print "done!";
 ?>
@@ -110,7 +114,7 @@ bool(true)
 %s(19) "MYSQLI_INIT_COMMAND"
 bool(true)
 %s(17) "MYSQLI_CLIENT_SSL"
-bool(false)
+mysqli_options(): Argument #2 ($option) must be one of predefined options
 Link closed
 mysqli object is already closed
 Unknown character set
diff --git a/ext/mysqli/tests/mysqli_set_opt.phpt b/ext/mysqli/tests/mysqli_set_opt.phpt
index 218e9f5177869..4e148ad5ea486 100644
--- a/ext/mysqli/tests/mysqli_set_opt.phpt
+++ b/ext/mysqli/tests/mysqli_set_opt.phpt
@@ -24,7 +24,12 @@ require_once 'skipifconnectfailure.inc';
     var_dump(mysqli_set_opt($link, MYSQLI_OPT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT, 10));
     var_dump(mysqli_set_opt($link, MYSQLI_OPT_LOCAL_INFILE, 1));
     var_dump(mysqli_set_opt($link, MYSQLI_INIT_COMMAND, 'SET AUTOCOMMIT=0'));
-    var_dump(mysqli_set_opt($link, MYSQLI_CLIENT_SSL, 'not an mysqli_option'));
+    
+    try {
+        var_dump(mysqli_set_opt($link, MYSQLI_CLIENT_SSL, 'not an mysqli_option'));
+    } catch (ValueError $exception) {
+        echo $exception->getMessage() . "\n";
+    }
 
     mysqli_close($link);
 
@@ -48,6 +53,6 @@ bool(true)
 bool(true)
 bool(true)
 bool(true)
-bool(false)
+mysqli_set_opt(): Argument #2 ($option) must be one of predefined options
 mysqli object is already closed
 done!