diff --git a/src/wp-includes/plugin.php b/src/wp-includes/plugin.php
index bed67a9d9641c..3da3f5ac6a36d 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/plugin.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/plugin.php
@@ -507,11 +507,8 @@ function do_action( $hook_name, ...$arg ) {
 		$wp_current_filter[] = $hook_name;
 	}
 
-	if ( empty( $arg ) ) {
+	if ( array() === $arg ) {
 		$arg[] = '';
-	} elseif ( is_array( $arg[0] ) && 1 === count( $arg[0] ) && isset( $arg[0][0] ) && is_object( $arg[0][0] ) ) {
-		// Backward compatibility for PHP4-style passing of `array( &$this )` as action `$arg`.
-		$arg[0] = $arg[0][0];
 	}
 
 	$wp_filter[ $hook_name ]->do_action( $arg );
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/includes/utils.php b/tests/phpunit/includes/utils.php
index fae2d736800f8..eee41ea096f58 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/includes/utils.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/includes/utils.php
@@ -133,6 +133,26 @@ public function action2( $arg ) {
 		return $arg;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 */
+	public function action3( array $arg ) {
+		$current_filter = $this->current_filter();
+
+		if ( $this->debug ) {
+			dmp( __FUNCTION__, $current_filter );
+		}
+
+		$this->events[] = array(
+			'action'    => __FUNCTION__,
+			'hook_name' => $current_filter,
+			'tag'       => $current_filter, // Back compat.
+			'args'      => func_get_args(),
+		);
+
+		return $arg;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @since UT (3.7.0)
 	 */
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/actions.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/actions.php
index ce4d896015ad6..e698ca0ef2cf9 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/actions.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/actions.php
@@ -209,24 +209,27 @@ public function test_action_args_3() {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Tests PHP 4 notation for calling actions while passing in an object by reference.
+	 * One hook which is passed an array containing one object. This test ensures it will stay an array and not become an object.
 	 *
 	 * @ticket 48312
+	 * @ticket 60190
 	 *
 	 * @covers ::do_action
 	 */
-	public function test_action_args_with_php4_syntax() {
+	public function test_action_array_of_object_arg() {
 		$a         = new MockAction();
 		$hook_name = __FUNCTION__;
 		$val       = new stdClass();
+		$arg       = array( $val );
 
-		add_action( $hook_name, array( &$a, 'action' ) );
-		// Call the action with PHP 4 notation for passing object by reference.
-		do_action( $hook_name, array( &$val ) );
+		add_action( $hook_name, array( $a, 'action3' ) );
+		do_action( $hook_name, $arg );
 
 		$call_count = $a->get_call_count();
 		$argsvar    = $a->get_args();
-		$this->assertSame( array( $val ), array_pop( $argsvar ) );
+
+		// nested since func_get_args() returns the args as an array
+		$this->assertSame( array( $arg ), array_pop( $argsvar ) );
 	}
 
 	/**