diff --git a/ext/POSIX/t/time.t b/ext/POSIX/t/time.t
index ec5e9b42cf..0d52ac5b24 100644
--- a/ext/POSIX/t/time.t
+++ b/ext/POSIX/t/time.t
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use strict;
 
 use Config;
 use POSIX;
-use Test::More tests => 27;
+use Test::More tests => 31;
 
 # For the first go to UTC to avoid DST issues around the world when testing.  SUS3 says that
 # null should get you UTC, but some environments want the explicit names.
@@ -215,3 +215,14 @@ SKIP: {
     ok(abs(POSIX::strftime('%s', localtime) - time) < 60,
        'GH #22351; pr: GH #22369');
 }
+
+{
+    # GH #22498
+    is(strftime(42, CORE::localtime), '42', "strftime() works if format is a number");
+    my $obj = bless {}, 'Some::Random::Class';
+    is(strftime($obj, CORE::localtime), "$obj", "strftime() works if format is an object");
+    my $warnings = '';
+    local $SIG{__WARN__} = sub { $warnings .= $_[0] };
+    is(strftime(undef, CORE::localtime), '', "strftime() works if format is undef");
+    like($warnings, qr/^Use of uninitialized value in subroutine entry /, "strftime(undef, ...) produces expected warning");
+}
diff --git a/locale.c b/locale.c
index 15eae3a444..98bccfdb95 100644
--- a/locale.c
+++ b/locale.c
@@ -8218,6 +8218,9 @@ S_sv_strftime_common(pTHX_ SV * fmt,
 {   /* Documented above */
     PERL_ARGS_ASSERT_SV_STRFTIME_COMMON;
 
+    STRLEN fmt_cur;
+    const char *fmt_str = SvPV_const(fmt, fmt_cur);
+
     utf8ness_t fmt_utf8ness = (SvUTF8(fmt) && LIKELY(! IN_BYTES))
                               ? UTF8NESS_YES
                               : UTF8NESS_UNKNOWN;
@@ -8228,8 +8231,8 @@ S_sv_strftime_common(pTHX_ SV * fmt,
      * to get almost all the typical returns to fit without the called function
      * having to realloc; this is a somewhat educated guess, but feel free to
      * tweak it. */
-    SV* sv = newSV(MAX(SvCUR(fmt) * 2, 64));
-    if (! strftime8(SvPV_nolen(fmt),
+    SV* sv = newSV(MAX(fmt_cur * 2, 64));
+    if (! strftime8(fmt_str,
                     sv,
                     locale,
                     mytm,