diff --git a/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Service/Exception.php b/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Service/Exception.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..701d6ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Service/Exception.php
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+<?php
+namespace TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Service;
+
+/**
+ * This file is part of the TYPO3 CMS project.
+ *
+ * It is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+ * the terms of the GNU General Public License, either version 2
+ * of the License, or any later version.
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please read the
+ * LICENSE.txt file that was distributed with this source code.
+ *
+ * The TYPO3 project - inspiring people to share!
+ */
+class Exception extends \TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Exception {
+
+}
diff --git a/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Service/Exception/CannotCreateReferencesFromStringOffsetsException.php b/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Service/Exception/CannotCreateReferencesFromStringOffsetsException.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c21529
--- /dev/null
+++ b/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Service/Exception/CannotCreateReferencesFromStringOffsetsException.php
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+<?php
+namespace TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Service\Exception;
+
+/**
+ * This file is part of the TYPO3 CMS project.
+ *
+ * It is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+ * the terms of the GNU General Public License, either version 2
+ * of the License, or any later version.
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please read the
+ * LICENSE.txt file that was distributed with this source code.
+ *
+ * The TYPO3 project - inspiring people to share!
+ */
+/**
+ * An "CannotCreateReferencesFromStringOffsets" exception.
+ *
+ * This exception will get thrown instead of running into a fatal error.
+ * Fatal error: Cannot create references to/from string offsets nor overloaded objects
+ */
+class CannotCreateReferencesFromStringOffsetsException extends \TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Security\Exception {
+
+}
diff --git a/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Service/FlexFormService.php b/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Service/FlexFormService.php
index b826619..3fe6835 100644
--- a/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Service/FlexFormService.php
+++ b/typo3/sysext/extbase/Classes/Service/FlexFormService.php
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ namespace TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Service;
  *
  * The TYPO3 project - inspiring people to share!
  */
+use TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Service\Exception\CannotCreateReferencesFromStringOffsetsException;
 
 /**
  * Utilities to process flexForms
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ class FlexFormService implements \TYPO3\CMS\Core\SingletonInterface
      * @param string $languagePointer language pointer used in the flexForm
      * @param string $valuePointer value pointer used in the flexForm
      * @return array the processed array
+     * @throws \TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Service\Exception\CannotCreateReferencesFromStringOffsetsException
      */
     public function convertFlexFormContentToArray($flexFormContent, $languagePointer = 'lDEF', $valuePointer = 'vDEF')
     {
@@ -47,7 +49,11 @@ class FlexFormService implements \TYPO3\CMS\Core\SingletonInterface
                     $valueKeyParts = explode('.', $valueKey);
                     $currentNode = &$settings;
                     foreach ($valueKeyParts as $valueKeyPart) {
-                        $currentNode = &$currentNode[$valueKeyPart];
+                        if (!is_string($currentNode[$valueKeyPart])) {
+                            $currentNode = &$currentNode[$valueKeyPart];
+                        } else {
+                            throw new CannotCreateReferencesFromStringOffsetsException('Cannot create references to/from string offsets for key '.$valueKey.' at keypart '.$valueKeyPart.' .');
+                        }
                     }
                     if (is_array($valueDefinition)) {
                         if (array_key_exists($valuePointer, $valueDefinition)) {