diff --git a/src/wp-includes/plugin.php b/src/wp-includes/plugin.php
index 81e0aa952d..c1e5ff0bbe 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/plugin.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/plugin.php
@@ -151,6 +151,8 @@ function add_filter( $hook_name, $callback, $priority = 10, $accepted_args = 1 )
  *     $value = apply_filters( 'example_filter', 'filter me', $arg1, $arg2 );
  *
  * @since 0.71
+ * @since 6.0.0 Formalized the existing and already documented `...$args` parameter
+ *              by adding it to the function signature.
  *
  * @global WP_Hook[] $wp_filter         Stores all of the filters and actions.
  * @global string[]  $wp_current_filter Stores the list of current filters with the current one last.
@@ -160,15 +162,15 @@ function add_filter( $hook_name, $callback, $priority = 10, $accepted_args = 1 )
  * @param mixed  ...$args   Additional parameters to pass to the callback functions.
  * @return mixed The filtered value after all hooked functions are applied to it.
  */
-function apply_filters( $hook_name, $value ) {
+function apply_filters( $hook_name, $value, ...$args ) {
 	global $wp_filter, $wp_current_filter;
 
-	$args = func_get_args();
-
 	// Do 'all' actions first.
 	if ( isset( $wp_filter['all'] ) ) {
 		$wp_current_filter[] = $hook_name;
-		_wp_call_all_hook( $args );
+
+		$all_args = func_get_args(); // phpcs:ignore PHPCompatibility.FunctionUse.ArgumentFunctionsReportCurrentValue.NeedsInspection
+		_wp_call_all_hook( $all_args );
 	}
 
 	if ( ! isset( $wp_filter[ $hook_name ] ) ) {
@@ -183,8 +185,8 @@ function apply_filters( $hook_name, $value ) {
 		$wp_current_filter[] = $hook_name;
 	}
 
-	// Don't pass the tag name to WP_Hook.
-	array_shift( $args );
+	// Pass the value to WP_Hook.
+	array_unshift( $args, $value );
 
 	$filtered = $wp_filter[ $hook_name ]->apply_filters( $value, $args );
 
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/filters.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/filters.php
index 6bcd437365..51ada1f981 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/filters.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/filters.php
@@ -215,6 +215,49 @@ class Tests_Filters extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		$this->assertFalse( has_filter( $tag ) );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 53218
+	 */
+	public function test_filter_with_ref_value() {
+		$obj = new stdClass();
+		$ref = &$obj;
+		$a   = new MockAction();
+		$tag = __FUNCTION__;
+
+		add_action( $tag, array( $a, 'filter' ) );
+
+		$filtered = apply_filters( $tag, $ref );
+
+		$args = $a->get_args();
+		$this->assertSame( $args[0][0], $obj );
+		$this->assertSame( $filtered, $obj );
+		// Just in case we don't trust assertSame().
+		$obj->foo = true;
+		$this->assertNotEmpty( $args[0][0]->foo );
+		$this->assertNotEmpty( $filtered->foo );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 53218
+	 */
+	public function test_filter_with_ref_argument() {
+		$obj = new stdClass();
+		$ref = &$obj;
+		$a   = new MockAction();
+		$tag = __FUNCTION__;
+		$val = 'Hello';
+
+		add_action( $tag, array( $a, 'filter' ), 10, 2 );
+
+		apply_filters( $tag, $val, $ref );
+
+		$args = $a->get_args();
+		$this->assertSame( $args[0][1], $obj );
+		// Just in case we don't trust assertSame().
+		$obj->foo = true;
+		$this->assertNotEmpty( $args[0][1]->foo );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @ticket 9886
 	 */