diff --git a/pkg/docker/Dockerfile.tmpl b/pkg/docker/Dockerfile.tmpl
index 18d6d34..5fa7ad6 100644
--- a/pkg/docker/Dockerfile.tmpl
+++ b/pkg/docker/Dockerfile.tmpl
@@ -4,6 +4,14 @@ LABEL maintainer="NGINX Docker Maintainers <docker-maint@nginx.com>"
 
 ENV UNIT_VERSION          @@UNIT_VERSION@@
 
+# php-embed package is a dependency of unit-php
+RUN set -eux; \
+	{ \
+		echo 'Package: php-embed php-common php-composer-ca-bundle php-curl php-mbstring php7.3-curl php7.3-mbstring php7.3-common'; \
+		echo 'Pin: release n=buster'; \
+		echo 'Pin-Priority: 1000'; \
+	} > /etc/apt/preferences.d/00-debian-php-embed
+
 RUN set -x \
 	&& apt-get update \
 	&& apt-get install --no-install-recommends --no-install-suggests -y gnupg1 apt-transport-https ca-certificates \
@@ -74,6 +82,7 @@ RUN set -x \
 						$unitPackages \
                         curl \
 	&& apt-get remove --purge --auto-remove -y apt-transport-https && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* /etc/apt/sources.list.d/unit.list \
+	&& ln -sf /usr/share/php/Embed /usr/local/lib/php/Embed
 	\
 # if we have leftovers from building, let's purge them (including extra, unnecessary build deps)
 	&& if [ -n "$tempDir" ]; then \