diff --git a/lib/framework.php b/lib/framework.php
index 4e9078845f..33ceba8768 100644
--- a/lib/framework.php
+++ b/lib/framework.php
@@ -73,10 +73,17 @@ if (!function_exists('dl')) {
 
 // global configuration object
 
-require_once('PEAR.php');
-require_once('PEAR/Exception.php');
-require_once('DB/DataObject.php');
-require_once('DB/DataObject/Cast.php'); # for dates
+require_once 'PEAR.php';
+require_once 'PEAR/Exception.php';
+global $_PEAR;
+$_PEAR = new PEAR;
+$_PEAR->setErrorHandling(PEAR_ERROR_CALLBACK, 'PEAR_ErrorToPEAR_Exception');
+
+require_once 'DB.php';
+require_once 'DB/DataObject.php';
+require_once 'DB/DataObject/Cast.php'; # for dates
+global $_DB;
+$_DB = new DB;
 
 require_once(INSTALLDIR.'/lib/language.php');
 
@@ -173,6 +180,3 @@ function PEAR_ErrorToPEAR_Exception($err)
     }
     throw new PEAR_Exception($err->getMessage());
 }
-
-/* global */ $_PEAR = new PEAR;
-$_PEAR->setErrorHandling(PEAR_ERROR_CALLBACK, 'PEAR_ErrorToPEAR_Exception');
diff --git a/lib/installer.php b/lib/installer.php
index 78f03b49dd..e313576429 100644
--- a/lib/installer.php
+++ b/lib/installer.php
@@ -340,10 +340,8 @@ abstract class Installer
      */
     function connectDatabase($dsn)
     {
-        // @fixme move this someplace more sensible
-        //set_include_path(INSTALLDIR . '/extlib' . PATH_SEPARATOR . get_include_path());
-        require_once 'DB.php';
-        return DB::connect($dsn);
+        global $_DB;
+        return $_DB->connect($dsn);
     }
 
     /**