diff --git a/blogger/blogger.php b/blogger/blogger.php
index 5c03e760e..001224d23 100644
--- a/blogger/blogger.php
+++ b/blogger/blogger.php
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@ function blogger_settings(App $a, &$s)
 function blogger_settings_post(App $a, array &$b)
 {
 	if (!empty($_POST['blogger-submit'])) {
-		PConfig::set(local_user(), 'blogger', 'post',            defaults($_POST, 'blogger', false));
-		PConfig::set(local_user(), 'blogger', 'post_by_default', defaults($_POST, 'bl_bydefault', false));
+		PConfig::set(local_user(), 'blogger', 'post',            $_POST['blogger'] ?? false);
+		PConfig::set(local_user(), 'blogger', 'post_by_default', $_POST['bl_bydefault'] ?? false);
 		PConfig::set(local_user(), 'blogger', 'bl_username',     trim($_POST['bl_username']));
 		PConfig::set(local_user(), 'blogger', 'bl_password',     trim($_POST['bl_password']));
 		PConfig::set(local_user(), 'blogger', 'bl_blog',         trim($_POST['bl_blog']));
diff --git a/buffer/buffer.php b/buffer/buffer.php
index 4b8c578ae..689127cfb 100644
--- a/buffer/buffer.php
+++ b/buffer/buffer.php
@@ -238,8 +238,8 @@ function buffer_settings_post(App $a, array &$b)
 			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'buffer', 'post'           , false);
 			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'buffer', 'post_by_default', false);
 		} else {
-			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'buffer', 'post'           , intval(defaults($_POST, 'buffer', false)));
-			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'buffer', 'post_by_default', intval(defaults($_POST, 'buffer_bydefault', false)));
+			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'buffer', 'post'           , intval($_POST['buffer'] ?? false));
+			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'buffer', 'post_by_default', intval($_POST['buffer_bydefault'] ?? false));
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/curweather/curweather.php b/curweather/curweather.php
index e431491ac..df7a701af 100644
--- a/curweather/curweather.php
+++ b/curweather/curweather.php
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ use Friendica\Core\Hook;
 use Friendica\Core\L10n;
 use Friendica\Core\PConfig;
 use Friendica\Core\Renderer;
+use Friendica\Core\Session;
 use Friendica\Util\Network;
 use Friendica\Util\Proxy as ProxyUtils;
 
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ function curweather_network_mod_init(App $a, &$b)
 	$rpt = PConfig::get(local_user(), 'curweather', 'curweather_loc');
 
 	// Set the language to the browsers language or default and use metric units
-	$lang = defaults($_SESSION, 'language', Config::get('system', 'language'));
+	$lang = Session::get('language', Config::get('system', 'language'));
 	$units = PConfig::get( local_user(), 'curweather', 'curweather_units');
 	$appid = Config::get('curweather', 'appid');
 	$cachetime = intval(Config::get('curweather', 'cachetime'));
diff --git a/irc/irc.php b/irc/irc.php
index aa727e2ee..d02b2cbdf 100644
--- a/irc/irc.php
+++ b/irc/irc.php
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ function irc_content(&$a) {
 	if($autochans)
 		$channels = $autochans;
 	else
-		$channels = defaults($_GET, 'channels', 'friendica');
+		$channels = ($_GET['channels'] ?? '') ?: 'friendica';
 
 /* add the chatroom frame and some html */
   $o .= <<< EOT
diff --git a/jappixmini/jappixmini.php b/jappixmini/jappixmini.php
index f11e9b119..8f0a1f716 100644
--- a/jappixmini/jappixmini.php
+++ b/jappixmini/jappixmini.php
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ function jappixmini_script(App $a)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (defaults($_GET, "mode", '') == "minimal") {
+	if (($_GET['mode'] ?? '') == 'minimal') {
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/js_upload/js_upload.php b/js_upload/js_upload.php
index 83fb275a2..5a6c37c84 100644
--- a/js_upload/js_upload.php
+++ b/js_upload/js_upload.php
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ class qqFileUploader {
 		if (!isset($pathinfo['extension'])) {
 			Logger::warning('extension isn\'t set.', ['filename' => $filename]);
 		}
-		$ext = defaults($pathinfo, 'extension', '');
+		$ext = $pathinfo['extension'] ?? '';
 
 		if($this->allowedExtensions && !in_array(strtolower($ext), $this->allowedExtensions)){
 			$these = implode(', ', $this->allowedExtensions);
diff --git a/notifyall/notifyall.php b/notifyall/notifyall.php
index 58e54908c..af52e668e 100644
--- a/notifyall/notifyall.php
+++ b/notifyall/notifyall.php
@@ -109,8 +109,8 @@ function notifyall_content(&$a)
 
 	$o = Renderer::replaceMacros(Renderer::getMarkupTemplate('notifyall_form.tpl', 'addon/notifyall/'), [
 		'$title' => $title,
-		'$text' => htmlspecialchars(defaults($_REQUEST, 'text', '')),
-		'$subject' => ['subject', L10n::t('Message subject'), defaults($_REQUEST, 'subject', ''),''],
+		'$text' => htmlspecialchars($_REQUEST['text'] ?? ''),
+		'$subject' => ['subject', L10n::t('Message subject'), $_REQUEST['subject'] ?? '',''],
 		'$test' => ['test',L10n::t('Test mode (only send to administrator)'), 0,''],
 		'$submit' => L10n::t('Submit')
 	]);
diff --git a/openstreetmap/openstreetmap.php b/openstreetmap/openstreetmap.php
index edea43299..7b33306fa 100644
--- a/openstreetmap/openstreetmap.php
+++ b/openstreetmap/openstreetmap.php
@@ -215,10 +215,10 @@ function openstreetmap_addon_admin(&$a, &$o)
 
 function openstreetmap_addon_admin_post(&$a)
 {
-	$urltms = defaults($_POST, 'tmsserver', OSM_TMS);
-	$urlnom = defaults($_POST, 'nomserver', OSM_NOM);
-	$zoom = defaults($_POST, 'zoom', OSM_ZOOM);
-	$marker = defaults($_POST, 'marker', OSM_MARKER);
+	$urltms = ($_POST['tmsserver'] ?? '') ?: OSM_TMS;
+	$urlnom = ($_POST['nomserver'] ?? '') ?: OSM_NOM;
+	$zoom = ($_POST['zoom'] ?? '') ?: OSM_ZOOM;
+	$marker = ($_POST['marker'] ?? '') ?: OSM_MARKER;
 
 	Config::set('openstreetmap', 'tmsserver', $urltms);
 	Config::set('openstreetmap', 'nomserver', $urlnom);
diff --git a/pumpio/pumpio.php b/pumpio/pumpio.php
index 8731e2513..537bf2804 100644
--- a/pumpio/pumpio.php
+++ b/pumpio/pumpio.php
@@ -361,13 +361,13 @@ function pumpio_settings_post(App $a, array &$b)
 			$host = trim($host);
 			$host = str_replace(["https://", "http://"], ["", ""], $host);
 
-			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'pumpio', 'post'           , defaults($_POST, 'pumpio', false));
-			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'pumpio', 'import'         , defaults($_POST, 'pumpio_import', false));
+			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'pumpio', 'post'           , $_POST['pumpio'] ?? false);
+			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'pumpio', 'import'         , $_POST['pumpio_import'] ?? false);
 			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'pumpio', 'host'           , $host);
 			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'pumpio', 'user'           , $user);
-			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'pumpio', 'public'         , defaults($_POST, 'pumpio_public', false));
-			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'pumpio', 'mirror'         , defaults($_POST, 'pumpio_mirror', false));
-			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'pumpio', 'post_by_default', defaults($_POST, 'pumpio_bydefault', false));
+			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'pumpio', 'public'         , $_POST['pumpio_public'] ?? false);
+			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'pumpio', 'mirror'         , $_POST['pumpio_mirror'] ?? false);
+			PConfig::set(local_user(), 'pumpio', 'post_by_default', $_POST['pumpio_bydefault'] ?? false);
 
 			if (!empty($_POST['pumpio_mirror'])) {
 				PConfig::delete(local_user(), 'pumpio', 'lastdate');
diff --git a/rendertime/rendertime.php b/rendertime/rendertime.php
index 5af6f5129..a54fc489d 100644
--- a/rendertime/rendertime.php
+++ b/rendertime/rendertime.php
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ function rendertime_page_end(Friendica\App $a, &$o)
 	$ignored_modules = ["fbrowser"];
 	$ignored = in_array($a->module, $ignored_modules);
 
-	if (is_site_admin() && (defaults($_GET, "mode", '') != "minimal") && !$a->is_mobile && !$a->is_tablet && !$ignored) {
+	if (is_site_admin() && (($_GET['mode'] ?? '') != 'minimal') && !$a->is_mobile && !$a->is_tablet && !$ignored) {
 
 		$o = $o . '<div class="renderinfo">' . L10n::t("Database: %s/%s, Network: %s, Rendering: %s, Session: %s, I/O: %s, Other: %s, Total: %s",
 				round($profiler->get('database') - $profiler->get('database_write'), 3),
diff --git a/wppost/wppost.php b/wppost/wppost.php
index c3840d523..bcdedffea 100644
--- a/wppost/wppost.php
+++ b/wppost/wppost.php
@@ -151,11 +151,11 @@ function wppost_settings_post(&$a,&$b) {
 
 	if(!empty($_POST['wppost-submit'])) {
 		PConfig::set(local_user(),'wppost','post',intval($_POST['wppost']));
-		PConfig::set(local_user(),'wppost','post_by_default',intval(defaults($_POST, 'wp_bydefault', false)));
+		PConfig::set(local_user(),'wppost','post_by_default',intval($_POST['wp_bydefault'] ?? false));
 		PConfig::set(local_user(),'wppost','wp_username',trim($_POST['wp_username']));
 		PConfig::set(local_user(),'wppost','wp_password',trim($_POST['wp_password']));
 		PConfig::set(local_user(),'wppost','wp_blog',trim($_POST['wp_blog']));
-		PConfig::set(local_user(),'wppost','backlink',trim(defaults($_POST, 'wp_backlink', '')));
+		PConfig::set(local_user(),'wppost','backlink',trim($_POST['wp_backlink'] ?? ''));
 		PConfig::set(local_user(),'wppost','shortcheck',trim($_POST['wp_shortcheck']));
 		$wp_backlink_text = Strings::escapeTags(trim($_POST['wp_backlink_text']));
 		$wp_backlink_text = BBCode::convert($wp_backlink_text, false, 8);
diff --git a/xmpp/xmpp.php b/xmpp/xmpp.php
index 23dfb49af..f596a6791 100644
--- a/xmpp/xmpp.php
+++ b/xmpp/xmpp.php
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ function xmpp_addon_settings_post()
 		return;
 	}
 
-	PConfig::set(local_user(), 'xmpp', 'enabled', defaults($_POST, 'xmpp_enabled', false));
-	PConfig::set(local_user(), 'xmpp', 'individual', defaults($_POST, 'xmpp_individual', false));
-	PConfig::set(local_user(), 'xmpp', 'bosh_proxy', defaults($_POST, 'xmpp_bosh_proxy', ''));
+	PConfig::set(local_user(), 'xmpp', 'enabled', $_POST['xmpp_enabled'] ?? false);
+	PConfig::set(local_user(), 'xmpp', 'individual', $_POST['xmpp_individual'] ?? false);
+	PConfig::set(local_user(), 'xmpp', 'bosh_proxy', $_POST['xmpp_bosh_proxy'] ?? '');
 
 	info(L10n::t('XMPP settings updated.') . EOL);
 }
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ function xmpp_converse(App $a)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (defaults($_GET, "mode", '') == "minimal") {
+	if (($_GET['mode'] ?? '') == 'minimal') {
 		return;
 	}