diff --git a/boot.php b/boot.php
index 9c0ef1d08..d5dc72ffb 100644
--- a/boot.php
+++ b/boot.php
@@ -1090,9 +1090,9 @@ function proc_run($cmd) {
 	array_shift($argv);
 
 	$parameters = json_encode($argv);
-	$found = dba::select('workerqueue', array('id'), array('parameter' => $parameters, 'done' => false), array('limit' => 1));
+	$found = dba::exists('workerqueue', array('parameter' => $parameters, 'done' => false));
 
-	if (!dbm::is_result($found)) {
+	if (!$found) {
 		dba::insert('workerqueue', array('parameter' => $parameters, 'created' => $created, 'priority' => $priority));
 	}
 
diff --git a/include/dba.php b/include/dba.php
index b44aa8fb7..7926fa10d 100644
--- a/include/dba.php
+++ b/include/dba.php
@@ -767,13 +767,19 @@ class dba {
 	/**
 	 * @brief Check if data exists
 	 *
-	 * @param string $sql SQL statement
-	 * @return boolean Are there rows for that query?
+	 * @param string $table Table name
+	 * @param array $condition array of fields for condition
+	 *
+	 * @return boolean Are there rows for that condition?
 	 */
-	static public function exists($sql) {
-		$params = self::getParam(func_get_args());
+	static public function exists($table, $condition) {
+		if (empty($table)) {
+			return false;
+		}
 
-		$stmt = self::p($sql, $params);
+		$fields = array_keys($condition);
+
+		$stmt = self::select($table, array($fields[0]), $condition, array('limit' => 1, 'only_query' => true));
 
 		if (is_bool($stmt)) {
 			$retval = $stmt;
@@ -1270,11 +1276,13 @@ class dba {
 			$param_string = substr($param_string, 0, -2);
 		}
 
-		if (isset($params['limit'])) {
-			if (is_int($params['limit'])) {
-				$param_string .= " LIMIT ".$params['limit'];
-				$single_row =($params['limit'] == 1);
-			}
+		if (isset($params['limit']) && is_int($params['limit'])) {
+			$param_string .= " LIMIT ".$params['limit'];
+			$single_row = ($params['limit'] == 1);
+		}
+
+		if (isset($params['only_query']) && $params['only_query']) {
+			$single_row = !$params['only_query'];
 		}
 
 		$sql = "SELECT ".$select_fields." FROM `".$table."`".$condition_string.$param_string;
diff --git a/include/identity.php b/include/identity.php
index a50cb1c4a..44194c2fa 100644
--- a/include/identity.php
+++ b/include/identity.php
@@ -245,10 +245,7 @@ function profile_sidebar($profile, $block = 0) {
 			$profile_url = normalise_link(App::get_baseurl()."/profile/".$profile["nickname"]);
 		}
 
-		$r = dba::select('contact', array('id'),
-			array('pending' => false, 'uid' => local_user(), 'nurl' => $profile_url), array('limit' => 1));
-		if (dbm::is_result($r))
-			$connect = false;
+		$connect = !dba::exists('contact', array('pending' => false, 'uid' => local_user(), 'nurl' => $profile_url));
 	}
 
 	if ($connect && ($profile['network'] != NETWORK_DFRN) && !isset($profile['remoteconnect']))
diff --git a/include/plugin.php b/include/plugin.php
index 1ce13139f..1ea3ed73d 100644
--- a/include/plugin.php
+++ b/include/plugin.php
@@ -121,8 +121,7 @@ function reload_plugins() {
  * @return boolean
  */
 function plugin_enabled($plugin) {
-	$r = dba::select('addon', array('id'), array('installed' => true, 'name' => $plugin), array('limit' => 1));
-	return ((dbm::is_result($r)) && (count($r) > 0));
+	return dba::exists('addon', array('installed' => true, 'name' => $plugin));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/include/remove_contact.php b/include/remove_contact.php
index 92f712255..9d4b1e4c3 100644
--- a/include/remove_contact.php
+++ b/include/remove_contact.php
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ function remove_contact_run($argv, $argc) {
 	$id = intval($argv[1]);
 
 	// Only delete if the contact doesn't exist (anymore)
-	$r = dba::select('contact', array('id'), array('id' => $id), array('limit' => 1));
-	if (dbm::is_result($r)) {
+	$r = dba::exists('contact', array('id' => $id));
+	if ($r) {
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/include/text.php b/include/text.php
index 0a36a7b73..1d1515c17 100644
--- a/include/text.php
+++ b/include/text.php
@@ -488,8 +488,6 @@ if (! function_exists('item_new_uri')) {
 function item_new_uri($hostname, $uid, $guid = "") {
 
 	do {
-		$dups = false;
-
 		if ($guid == "") {
 			$hash = get_guid(32);
 		} else {
@@ -499,10 +497,7 @@ function item_new_uri($hostname, $uid, $guid = "") {
 
 		$uri = "urn:X-dfrn:" . $hostname . ':' . $uid . ':' . $hash;
 
-		$r = dba::select('item', array('id'), array('uri' => $uri), array('limit' => 1));
-		if (dbm::is_result($r)) {
-			$dups = true;
-		}
+		$dups = dba::exists('item', array('uri' => $uri));
 	} while ($dups == true);
 
 	return $uri;
diff --git a/mod/display.php b/mod/display.php
index c3938117a..2bae9cf48 100644
--- a/mod/display.php
+++ b/mod/display.php
@@ -292,8 +292,8 @@ function display_content(App $a, $update = 0) {
 	}
 
 	// We are displaying an "alternate" link if that post was public. See issue 2864
-	$items = dba::select('item', array('id'), array('id' => $item_id, 'private' => false, 'wall' => true));
-	if (dbm::is_result($items)) {
+	$is_public = dba::exists('item', array('id' => $item_id, 'private' => false, 'wall' => true));
+	if ($is_public) {
 		$alternate = App::get_baseurl().'/display/'.$nick.'/'.$item_id.'.atom';
 	} else {
 		$alternate = '';
@@ -369,14 +369,14 @@ function display_content(App $a, $update = 0) {
 	$sql_extra = item_permissions_sql($a->profile['uid'],$remote_contact,$groups);
 
 	if ($update) {
-		$r = dba::exists("SELECT `id` FROM `item` WHERE `item`.`uid` = ?
+		$r = dba::p("SELECT `id` FROM `item` WHERE `item`.`uid` = ?
 			AND `item`.`parent` = (SELECT `parent` FROM `item` WHERE `id` = ?)
 			$sql_extra AND `unseen`",
 			$a->profile['uid'],
 			$item_id
 		);
 
-		if (!$r) {
+		if (dba::num_rows($r) == 0) {
 			return '';
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/mod/network.php b/mod/network.php
index f498d17a4..395d1347b 100644
--- a/mod/network.php
+++ b/mod/network.php
@@ -793,9 +793,9 @@ function network_content(App $a, $update = 0) {
 
 
 	if (!$group && !$cid && !$star) {
-		$unseen = dba::select('item', array('id'), array('unseen' => true, 'uid' => local_user()), array('limit' => 1));
+		$unseen = dba::exists('item', array('unseen' => true, 'uid' => local_user()));
 
-		if (dbm::is_result($unseen)) {
+		if ($unseen) {
 			$r = dba::update('item', array('unseen' => false), array('uid' => local_user(), 'unseen' => true));
 		}
 	} elseif ($update_unseen) {
diff --git a/mod/profile.php b/mod/profile.php
index 2af572b1c..c7bd13a3e 100644
--- a/mod/profile.php
+++ b/mod/profile.php
@@ -334,9 +334,8 @@ function profile_content(App $a, $update = 0) {
 
 
 	if ($is_owner) {
-		$unseen = dba::select('item', array('id'), array('wall' => true, 'unseen' => true, 'uid' => local_user()),
-			array('limit' => 1));
-		if (dbm::is_result($unseen)) {
+		$unseen = dba::exists('item', array('wall' => true, 'unseen' => true, 'uid' => local_user()));
+		if ($unseen) {
 			$r = dba::update('item', array('unseen' => false),
 					array('wall' => true, 'unseen' => true, 'uid' => local_user()));
 		}