diff --git a/boot.php b/boot.php
index 52026a7fb3..402273bddf 100644
--- a/boot.php
+++ b/boot.php
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ require_once 'include/features.php';
 require_once 'include/identity.php';
 require_once 'update.php';
 require_once 'include/dbstructure.php';
-require_once 'include/poller.php';
 
 define('FRIENDICA_PLATFORM',     'Friendica');
 define('FRIENDICA_CODENAME',     'Asparagus');
diff --git a/include/poller.php b/include/poller.php
index 3f6290a98f..6fcf4c7f41 100644
--- a/include/poller.php
+++ b/include/poller.php
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use Friendica\App;
 use Friendica\Core\Worker;
 use Friendica\Core\Config;
 
+// Ensure that poller.php is executed from the base path of the installation
 if (!file_exists("boot.php") && (sizeof($_SERVER["argv"]) != 0)) {
 	$directory = dirname($_SERVER["argv"][0]);
 
@@ -14,45 +15,35 @@ if (!file_exists("boot.php") && (sizeof($_SERVER["argv"]) != 0)) {
 	chdir($directory);
 }
 
-require_once("boot.php");
+require_once "boot.php";
+require_once "include/dba.php";
 
-function poller_run($argv, $argc) {
-	global $a;
+$a = new App(dirname(__DIR__));
 
-	if (empty($a)) {
-		$a = new App(dirname(__DIR__));
-	}
+require_once ".htconfig.php";
+dba::connect($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data);
+unset($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data);
 
-	require_once ".htconfig.php";
-	require_once "include/dba.php";
-	dba::connect($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data);
-	unset($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data);
+Config::load();
 
-	Config::load();
+// Check the database structure and possibly fixes it
+check_db(true);
 
-	// Check the database structure and possibly fixes it
-	check_db(true);
-
-	// Quit when in maintenance
-	if (Config::get('system', 'maintenance', true)) {
-		return;
-	}
-
-	$a->set_baseurl(Config::get('system', 'url'));
-
-	load_hooks();
-
-	$run_cron = (($argc <= 1) || ($argv[1] != "no_cron"));
-	Worker::processQueue($run_cron);
+// Quit when in maintenance
+if (Config::get('system', 'maintenance', true)) {
 	return;
 }
 
-if (array_search(__file__, get_included_files()) === 0) {
-	poller_run($_SERVER["argv"], $_SERVER["argc"]);
+$a->set_baseurl(Config::get('system', 'url'));
 
-	Worker::unclaimProcess();
+load_hooks();
 
-	get_app()->end_process();
+$run_cron = (($_SERVER["argc"] <= 1) || ($_SERVER["argv"][1] != "no_cron"));
+Worker::processQueue($run_cron);
+
+Worker::unclaimProcess();
+
+$a->end_process();
+
+killme();
 
-	killme();
-}
diff --git a/mod/worker.php b/mod/worker.php
index 930a807e38..f540010bd6 100644
--- a/mod/worker.php
+++ b/mod/worker.php
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
  * @file mod/worker.php
  * @brief Module for running the poller as frontend process
  */
-require_once("include/poller.php");
 
 use Friendica\Core\Worker;
 use Friendica\Core\Config;