diff --git a/include/Core/Config.php b/include/Core/Config.php
index 7b7045a9ee..5235728864 100644
--- a/include/Core/Config.php
+++ b/include/Core/Config.php
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ class Config {
 			dbesc($family),
 			dbesc($key)
 		);
-		if (count($ret)) {
+		if (dbm::is_result($ret)) {
 			// manage array value
 			$val = (preg_match("|^a:[0-9]+:{.*}$|s", $ret[0]['v'])?unserialize( $ret[0]['v']):$ret[0]['v']);
 			$a->config[$family][$key] = $val;
diff --git a/include/Core/PConfig.php b/include/Core/PConfig.php
index 43735018e4..49b69a1f7a 100644
--- a/include/Core/PConfig.php
+++ b/include/Core/PConfig.php
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class PConfig {
 			dbesc($key)
 		);
 
-		if (count($ret)) {
+		if (dbm::is_result($ret)) {
 			$val = (preg_match("|^a:[0-9]+:{.*}$|s", $ret[0]['v'])?unserialize( $ret[0]['v']):$ret[0]['v']);
 			$a->config[$uid][$family][$key] = $val;
 
diff --git a/include/salmon.php b/include/salmon.php
index 5e9c4fa616..c5c3d72237 100644
--- a/include/salmon.php
+++ b/include/salmon.php
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ function get_salmon_key($uri,$keyhash) {
 	// We have found at least one key URL
 	// If it's inline, parse it - otherwise get the key
 
-	if(count($ret)) {
+	if(count($ret) > 0) {
 		for($x = 0; $x < count($ret); $x ++) {
 			if(substr($ret[$x],0,5) === 'data:') {
 				if(strstr($ret[$x],','))
diff --git a/mod/dfrn_confirm.php b/mod/dfrn_confirm.php
index 23c62cb0ab..df663f7cd4 100644
--- a/mod/dfrn_confirm.php
+++ b/mod/dfrn_confirm.php
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ function dfrn_confirm_post(&$a,$handsfree = null) {
 			dbesc($decrypted_source_url),
 			intval($local_uid)
 		);
-		if(! count($ret)) {
+		if(! dbm::is_result($ret)) {
 			if(strstr($decrypted_source_url,'http:'))
 				$newurl = str_replace('http:','https:',$decrypted_source_url);
 			else
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ function dfrn_confirm_post(&$a,$handsfree = null) {
 				dbesc($newurl),
 				intval($local_uid)
 			);
-			if(! count($ret)) {
+			if(! dbm::is_result($ret)) {
 				// this is either a bogus confirmation (?) or we deleted the original introduction.
 				$message = t('Contact record was not found for you on our site.');
 				xml_status(3,$message);