diff --git a/boot.php b/boot.php
index c500468e5f..c80da23529 100644
--- a/boot.php
+++ b/boot.php
@@ -1537,7 +1537,7 @@ function check_db() {
  * Sets the base url for use in cmdline programs which don't have
  * $_SERVER variables
  */
-function check_url(&$a) {
+function check_url(App &$a) {
 
 	$url = get_config('system','url');
 
@@ -1559,7 +1559,7 @@ function check_url(&$a) {
 /**
  * @brief Automatic database updates
  */
-function update_db(&$a) {
+function update_db(App &$a) {
 	$build = get_config('system','build');
 	if(! x($build))
 		$build = set_config('system','build',DB_UPDATE_VERSION);
@@ -1675,7 +1675,7 @@ function run_update_function($x) {
  * @param App $a
  *
 	 */
-function check_plugins(&$a) {
+function check_plugins(App &$a) {
 
 	$r = q("SELECT * FROM `addon` WHERE `installed` = 1");
 	if (dbm::is_result($r))
@@ -2410,7 +2410,8 @@ function get_temppath() {
 	return("");
 }
 
-function set_template_engine(&$a, $engine = 'internal') {
+/// @deprecated
+function set_template_engine(App &$a, $engine = 'internal') {
 /// @note This function is no longer necessary, but keep it as a wrapper to the class method
 /// to avoid breaking themes again unnecessarily
 
diff --git a/include/acl_selectors.php b/include/acl_selectors.php
index ed9c634c23..cd68ffaa7d 100644
--- a/include/acl_selectors.php
+++ b/include/acl_selectors.php
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ function acl_lookup(&$a, $out_type = 'json') {
  * @param App $a
  * @return array with the search results
  */
-function navbar_complete(&$a) {
+function navbar_complete(App &$a) {
 
 //	logger('navbar_complete');
 
diff --git a/include/api.php b/include/api.php
index df62abd8e6..a450f867a5 100644
--- a/include/api.php
+++ b/include/api.php
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@
 	 * @hook 'logged_in'
 	 * 		array $user	logged user record
 	 */
-	function api_login(&$a){
+	function api_login(App &$a){
 		// login with oauth
 		try{
 			$oauth = new FKOAuth1();
@@ -251,8 +251,8 @@
 	 * @param App $a
 	 * @return string API call result
 	 */
-	function api_call(&$a){
-		GLOBAL $API, $called_api;
+	function api_call(App &$a){
+		global $API, $called_api;
 
 		$type="json";
 		if (strpos($a->query_string, ".xml")>0) $type="xml";
diff --git a/include/cron.php b/include/cron.php
index 9530302d34..e98239b829 100644
--- a/include/cron.php
+++ b/include/cron.php
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ function cron_poll_contacts($argc, $argv) {
  *
  * @param App $a
  */
-function cron_clear_cache(&$a) {
+function cron_clear_cache(App &$a) {
 
 	$last = get_config('system','cache_last_cleared');
 
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ function cron_clear_cache(&$a) {
  *
  * @param App $a
  */
-function cron_repair_diaspora(&$a) {
+function cron_repair_diaspora(App &$a) {
 	$r = q("SELECT `id`, `url` FROM `contact`
 		WHERE `network` = '%s' AND (`batch` = '' OR `notify` = '' OR `poll` = '' OR pubkey = '')
 			ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 50", dbesc(NETWORK_DIASPORA));
diff --git a/include/event.php b/include/event.php
index 4abe3ffef5..73e61f25cf 100644
--- a/include/event.php
+++ b/include/event.php
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ function bbtoevent($s) {
 }
 
 
-function sort_by_date($a) {
+function sort_by_date(App &$a) {
 
 	usort($a,'ev_compare');
 	return $a;
diff --git a/include/identity.php b/include/identity.php
index 5439b2cc10..380560228a 100644
--- a/include/identity.php
+++ b/include/identity.php
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ function get_events() {
 	));
 }
 
-function advanced_profile(&$a) {
+function advanced_profile(App &$a) {
 
 	$o = '';
 	$uid = $a->profile['uid'];
@@ -807,7 +807,7 @@ function get_my_url() {
 	return false;
 }
 
-function zrl_init(&$a) {
+function zrl_init(App &$a) {
 	$tmp_str = get_my_url();
 	if(validate_url($tmp_str)) {
 
diff --git a/include/nav.php b/include/nav.php
index f71272f3b1..bd933929d3 100644
--- a/include/nav.php
+++ b/include/nav.php
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <?php
 
-function nav(&$a) {
+function nav(App &$a) {
 
 	/*
 	 *
diff --git a/include/text.php b/include/text.php
index 05801d024c..59d4e1cc9f 100644
--- a/include/text.php
+++ b/include/text.php
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ if(! function_exists('paginate')) {
  * @param App $a App instance
  * @return string html for pagination #FIXME remove html
  */
-function paginate(&$a) {
+function paginate(App &$a) {
 
 	$data = paginate_data($a);
 	$tpl = get_markup_template("paginate.tpl");