diff --git a/webroot/results/includes/WCAClasses/DBConn.class.php b/webroot/results/includes/WCAClasses/DBConn.class.php
index 0a5f5f83a49..0c90b1b76c5 100644
--- a/webroot/results/includes/WCAClasses/DBConn.class.php
+++ b/webroot/results/includes/WCAClasses/DBConn.class.php
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ public function __construct($config, $charset = "utf8")
         $this->conn = new \mysqli($config['host'], $config['user'], $config['pass'], $config['name'], $config['port']);
         if($this->conn->connect_errno)
         {
-            trigger_error("Failed to connect to MySQL: (" . $this->conn->connect_errno . ") " . $this->conn->connect_error, E_USER_ERROR);
+            trigger_error("Failed to connect to MySQL: (" . $mysqli->connect_errno . ") " . $mysqli->connect_error, E_USER_ERROR);
         }
 
         // Treat warnings as errors
diff --git a/webroot/results/includes/_config.php.template b/webroot/results/includes/_config.php.template
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..76c75209110
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webroot/results/includes/_config.php.template
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+<?php
+
+// data here is loaded into configuration class.  Should be accessed by via configuration object (global $config in _framework file).
+
+$config['database']['host'] = '...';
+$config['database']['user'] = '...';
+$config['database']['pass'] = '...';
+$config['database']['name'] = '...';
+$config['database']['port'] = '...';
+
+$config['recaptcha']['publickey'] = '...';
+$config['recaptcha']['privatekey'] = '...';
+
+$config['maps']['api_key'] = '';
+
+// check for PEAR mail (to send auth email)
+if(class_exists('Mail')) {
+  $config['mail']['pear'] = true;
+} else {
+  $config['mail']['pear'] = false;
+}
+
+if($config['mail']['pear']) {
+  $config['mail']['from'] = '';
+  $config['mail']['host'] = '';
+  $config['mail']['port'] = '';
+  $config['mail']['user'] = '';
+  $config['mail']['pass'] = '';
+} else {
+  $config['mail']['from'] = 'no-reply@worldcubeassociation.org';
+}
+
+
+// pathToRoot and filesPath are determined by config class - just a placeholder here.  You can enter an explicit value if desired.  Include trailing slash.
+// pathToRoot is for web urls, etc.  May be different than filesystem paths.  Eg, "/results/".
+$config['pathToRoot'] = "";
+// filesPath is absolute path for system files.  May be different than web urls.  Eg, "/var/www/results/".
+$config['filesPath'] = "";
diff --git a/webroot/results/includes/_database.php b/webroot/results/includes/_database.php
index 848ffc62791..8ad2ec90927 100644
--- a/webroot/results/includes/_database.php
+++ b/webroot/results/includes/_database.php
@@ -1,31 +1,92 @@
 <?php
 
 /**
- icklerf:
-  I took liberty to replace each old mysql call with a direct replacement from the dbConn class
-  This is not the ideal way, but php should be replaced very soon(TM)
+ PLEASE NOTE: FUNCTIONALITY IN THIS FILE IS SET TO BE DEPRECATED.  Eventually PHP will no longer support the MySQL API, so this code
+ needs to be phased out. Instead, please use or extend the mysqli connection class for any new code needing mysql functionality.
 **/
 
+establishDatabaseAccess();
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------
+function establishDatabaseAccess () {
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------
+  global $config;
+  $db_config = $config->get('database');
+
+  #--- Connect to the database server.
+  # TODO: Upgrade
+  mysql_connect( $db_config['host'], $db_config['user'], $db_config['pass'] )
+    or showDatabaseError( "Unable to connect to the database." );
+
+  #--- Select the database.
+  mysql_select_db( $db_config['name'] )
+    or showDatabaseError( "Unable to access the database." );
+
+  dbCommand( "SET NAMES 'utf8'" );
+}
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------
 function mysqlEscape ( $string ) {
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------
-  global $wcadb_conn;
-  return $wcadb_conn->mysqlEscape($string);
+  return mysql_real_escape_string( $string );
 }
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------
 function dbQuery ( $query ) {
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------
-  global $wcadb_conn;
-  return $wcadb_conn->dbQuery($query);
+
+  startTimer();
+
+  if( wcaDebug() ){
+    startTimer();
+    global $dbQueryCtr;
+    $dbQueryCtr++;
+    echo "\n\n<!-- dbQuery(\n$query\n) -->\n\n";
+    echo "<br>";
+    stopTimer( 'printing the database query' );
+  }
+
+  startTimer();
+  $dbResult = mysql_query( $query )
+    or showDatabaseError( "Unable to perform database query." );
+  stopTimer( "pure database query" );
+
+  startTimer();
+  $rows = array();
+  while( $row = mysql_fetch_array( $dbResult ))
+    $rows[] = $row;
+  stopTimer( "fetching database query results" );
+
+  startTimer();
+  mysql_free_result( $dbResult );
+  stopTimer( "freeing the mysql result" );
+
+  global $dbQueryTotalTime;
+  $dbQueryTotalTime += stopTimer( "the whole dbQuery execution" );
+
+  return $rows;
 }
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------
 function dbQueryHandle ( $query ) {
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------
-  global $wcadb_conn;
-  return $wcadb_conn->dbQuery($query);
+
+  if( wcaDebug() ){
+    startTimer();
+    global $dbQueryCtr;
+    $dbQueryCtr++;
+    echo "\n\n<!-- dbQuery(\n$query\n) -->\n\n";
+    echo "<br>";
+    stopTimer( 'printing the database query' );
+  }
+
+  startTimer();
+  $dbResult = mysql_query( $query )
+    or showDatabaseError( "Unable to perform database query." );
+  global $dbQueryTotalTime;
+  $dbQueryTotalTime += stopTimer( "pure database query" );
+
+  return $dbResult;
 }
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -38,8 +99,24 @@ function dbValue ( $query ) {
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------
 function dbCommand ( $command ) {
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------
-  global $wcadb_conn;
-  return $wcadb_conn->dbCommand($command);
+
+  if( wcaDebug() ){
+    startTimer();
+    global $dbCommandCtr;
+    $dbCommandCtr++;
+    $commandForShow = strlen($command) < 1010
+                    ? $command
+                    : substr($command,0,1000) . '[...' . (strlen($command)-1000) . '...]';
+    echo "\n\n<!-- dbCommand(\n$commandForShow\n) -->\n\n";
+    stopTimer( 'printing the database command' );
+  }
+
+  #--- Execute the command.
+  startTimer();
+  $dbResult = mysql_query( $command )
+    or showDatabaseError( "Unable to perform database command." );
+  global $dbCommandTotalTime;
+  $dbCommandTotalTime += stopTimer( "executing database command" );
 }
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -196,6 +273,16 @@ function dbDebug ( $query ) {
   echo "</table>";
 }
 
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------
+function showDatabaseError ( $message ) {
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+  #--- Normal users just get a "Sorry", developers/debuggers get more details
+  die( $_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'] == 'localhost'  ||  wcaDebug()
+       ? "<p>$message<br />\n(" . mysql_error() . ")</p>\n"
+       : "<p>Problem with the database, sorry. If this persists for several minutes, " .
+         "please tell us at <a href='mailto:contact@worldcubeassociation.org'>contact@worldcubeassociation.org</a></p>" );
+}
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------
 function showDatabaseStatistics () {