diff --git a/core/user.php b/core/user.php
index bd72ef31..91329542 100644
--- a/core/user.php
+++ b/core/user.php
@@ -105,15 +105,15 @@ class User
 
     public static function by_name_and_pass(string $name, string $pass): ?User
     {
-        $user = User::by_name($name);
-        if ($user) {
-            if ($user->passhash == md5(strtolower($name) . $pass)) {
+        $my_user = User::by_name($name);
+        if ($my_user) {
+            if ($my_user->passhash == md5(strtolower($name) . $pass)) {
                 log_info("core-user", "Migrating from md5 to bcrypt for ".html_escape($name));
-                $user->set_password($pass);
+                $my_user->set_password($pass);
             }
-            if (password_verify($pass, $user->passhash)) {
-                log_info("core-user", "Logged in as ".html_escape($name)." ({$user->class->name})");
-                return $user;
+            if (password_verify($pass, $my_user->passhash)) {
+                log_info("core-user", "Logged in as ".html_escape($name)." ({$my_user->class->name})");
+                return $my_user;
             } else {
                 log_warning("core-user", "Failed to log in as ".html_escape($name)." (Invalid password)");
             }
diff --git a/core/util.php b/core/util.php
index 44f05c6c..4754a96d 100644
--- a/core/util.php
+++ b/core/util.php
@@ -570,19 +570,19 @@ function _decaret(string $str): string
 function _get_user(): User
 {
     global $config, $page;
-    $user = null;
+    $my_user = null;
     if ($page->get_cookie("user") && $page->get_cookie("session")) {
         $tmp_user = User::by_session($page->get_cookie("user"), $page->get_cookie("session"));
         if (!is_null($tmp_user)) {
-            $user = $tmp_user;
+            $my_user = $tmp_user;
         }
     }
-    if (is_null($user)) {
-        $user = User::by_id($config->get_int("anon_id", 0));
+    if (is_null($my_user)) {
+        $my_user = User::by_id($config->get_int("anon_id", 0));
     }
-    assert(!is_null($user));
+    assert(!is_null($my_user));
 
-    return $user;
+    return $my_user;
 }
 
 function _get_query(): string
diff --git a/ext/comment/main.php b/ext/comment/main.php
index 926409a0..e0d31a03 100644
--- a/ext/comment/main.php
+++ b/ext/comment/main.php
@@ -347,9 +347,9 @@ class CommentList extends Extension
             $comments = $matches[2];
             $event->add_querylet(new Querylet("images.id IN (SELECT DISTINCT image_id FROM comments GROUP BY image_id HAVING count(image_id) $cmp $comments)"));
         } elseif (preg_match("/^commented_by[=|:](.*)$/i", $event->term, $matches)) {
-            $user = User::by_name($matches[1]);
-            if (!is_null($user)) {
-                $user_id = $user->id;
+            $my_user = User::by_name($matches[1]);
+            if (!is_null($my_user)) {
+                $user_id = $my_user->id;
             } else {
                 $user_id = -1;
             }
diff --git a/ext/cron_uploader/main.php b/ext/cron_uploader/main.php
index 06d6a974..8c7e1da3 100644
--- a/ext/cron_uploader/main.php
+++ b/ext/cron_uploader/main.php
@@ -269,13 +269,13 @@ class CronUploader extends Extension
         if (empty($user_id)) {
             throw new SCoreException("Cron upload user not set");
         }
-        $user = User::by_id($user_id);
-        if ($user == null) {
+        $my_user = User::by_id($user_id);
+        if ($my_user == null) {
             throw new SCoreException("No user found for cron upload user $user_id");
         }
 
-        send_event(new UserLoginEvent($user));
-        $this->log_message(SCORE_LOG_INFO, "Logged in as user {$user->name}");
+        send_event(new UserLoginEvent($my_user));
+        $this->log_message(SCORE_LOG_INFO, "Logged in as user {$my_user->name}");
 
         $lockfile = fopen($this->get_lock_file(), "w");
         if (!flock($lockfile, LOCK_EX | LOCK_NB)) {
diff --git a/ext/favorites/main.php b/ext/favorites/main.php
index 52334994..3772f8c8 100644
--- a/ext/favorites/main.php
+++ b/ext/favorites/main.php
@@ -120,9 +120,9 @@ class Favorites extends Extension
             $favorites = $matches[2];
             $event->add_querylet(new Querylet("images.id IN (SELECT id FROM images WHERE favorites $cmp $favorites)"));
         } elseif (preg_match("/^favorited_by[=|:](.*)$/i", $event->term, $matches)) {
-            $user = User::by_name($matches[1]);
-            if (!is_null($user)) {
-                $user_id = $user->id;
+            $my_user = User::by_name($matches[1]);
+            if (!is_null($my_user)) {
+                $user_id = $my_user->id;
             } else {
                 $user_id = -1;
             }
diff --git a/ext/forum/theme.php b/ext/forum/theme.php
index f6d44a1f..a3c84b5b 100644
--- a/ext/forum/theme.php
+++ b/ext/forum/theme.php
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ class ForumTheme extends Themelet
             
             $message = stripslashes($message);
             
-            $user = "<a href='".make_link("user/".$post["user_name"]."")."'>".$post["user_name"]."</a>";
+            $userLink = "<a href='".make_link("user/".$post["user_name"]."")."'>".$post["user_name"]."</a>";
 
             $poster = User::by_name($post["user_name"]);
             $gravatar = $poster->get_avatar_html();
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ class ForumTheme extends Themelet
 				<td class='forumSupmessage'><div class=deleteLink>".$delete_link."</div></td>
 			</tr>
 			<tr class='posBody'>
-				<td class='forumUser'>".$user."<br>".$rank."<br>".$gravatar."<br></td>
+				<td class='forumUser'>".$userLink."<br>".$rank."<br>".$gravatar."<br></td>
 				<td class='forumMessage'>
 					<div class=postDate><small>".autodate($post['date'])."</small></div>
 					<div class=postNumber> #".$post_number."</div>
diff --git a/ext/notes/main.php b/ext/notes/main.php
index 1e9f05f5..a69cb6ea 100644
--- a/ext/notes/main.php
+++ b/ext/notes/main.php
@@ -194,9 +194,9 @@ class Notes extends Extension
             $notes = $matches[2];
             $event->add_querylet(new Querylet("images.id IN (SELECT id FROM images WHERE notes $cmp $notes)"));
         } elseif (preg_match("/^notes_by[=|:](.*)$/i", $event->term, $matches)) {
-            $user = User::by_name($matches[1]);
-            if (!is_null($user)) {
-                $user_id = $user->id;
+            $my_user = User::by_name($matches[1]);
+            if (!is_null($my_user)) {
+                $user_id = $my_user->id;
             } else {
                 $user_id = -1;
             }
diff --git a/ext/user/main.php b/ext/user/main.php
index acdb9bac..bfcc0423 100644
--- a/ext/user/main.php
+++ b/ext/user/main.php
@@ -390,10 +390,10 @@ class UserPage extends Extension
 
     private function page_recover(string $username)
     {
-        $user = User::by_name($username);
-        if (is_null($user)) {
+        $my_user = User::by_name($username);
+        if (is_null($my_user)) {
             $this->theme->display_error(404, "Error", "There's no user with that name");
-        } elseif (is_null($user->email)) {
+        } elseif (is_null($my_user->email)) {
             $this->theme->display_error(400, "Error", "That user has no registered email address");
         } else {
             // send email