diff --git a/contrib/danbooru_api/main.php b/contrib/danbooru_api/main.php
index 118dd7ec..3ef31aa0 100644
--- a/contrib/danbooru_api/main.php
+++ b/contrib/danbooru_api/main.php
@@ -374,6 +374,7 @@ class DanbooruApi implements Extension
 	// or makes them anonymous. Does not set any cookies or anything permanent.
 	private function authenticate_user()
 	{
+		global $config;
 		global $database;
 		global $user;
 
@@ -384,12 +385,12 @@ class DanbooruApi implements Extension
 			$name = $_REQUEST['login'];
 			$pass = $_REQUEST['password'];
 			$hash = md5( strtolower($name) . $pass );
-			$duser = $database->get_user_by_name_and_hash($name, $hash);
+			$duser = User::by_name_and_hash($config, $database, $name, $hash);
 			if(!is_null($duser)) {
 				$user = $duser;
 			} else
 			{
-				$user = $database->get_user_by_id($config->get_int("anon_id", 0));
+				$user = User::by_id($config, $database, $config->get_int("anon_id", 0));
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/contrib/ipban/main.php b/contrib/ipban/main.php
index 0a74d67f..46cbbd17 100644
--- a/contrib/ipban/main.php
+++ b/contrib/ipban/main.php
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ class IPBan implements Extension {
 				(strstr($row['ip'], '/') && ip_in_range($remote, $row['ip'])) ||
 				($row['ip'] == $remote)
 			) {
-				$admin = $database->get_user_by_id($row['banner_id']);
+				$admin = User::by_id($config, $database, $row['banner_id']);
 				$date = date("Y-m-d", $row['end_timestamp']);
 				print "IP <b>{$row['ip']}</b> has been banned until <b>$date</b> by <b>{$admin->name}</b> because of <b>{$row['reason']}</b>";
 
diff --git a/contrib/wiki/main.php b/contrib/wiki/main.php
index 9054c4f6..a55de856 100644
--- a/contrib/wiki/main.php
+++ b/contrib/wiki/main.php
@@ -42,8 +42,9 @@ class WikiPage {
 	}
 
 	public function get_owner() {
+		global $config;
 		global $database;
-		return $database->get_user_by_id($this->owner_id);
+		return User::by_id($config, $database, $this->owner_id);
 	}
 
 	public function is_locked() {
diff --git a/core/database.class.php b/core/database.class.php
index deedf6d7..c7480bfb 100644
--- a/core/database.class.php
+++ b/core/database.class.php
@@ -502,34 +502,5 @@ class Database {
 		$this->execute("DELETE FROM images WHERE id=?", array($id));
 	}
 // }}}
-// users {{{
-	var $SELECT_USER = "SELECT *,(unix_timestamp(now()) - unix_timestamp(joindate))/(60*60*24) AS days_old FROM users ";
-	
-	public function get_user_session($name, $session) {
-		$row = $this->db->GetRow("{$this->SELECT_USER} WHERE name LIKE ? AND md5(concat(pass, ?)) = ?",
-				array($name, get_session_ip(), $session));
-		return $row ? new User($row) : null;
-	}
-
-	public function get_user_by_id($id) {
-		assert(is_numeric($id));
-		$row = $this->db->GetRow("{$this->SELECT_USER} WHERE id=?", array($id));
-		return $row ? new User($row) : null;
-	}
-	
-	public function get_user_by_name($name) {
-		assert(is_string($name));
-		$row = $this->db->GetRow("{$this->SELECT_USER} WHERE name=?", array($name));
-		return $row ? new User($row) : null;
-	}
-
-	public function get_user_by_name_and_hash($name, $hash) {
-		assert(is_string($name));
-		assert(is_string($hash));
-		assert(strlen($hash) == 32);
-		$row = $this->db->GetRow("{$this->SELECT_USER} WHERE name LIKE ? AND pass = ?", array($name, $hash));
-		return $row ? new User($row) : null;
-	}
-// }}}
 }
 ?>
diff --git a/ext/user/main.php b/ext/user/main.php
index c6029c29..eeca5307 100644
--- a/ext/user/main.php
+++ b/ext/user/main.php
@@ -99,8 +99,9 @@ class UserPage implements Extension {
 		}
 		if(($event instanceof PageRequestEvent) && ($event->page_name == "user")) {
 			global $user;
+			global $config;
 			global $database;
-			$duser = ($event->count_args() == 0) ? $user : $database->get_user_by_name($event->get_arg(0));
+			$duser = ($event->count_args() == 0) ? $user : User::by_name($config, $database, $event->get_arg(0));
 			if(!is_null($duser)) {
 				send_event(new UserPageBuildingEvent($event->page, $duser));
 			}
@@ -161,8 +162,9 @@ class UserPage implements Extension {
 		if($event instanceof SearchTermParseEvent) {
 			$matches = array();
 			if(preg_match("/(poster|user)=(.*)/i", $event->term, $matches)) {
+				global $config;
 				global $database;
-				$user = $database->get_user_by_name($matches[2]);
+				$user = User::by_name($config, $database, $matches[2]);
 				if(!is_null($user)) {
 					$user_id = $user->id;
 				}
@@ -188,7 +190,7 @@ class UserPage implements Extension {
 		$pass = $_POST['pass'];
 		$hash = md5(strtolower($name) . $pass);
 
-		$duser = $database->get_user_by_name_and_hash($name, $hash);
+		$duser = User::by_name_and_hash($config, $database, $name, $hash);
 		if(!is_null($duser)) {
 			$user = $duser;
 			$this->set_login_cookie($name, $pass);
@@ -246,6 +248,7 @@ class UserPage implements Extension {
 // Things done *to* the user {{{
 	private function change_password_wrapper($page) {
 		global $user;
+		global $config;
 		global $database;
 		
 		$page->set_title("Error");
@@ -261,7 +264,7 @@ class UserPage implements Extension {
 			$pass1 = $_POST['pass1'];
 			$pass2 = $_POST['pass2'];
 
-			$duser = $database->get_user_by_id($id);
+			$duser = User::by_id($config, $database, $id);
 
 			if((!$user->is_admin()) && ($duser->name != $user->name)) {
 				$page->add_block(new Block("Error",
@@ -291,6 +294,7 @@ class UserPage implements Extension {
 
 	private function set_more_wrapper($page) {
 		global $user;
+		global $config;
 		global $database;
 		
 		$page->set_title("Error");
@@ -306,7 +310,7 @@ class UserPage implements Extension {
 		else {
 			$admin = (isset($_POST['admin']) && ($_POST['admin'] == "on"));
 			
-			$duser = $database->get_user_by_id($_POST['id']);
+			$duser = User::by_id($config, $database, $_POST['id']);
 			$duser->set_admin($admin);
 
 			$page->set_mode("redirect");