diff --git a/core/util.inc.php b/core/util.inc.php
index aceac770..e1372eb2 100644
--- a/core/util.inc.php
+++ b/core/util.inc.php
@@ -117,6 +117,17 @@ function make_link($page=null, $query=null) {
 * Misc                                                                      *
 \* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
 
+function version_check() {
+	if(version_compare(PHP_VERSION, "5.0.0") == -1) {
+		print <<<EOD
+Currently Shimmie 2 doesn't support versions of PHP lower than 5.0.0. Please
+either upgrade your PHP, or tell Shish that PHP 4 support is a big deal for
+you...
+EOD;
+		exit;
+	}
+}
+
 function get_thumbnail_size($orig_width, $orig_height) {
 	global $config;
 
@@ -418,6 +429,23 @@ function full_copy($source, $target) {
 	}
 }
 
+function stripslashes_r($arr) {
+	return is_array($arr) ? array_map('stripslashes_r', $arr) : stripslashes($arr);
+}
+
+function sanitise_environment() {
+	if(DEBUG) {
+		error_reporting(E_ALL);
+		assert_options(ASSERT_ACTIVE, 1);
+		assert_options(ASSERT_BAIL, 1);
+	}
+
+	if(get_magic_quotes_gpc()) {
+		$_GET = stripslashes_r($_GET);
+		$_POST = stripslashes_r($_POST);
+		$_COOKIE = stripslashes_r($_COOKIE);
+	}
+}
 
 /* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *\
 * Event API                                                                 *
diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index 33d99a98..38b35a96 100644
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -3,29 +3,11 @@
 define("DEBUG", true);
 define("VERSION", 'trunk');
 
-if(DEBUG) {
-	error_reporting(E_ALL);
-	assert_options(ASSERT_ACTIVE, 1);
-	assert_options(ASSERT_BAIL, 1);
-}
+require_once "core/util.inc.php";
 
-if(version_compare(PHP_VERSION, "5.0.0") == -1) {
-	print <<<EOD
-Currently Shimmie 2 doesn't support versions of PHP lower than 5.0.0. Please
-either upgrade your PHP, or tell Shish that PHP 4 support is a big deal for
-you...
-EOD;
-	exit;
-}
+version_check();
+sanitise_environment();
 
-function stripslashes_r($arr) {
-	return is_array($arr) ? array_map('stripslashes_r', $arr) : stripslashes($arr);
-}
-if(get_magic_quotes_gpc()) {
-	$_GET = stripslashes_r($_GET);
-	$_POST = stripslashes_r($_POST);
-	$_COOKIE = stripslashes_r($_COOKIE);
-}
 
 
 // load base files