diff --git a/SSI.php b/SSI.php
index 14af4d4b..58eed2e2 100644
--- a/SSI.php
+++ b/SSI.php
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 define('ROOT_DIR', str_replace('\\', '/', dirname(__FILE__)));
 define('APP_DIR', ROOT_DIR . '/core/app');
 
-// Get the forum's settings for database and file paths.
+// Get the forum's settings and loadSource() definition.
 require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . '/Settings.php');
 require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . '/index.php');
 
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
 ));
 
 // Initiate the database connection and load $settings data.
+loadConstants();
 loadDatabase();
 loadSettings();
 
diff --git a/core/app/Class-System.php b/core/app/Class-System.php
index 73788772..f3ecbdc2 100644
--- a/core/app/Class-System.php
+++ b/core/app/Class-System.php
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ protected static function init_user()
 		// Fill in the server URL for the current user. This is user-specific, as they may be using a different URL than the script's default URL (Pretty URL, secure access...)
 		// Note that HTTP_X_FORWARDED_SERVER is mostly used by proxy servers. If the client doesn't provide anything, it's probably a bot.
 		$user['host'] = empty($_SERVER['REAL_HTTP_HOST']) ? (empty($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']) ? (empty($_SERVER['HTTP_X_FORWARDED_SERVER']) ? substr(strrchr(ROOT, ':'), 3) : $_SERVER['HTTP_X_FORWARDED_SERVER']) : $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']) : $_SERVER['REAL_HTTP_HOST'];
-		$user['server'] = $context['protocol'] . $user['host'];
+		$user['server'] = PROTOCOL . $user['host'];
 
 		// The URL in your address bar. Also contains the query string.
 		// Do not print this without sanitizing first!
diff --git a/core/app/Credits.php b/core/app/Credits.php
index 5a248bcd..48496307 100644
--- a/core/app/Credits.php
+++ b/core/app/Credits.php
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ function Credits()
 		array(
 			'title' => $txt['credits_groups_dev'],
 			'members' => array(
-				'<img src="' . $context['protocol'] . ($context['protocol'] == 'https://' ? 'secure.' : '') . 'gravatar.com/avatar/0879c588019800e5349fe171d69e1c28" class="opaque left" style="margin: 8px 20px 8px -24px"><br><br>Ren&eacute;-Gilles Deberdt<br>(Nao &#23578;)<br class="clear">',
+				'<img src="' . PROTOCOL . (PROTOCOL == 'https://' ? 'secure.' : '') . 'gravatar.com/avatar/0879c588019800e5349fe171d69e1c28" class="opaque left" style="margin: 8px 20px 8px -24px"><br><br>Ren&eacute;-Gilles Deberdt<br>(Nao &#23578;)<br class="clear">',
 			),
 		),
 		array(
diff --git a/core/app/Load.php b/core/app/Load.php
index c8b04268..289396a2 100644
--- a/core/app/Load.php
+++ b/core/app/Load.php
@@ -35,11 +35,6 @@ function loadSettings()
 		'app_error_count' => 0,
 	);
 
-	// Is this a page requested through jQuery? If yes, set the AJAX constant so we can choose to show only the template's default block.
-	$ajax = isset($_SERVER['HTTP_X_REQUESTED_WITH']) && strtolower($_SERVER['HTTP_X_REQUESTED_WITH']) == 'xmlhttprequest';
-	define('INFINITE', $ajax && !empty($_POST['infinite']));
-	define('AJAX', $ajax && !INFINITE);
-
 	// Try to load settings from the cache first; they'll never get cached if the setting is off.
 	if (($settings = cache_get_data('settings', 'forever')) === null)
 	{
@@ -162,9 +157,6 @@ function loadSettings()
 	// If an action should not influence the who's online list, please add it to the $action_no_log global from your own action.
 	$action_no_log = array('ajax', 'dlattach', 'feed', 'like', 'notification', 'verification', 'viewquery', 'viewremote');
 
-	// Set up path constants.
-	loadPaths();
-
 	// Deal with loading plugins.
 	$context['enabled_plugins'] = array();
 	if (!empty($settings['enabled_plugins']))
diff --git a/core/app/ManageServer.php b/core/app/ManageServer.php
index 2c871b0f..0c992a28 100644
--- a/core/app/ManageServer.php
+++ b/core/app/ManageServer.php
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ function ModifyCookieSettings($return_config = false)
 		array('int', 'cookieTime'),
 		array('check', 'localCookies', 'subtext' => $txt['localCookies_subtext']),
 		array('check', 'globalCookies', 'subtext' => $txt['globalCookies_subtext']),
-		array('check', 'secureCookies', 'disabled' => $context['protocol'] != 'https://', 'subtext' => $txt['secureCookies_subtext']),
+		array('check', 'secureCookies', 'disabled' => PROTOCOL != 'https://', 'subtext' => $txt['secureCookies_subtext']),
 		'',
 		// Sessions
 		array('check', 'databaseSession_enable'),
diff --git a/core/app/ManageSettings.php b/core/app/ManageSettings.php
index 24617ee2..c07b35c3 100644
--- a/core/app/ManageSettings.php
+++ b/core/app/ManageSettings.php
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ function ModifyPmSettings($return_config = false)
 // Shell for all the Pretty URL interfaces
 function ModifyPrettyURLs($return_config = false)
 {
-	global $context, $settings, $txt;
+	global $context, $settings, $txt, $remove_index;
 
 	// For the administrative search function not to get upset.
 	if ($return_config)
@@ -542,12 +542,12 @@ function ModifyPrettyURLs($return_config = false)
 			array(
 				'pretty_enable_filters' => $is_enabled,
 				'pretty_enable_cache' => isset($_POST['pretty_cache']) ? ($_POST['pretty_cache'] == 'on' ? 'on' : '') : '',
-				'pretty_remove_index' => isset($_POST['pretty_remove_index']) ? ($_POST['pretty_remove_index'] == 'on' ? 'on' : '') : '',
 				'pretty_filters' => serialize($settings['pretty_filters']),
 				'pretty_prefix_action' => $action,
 				'pretty_prefix_profile' => $profile,
 			)
 		);
+		updateSettingsFile(array('remove_index' => isset($_POST['pretty_remove_index']) ? ($_POST['pretty_remove_index'] == 'on' ? 1 : 0) : 1));
 		$settings['pretty_filters'] = unserialize($settings['pretty_filters']);
 
 		if (isset($_REQUEST['pretty_cache']))
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ function ModifyPrettyURLs($return_config = false)
 
 	$context['pretty']['settings'] = array(
 		'cache' => !empty($settings['pretty_enable_cache']) ? $settings['pretty_enable_cache'] : 0,
-		'index' => !empty($settings['pretty_remove_index']) ? $settings['pretty_remove_index'] : 0,
+		'index' => !empty($remove_index) ? $remove_index : 0,
 	);
 }
 
diff --git a/core/app/OriginalFiles.php b/core/app/OriginalFiles.php
index 677ff90b..9170f495 100644
--- a/core/app/OriginalFiles.php
+++ b/core/app/OriginalFiles.php
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ function create_settings_file()
 $webmaster_email = \'noreply@myserver.com\';
 $cookiename = \'WedgeCookie01\';
 $cache_type = \'file\';
+$remove_index = 0;
 $we_shot = ' . WEDGE . ';
 
 # MySQL server
diff --git a/core/app/PrettyUrls-Filters.php b/core/app/PrettyUrls-Filters.php
index 82833b9e..9a3efe7b 100644
--- a/core/app/PrettyUrls-Filters.php
+++ b/core/app/PrettyUrls-Filters.php
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ function pretty_filter_actions(&$urls)
  */
 function pretty_filter_topics(&$urls)
 {
-	global $settings, $context;
+	global $settings;
 
 	$pattern = '~(?<=[?;&])topic=(\d+)(?:\.([a-zA-Z0-9$%]+))?~';
 	$query_data = array();
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ function pretty_filter_topics(&$urls)
 		{
 			if (isset($row['pretty_url']))
 				$topicData[$row['id_topic']] = array(
-					'pretty_board' => !empty($row['url']) ? $context['protocol'] . $row['url'] : ROOT,
+					'pretty_board' => !empty($row['url']) ? PROTOCOL . $row['url'] : ROOT,
 					'pretty_url' => $row['pretty_url'],
 				);
 			else
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ function pretty_filter_topics(&$urls)
 				$add_new[] = array($row['id_topic'], $pretty_text);
 				// Add to the original array of topic URLs
 				$topicData[$row['id_topic']] = array(
-					'pretty_board' => $context['protocol'] . (!empty($row['board_url']) ? $row['board_url'] : $row['id_board']),
+					'pretty_board' => PROTOCOL . (!empty($row['board_url']) ? $row['board_url'] : $row['id_board']),
 					'pretty_url' => $pretty_text,
 				);
 			}
@@ -240,8 +240,6 @@ function pretty_filter_topics(&$urls)
  */
 function pretty_filter_boards(&$urls)
 {
-	global $context;
-
 	$pattern = '~(.*[?;&])\bboard=([.0-9$%d]+)(?:;(cat|tag)=([^;&]+))?(?:;month=(\d{6,8}))?(.*)~S';
 	$bo_list = array();
 	foreach ($urls as &$url)
@@ -287,7 +285,7 @@ function pretty_filter_boards(&$urls)
 
 		foreach ($urls as &$url)
 			if (!isset($url['replacement']) && isset($url['board_id']))
-				$url['replacement'] = (!empty($url_list[$url['board_id']]) ? $context['protocol'] . $url_list[$url['board_id']] : ROOT) . '/' . $url['cattag'] . $url['epoch'] . $url['start'] . $url['match1'] . $url['match6'];
+				$url['replacement'] = (!empty($url_list[$url['board_id']]) ? PROTOCOL . $url_list[$url['board_id']] : ROOT) . '/' . $url['cattag'] . $url['epoch'] . $url['start'] . $url['match1'] . $url['match6'];
 	}
 
 	$cat_pattern = '~(.*)\bcategory=([^;]+)~S';
diff --git a/core/app/QueryString.php b/core/app/QueryString.php
index 86f7f849..67e38d5b 100644
--- a/core/app/QueryString.php
+++ b/core/app/QueryString.php
@@ -12,23 +12,28 @@
 	die('Hacking attempt...');
 
 /**
- * Initializes all of the path constants.
+ * Initializes all of the constants, especially all paths.
  */
-function loadPaths()
+function loadConstants()
 {
-	global $boardurl, $settings, $context;
+	global $boardurl, $remove_index, $aliases;
+
+	// Is this a page requested through jQuery? If yes, set the AJAX constant so we can choose to show only the template's default block.
+	$ajax = isset($_SERVER['HTTP_X_REQUESTED_WITH']) && strtolower($_SERVER['HTTP_X_REQUESTED_WITH']) == 'xmlhttprequest';
+	define('INFINITE', $ajax && !empty($_POST['infinite']));
+	define('AJAX', $ajax && !INFINITE);
 
 	// $scripturl is your board URL if you asked to remove index.php or the user visits for the first time
 	// (in which case they'll get the annoying PHPSESSID stuff in their URL and we need index.php in them.)
-	$scripturl = $boardurl . (!empty($settings['pretty_remove_index']) && isset($_COOKIE[session_name()]) ? '/' : '/index.php');
+	$scripturl = $boardurl . (!empty($remove_index) && isset($_COOKIE[session_name()]) ? '/' : '/index.php');
 
 	$is_secure = (isset($_SERVER['HTTPS']) && ($_SERVER['HTTPS'] == 'on' || $_SERVER['HTTPS'] == 1)) || (isset($_SERVER['HTTP_X_FORWARDED_PROTO']) && $_SERVER['HTTP_X_FORWARDED_PROTO'] == 'https');
-	$context['protocol'] = $is_secure ? 'https://' : 'http://';
+	define('PROTOCOL', $is_secure ? 'https://' : 'http://');
 
 	// Check to see if they're accessing it from the wrong place.
 	if (isset($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']) || isset($_SERVER['SERVER_NAME']))
 	{
-		$detected_url = $context['protocol'];
+		$detected_url = PROTOCOL;
 		$detected_url .= empty($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']) ? $_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'] . (empty($_SERVER['SERVER_PORT']) || $_SERVER['SERVER_PORT'] == '80' ? '' : ':' . $_SERVER['SERVER_PORT']) : $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'];
 		$temp = preg_replace('~/' . basename($scripturl) . '(/.+)?$~', '', strtr(dirname($_SERVER['PHP_SELF']), '\\', '/'));
 		if ($temp != '/')
@@ -38,16 +43,12 @@ function loadPaths()
 	// Is everything all right, URL-wise..? Then waste no more.
 	if (isset($detected_url) && $detected_url != $boardurl)
 	{
-		// Try #1 - check if it's in a list of alias addresses
-		if (!empty($settings['forum_alias_urls']))
-		{
-			$aliases = explode(',', $settings['forum_alias_urls']);
-
-			// Rip off all the boring parts, spaces, etc.
-			foreach ($aliases as $alias)
+		// Try #1 - check if it's in a list of alias addresses.
+		// Define these in Settings.php! e.g. $aliases = 'mainsite.com,altsite.org,anothersite.net'.
+		if (!empty($aliases))
+			foreach (explode(',', $aliases) as $alias)
 				if ($detected_url == trim($alias) || strtr($detected_url, array('http://' => '', 'https://' => '')) == trim($alias))
 					$do_fix = true;
-		}
 
 		// Hmm... check #2 - is it just different by a www? Send them to the correct place!!
 		if (empty($do_fix) && strtr($detected_url, array('://' => '://www.')) == $boardurl && (empty($_GET) || count($_GET) == 1) && WEDGE != 'SSI')
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ function loadPaths()
 		if (strtr($detected_url, array('https://' => 'http://')) == $boardurl)
 			$do_fix = true;
 
-		// Okay, #4 - perhaps it's an IP address? We're gonna want to use that one, then. (assuming it's the IP or something...)
+		// Okay, #4 - perhaps it's an IP address? We're gonna want to use that one, then. (Assuming it's the IP or something...)
 		if (!empty($do_fix) || preg_match('~^http[s]?://(?:[\d.:]+|\[[\d:]+\](?::\d+)?)(?:$|/)~', $detected_url) == 1)
 		{
 			// Fix $boardurl and $scripturl
@@ -571,7 +572,7 @@ function cleanRequest()
 	if (empty($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']))
 		$_SERVER['REQUEST_URL'] = SCRIPT . (!empty($_SERVER['QUERY_STRING']) ? '?' . $_SERVER['QUERY_STRING'] : '');
 	else
-		$_SERVER['REQUEST_URL'] = $context['protocol'] . $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];
+		$_SERVER['REQUEST_URL'] = PROTOCOL . $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];
 
 	// And make sure HTTP_USER_AGENT is set.
 	$_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'] = isset($_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT']) ? htmlspecialchars(wesql::unescape_string($_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT']), ENT_QUOTES) : '';
diff --git a/core/app/Subs-Auth.php b/core/app/Subs-Auth.php
index b9212267..64685144 100644
--- a/core/app/Subs-Auth.php
+++ b/core/app/Subs-Auth.php
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
 // Actually set the login cookie...
 function setLoginCookie($cookie_length, $id, $password = '')
 {
-	global $cookiename, $settings;
+	global $cookiename, $settings, $aliases;
 
 	// If changing state force them to re-address some permission caching.
 	$_SESSION['mc']['time'] = 0;
@@ -118,11 +118,9 @@ function setLoginCookie($cookie_length, $id, $password = '')
 		setcookie($cookiename, $data, time() + $cookie_length, $cookie_url[1], '', !empty($settings['secureCookies']), true);
 
 	// Any alias URLs? This is mainly for use with frames, etc.
-	if (!empty($settings['forum_alias_urls']))
+	if (!empty($aliases))
 	{
-		$aliases = explode(',', $settings['forum_alias_urls']);
-
-		foreach ($aliases as $alias)
+		foreach (explode(',', $aliases) as $alias)
 		{
 			// Fake the ROOT so we can set a different cookie.
 			$alias = strtr(trim($alias), array('http://' => '', 'https://' => ''));
diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index 9a8e8885..391a16b1 100644
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@
 	'Security',
 ));
 
+// Load paths.
+loadConstants();
+
 // Are we installing, or doing something that needs the forum to be down?
 if (!empty($maintenance) && $maintenance > 1)
 {
diff --git a/install/install.php b/install/install.php
index 7fc71452..7a7100de 100644
--- a/install/install.php
+++ b/install/install.php
@@ -24,16 +24,9 @@
 $boardurl = 'http' . (!empty($_SERVER['HTTPS']) && strtolower($_SERVER['HTTPS']) != 'off' ? 's' : '') . '://' . $host;
 $boardurl .= substr($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'], 0, strrpos($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'], '/'));
 
-// Define our constants. (cf. QueryString.php)
-define('ROOT',			$boardurl);
-define('SCRIPT',		ROOT_DIR . '/index.php');
-define('TEMPLATES',		ROOT . '/core/html');		define('TEMPLATES_DIR', ROOT_DIR . '/core/html');
-define('SKINS',			ROOT . '/core/skins');		define('SKINS_DIR',		ROOT_DIR . '/core/skins');
-define('LANGUAGES',		ROOT . '/core/languages');	define('LANGUAGES_DIR',	ROOT_DIR . '/core/languages');
-define('ASSETS',		ROOT . '/assets');			define('ASSETS_DIR',	ROOT_DIR . '/assets');
-define('CACHE',			ROOT . '/gz');				define('CACHE_DIR',		ROOT_DIR . '/gz');
-define('SMILEYS',		ROOT . '/assets/smileys');
-define('AVATARS',		ROOT . '/assets/avatars');
+// Define our paths and constants.
+require_once(ROOT_DIR . '/core/QueryString.php');
+loadConstants();
 
 define('INVALID_IP', '00000000000000000000000000000000');
 define('IS_WINDOWS', strpos(__FILE__, ':\\') !== false);
@@ -282,11 +275,12 @@ function load_lang_file()
 				arsort($preferred, SORT_NUMERIC);
 			}
 
-			// This is the list of known Wedge language packs/mappings as of March 2013.
+			// This is the list of known Wedge language packs/mappings as of March 2014.
 			$langs = array(
 				'en' => 'Install.english.php',
 				'en-gb' => 'Install.english-uk.php',
 				'fr' => 'Install.french.php',
+				'de' => 'Install.german.php',
 			);
 
 			foreach ($preferred as $key => $value)