diff --git a/phpBB/includes/acm/acm_db.php b/phpBB/includes/acm/acm_db.php
index a9b75a9a77..0204666aa4 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/acm/acm_db.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/acm/acm_db.php
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ class acm
 			}
 		}
 
-		if ($this->exists($var_name))
+		if ($this->_exists($var_name))
 		{
 			if (empty($this->var_ready[$var_name]))
 			{
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ class acm
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			return NULL;
+			return false;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class acm
 		}
 	}
 
-	function exists($var_name)
+	function _exists($var_name)
 	{
 		if (!is_array($this->vars))
 		{
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/acm/acm_file.php b/phpBB/includes/acm/acm_file.php
index 8f7e79aad5..0df3c05a98 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/acm/acm_file.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/acm/acm_file.php
@@ -114,12 +114,17 @@ class acm
 		{
 			global $phpEx;
 
+			if (!$this->_exists($var_name))
+			{
+				return false;
+			}
+
 			include($this->cache_dir . 'data' . $var_name . ".$phpEx");
-			return (isset($data)) ? $data : NULL;
+			return (isset($data)) ? $data : false;
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			return ($this->exists($var_name)) ? $this->vars[$var_name] : NULL;
+			return ($this->_exists($var_name)) ? $this->vars[$var_name] : false;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -184,7 +189,7 @@ class acm
 		}
 	}
 
-	function exists($var_name)
+	function _exists($var_name)
 	{
 		if ($var_name{0} == '_')
 		{
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/acm/acm_main.php b/phpBB/includes/acm/acm_main.php
index a0e6267b53..3f9e3fa60f 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/acm/acm_main.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/acm/acm_main.php
@@ -72,11 +72,7 @@ class cache extends acm
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		if ($this->exists('word_censors'))
-		{
-			$censors = $this->get('word_censors');
-		}
-		else
+		if (!($censors = $this->get('word_censors')))
 		{
 			$sql = 'SELECT word, replacement
 				FROM  ' . WORDS_TABLE;
@@ -101,11 +97,7 @@ class cache extends acm
 	*/
 	function obtain_icons(&$icons)
 	{
-		if ($this->exists('icons'))
-		{
-			$icons = $this->get('icons');
-		}
-		else
+		if (!($icons = $this->get('icons')))
 		{
 			global $db;
 	
@@ -136,11 +128,7 @@ class cache extends acm
 	*/
 	function obtain_ranks(&$ranks)
 	{
-		if ($this->exists('ranks'))
-		{
-			$ranks = $this->get('ranks');
-		}
-		else
+		if (!($ranks = $this->get('ranks')))
 		{
 			global $db;
 	
@@ -181,11 +169,7 @@ class cache extends acm
 	*/
 	function obtain_attach_extensions(&$extensions, $forum_id = false)
 	{
-		if ($this->exists('_extensions'))
-		{
-			$extensions = $this->get('_extensions');
-		}
-		else
+		if (!($extensions = $this->get('_extensions')))
 		{
 			global $db;
 	
@@ -265,11 +249,7 @@ class cache extends acm
 	*/
 	function obtain_bots(&$bots)
 	{
-		if ($this->exists('bots'))
-		{
-			$bots = $this->get('bots');
-		}
-		else
+		if (!($bots = $this->get('bots')))
 		{
 			global $db;
 	
@@ -320,7 +300,12 @@ class cache extends acm
 
 		foreach ($parsed_items as $key => $parsed_array)
 		{
-			$parsed_array = ($this->exists('_' . $key . '_cfg')) ? $this->get('_' . $key . '_cfg') : array();
+			$parsed_array = $this->get('_' . $key . '_cfg');
+
+			if (!$parsed_array)
+			{
+				$parsed_array = array();
+			}
 
 			$reparse = false;
 			$filename = $phpbb_root_path . 'styles/' . $theme[$key . '_path'] . '/' . $key . '/' . $key . '.cfg';
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/functions_display.php b/phpBB/includes/functions_display.php
index 5c6eceba2a..6f76c0144e 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/functions_display.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/functions_display.php
@@ -666,11 +666,7 @@ function display_attachments($forum_id, $blockname, &$attachment_data, &$update_
 
 	if (!isset($attachment_tpl))
 	{
-		if ($cache->exists('attachment_tpl'))
-		{
-			$attachment_tpl = $cache->get('attachment_tpl');
-		}
-		else
+		if (!($attachment_tpl = $cache->get('attachment_tpl')))
 		{
 			$attachment_tpl = array();