diff --git a/html/includes/authentication/active_directory.inc.php b/html/includes/authentication/active_directory.inc.php
index d936b44c8d..e6dda6b7e0 100644
--- a/html/includes/authentication/active_directory.inc.php
+++ b/html/includes/authentication/active_directory.inc.php
@@ -8,25 +8,25 @@ if (isset($config['auth_ad_check_certificates']) &&
     putenv('LDAPTLS_REQCERT=never');
 };
 
-$ds = @ldap_connect($config['auth_ad_url']);
+$ldap_connection = @ldap_connect($config['auth_ad_url']);
 
 // disable referrals and force ldap version to 3
 
-ldap_set_option($ds, LDAP_OPT_REFERRALS, 0);
-ldap_set_option($ds, LDAP_OPT_PROTOCOL_VERSION, 3);
+ldap_set_option($ldap_connection, LDAP_OPT_REFERRALS, 0);
+ldap_set_option($ldap_connection, LDAP_OPT_PROTOCOL_VERSION, 3);
 
 function authenticate($username, $password) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
-    if ($ds) {
+    if ($ldap_connection) {
         // bind with sAMAccountName instead of full LDAP DN
-        if ($username && ldap_bind($ds, "{$username}@{$config['auth_ad_domain']}", $password)) {
+        if ($username && ldap_bind($ldap_connection, "{$username}@{$config['auth_ad_domain']}", $password)) {
             // group membership in one of the configured groups is required
             if (isset($config['auth_ad_require_groupmembership']) &&
                 $config['auth_ad_require_groupmembership'] > 0) {
-                $search = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
+                $search = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
                                       "(samaccountname={$username})", array('memberOf'));
-                $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+                $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
 
                 $user_authenticated = 0; 
                 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ function authenticate($username, $password) {
         }
     }
     else {
-        echo ldap_error($ds);
+        echo ldap_error($ldap_connection);
     }
 
     return 0;
@@ -108,11 +108,11 @@ function user_exists_in_db($username) {
 }
 
 function user_exists($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
-    $search = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
+    $search = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
                           "(samaccountname={$username})",array('samaccountname'));
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
 
 
     if ($entries['count']) {
@@ -124,14 +124,14 @@ function user_exists($username) {
 
 
 function get_userlevel($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
     $userlevel = 0;
 
     // Find all defined groups $username is in
-    $search = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
+    $search = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
                           "(samaccountname={$username})", array('memberOf'));
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
     
     // Loop the list and find the highest level
     foreach ($entries[0]['memberof'] as $entry) {
@@ -146,12 +146,12 @@ function get_userlevel($username) {
 
 
 function get_userid($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
     $attributes = array('objectsid');
-    $search = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
+    $search = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
                           "(samaccountname={$username})", $attributes);    
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
 
     if ($entries['count']) {
         return preg_replace('/.*-(\d+)$/','$1',sid_from_ldap($entries[0]['objectsid'][0]));
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ function deluser($username) {
 
 
 function get_userlist() {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
     $userlist = array();
     $userhash = array();
 
@@ -180,14 +180,14 @@ function get_userlist() {
 
     foreach($ldap_groups as $ldap_group) {
         $group_cn = get_cn($ldap_group);
-        $search = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'], "(cn={$group_cn})", array('member'));
-        $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+        $search = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'], "(cn={$group_cn})", array('member'));
+        $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
         
         foreach($entries[0]['member'] as $member) {
             $member_cn = get_cn($member);
-            $search = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'], "(cn={$member_cn})",
+            $search = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'], "(cn={$member_cn})",
                                   array('sAMAccountname', 'displayName', 'objectSID', 'mail'));
-            $results = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+            $results = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
             foreach($results as $result) {
                 if(isset($result['samaccountname'][0])) {
                     $userid = preg_replace('/.*-(\d+)$/','$1',
@@ -235,12 +235,12 @@ function update_user($user_id, $realname, $level, $can_modify_passwd, $email) {
 
 
 function get_fullname($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
     $attributes = array('name');
-    $result = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
+    $result = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
                           "(samaccountname={$username})", $attributes);
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $result);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $result);
     if ($entries['count'] > 0) {
         $membername = $entries[0]['name'][0];
     }
@@ -279,13 +279,13 @@ function get_group_list() {
 }
 
 function get_dn($samaccountname) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
 
     $attributes = array('dn');
-    $result = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
+    $result = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
                           "(samaccountname={$samaccountname})", $attributes);
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $result);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $result);
     if ($entries['count'] > 0) {
         return $entries[0]['dn'];
     }
diff --git a/html/includes/authentication/ad-authorization.inc.php b/html/includes/authentication/ad-authorization.inc.php
index 2f30129984..750c3f62dd 100644
--- a/html/includes/authentication/ad-authorization.inc.php
+++ b/html/includes/authentication/ad-authorization.inc.php
@@ -104,14 +104,14 @@ function user_exists_in_db($username) {
 }
 
 function user_exists($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
     if (auth_ldap_session_cache_get ('user_exists'))
         return 1;
 
-    $search = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
+    $search = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
             "(samaccountname=${username})",array('samaccountname'));
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
 
     if ($entries['count']) {
         /*
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ function user_exists($username) {
 
 
 function get_userlevel($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
     $userlevel = auth_ldap_session_cache_get ('userlevel');
     if ($userlevel) {
@@ -138,9 +138,9 @@ function get_userlevel($username) {
     }
 
     // Find all defined groups $username is in
-    $search = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
+    $search = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
             "(samaccountname={$username})", array('memberOf'));
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
 
     // Loop the list and find the highest level
     foreach ($entries[0]['memberof'] as $entry) {
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ function get_userlevel($username) {
 
 
 function get_userid($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
     $user_id = auth_ldap_session_cache_get ('userid');
     if (isset ($user_id)) {
@@ -167,9 +167,9 @@ function get_userid($username) {
     }
 
     $attributes = array('objectsid');
-    $search = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
+    $search = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
             "(samaccountname={$username})", $attributes);    
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
 
     if ($entries['count']) {
         $user_id = preg_replace('/.*-(\d+)$/','$1',sid_from_ldap($entries[0]['objectsid'][0]));
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ function deluser($username) {
 
 
 function get_userlist() {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
     $userlist = array();
     $userhash = array();
 
@@ -199,14 +199,14 @@ function get_userlist() {
 
     foreach($ldap_groups as $ldap_group) {
         $group_cn = get_cn($ldap_group);
-        $search = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'], "(cn={$group_cn})", array('member'));
-        $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+        $search = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'], "(cn={$group_cn})", array('member'));
+        $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
 
         foreach($entries[0]['member'] as $member) {
             $member_cn = get_cn($member);
-            $search = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'], "(cn={$member_cn})",
+            $search = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'], "(cn={$member_cn})",
                     array('sAMAccountname', 'displayName', 'objectSID', 'mail'));
-            $results = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+            $results = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
             foreach($results as $result) {
                 if(isset($result['samaccountname'][0])) {
                     $userid = preg_replace('/.*-(\d+)$/','$1',
@@ -254,12 +254,12 @@ function update_user($user_id, $realname, $level, $can_modify_passwd, $email) {
 
 
 function get_fullname($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
     $attributes = array('name');
-    $result = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
+    $result = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
             "(samaccountname={$username})", $attributes);
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $result);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $result);
     if ($entries['count'] > 0) {
         $membername = $entries[0]['name'][0];
     }
@@ -298,13 +298,13 @@ function get_group_list() {
 }
 
 function get_dn($samaccountname) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
 
     $attributes = array('dn');
-    $result = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
+    $result = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ad_base_dn'],
             "(samaccountname={$samaccountname})", $attributes);
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $result);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $result);
     if ($entries['count'] > 0) {
         return $entries[0]['dn'];
     }
diff --git a/html/includes/authentication/ldap-authorization.inc.php b/html/includes/authentication/ldap-authorization.inc.php
index 5b68fdf82f..afda92e299 100644
--- a/html/includes/authentication/ldap-authorization.inc.php
+++ b/html/includes/authentication/ldap-authorization.inc.php
@@ -112,14 +112,14 @@ function adduser ($username, $password, $level, $email = '', $realname = '', $ca
 
 
 function user_exists ($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
     if (auth_ldap_session_cache_get ('user_exists'))
         return 1;
 
     $filter  = '(' . $config['auth_ldap_prefix'] . $username . ')';
-    $search  = ldap_search ($ds, trim ($config['auth_ldap_suffix'], ','), $filter);
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries ($ds, $search);
+    $search  = ldap_search ($ldap_connection, trim ($config['auth_ldap_suffix'], ','), $filter);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries ($ldap_connection, $search);
     if ($entries['count']) {
         /*
 	 * Cache positiv result as this will result in more queries which we
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ function user_exists ($username) {
 
 
 function get_userlevel ($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
     $userlevel = auth_ldap_session_cache_get ('userlevel');
     if ($userlevel) {
@@ -150,8 +150,8 @@ function get_userlevel ($username) {
 
     // Find all defined groups $username is in
     $filter  = '(&(|(cn=' . join (')(cn=', array_keys ($config['auth_ldap_groups'])) . '))(' . $config['auth_ldap_groupmemberattr'] .'=' . get_membername ($username) . '))';
-    $search  = ldap_search ($ds, $config['auth_ldap_groupbase'], $filter);
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+    $search  = ldap_search ($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ldap_groupbase'], $filter);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
 
     // Loop the list and find the highest level
     foreach ($entries as $entry) {
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ function get_userlevel ($username) {
 
 
 function get_userid ($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
     $user_id = auth_ldap_session_cache_get ('userid');
     if (isset ($user_id)) {
@@ -178,8 +178,8 @@ function get_userid ($username) {
     }
 
     $filter  = '(' . $config['auth_ldap_prefix'] . $username . ')';
-    $search  = ldap_search ($ds, trim ($config['auth_ldap_suffix'], ','), $filter);
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries ($ds, $search);
+    $search  = ldap_search ($ldap_connection, trim ($config['auth_ldap_suffix'], ','), $filter);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries ($ldap_connection, $search);
 
     if ($entries['count']) {
         $user_id = $entries[0]['uidnumber'][0];
@@ -197,13 +197,13 @@ function deluser ($username) {
 
 
 function get_userlist () {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
     $userlist = array ();
 
     $filter = '(' . $config['auth_ldap_prefix'] . '*)';
 
-    $search  = ldap_search ($ds, trim ($config['auth_ldap_suffix'], ','), $filter);
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries ($ds, $search);
+    $search  = ldap_search ($ldap_connection, trim ($config['auth_ldap_suffix'], ','), $filter);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries ($ldap_connection, $search);
 
     if ($entries['count']) {
         foreach ($entries as $entry) {
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ function get_userlist () {
             $ldap_groups = get_group_list ();
             foreach ($ldap_groups as $ldap_group) {
                 $ldap_comparison = ldap_compare(
-                    $ds,
+                    $ldap_connection,
                     $ldap_group,
                     $config['auth_ldap_groupmemberattr'],
                     get_membername($username)
@@ -256,14 +256,14 @@ function update_user ($user_id, $realname, $level, $can_modify_passwd, $email) {
 
 
 function get_membername ($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
     if ($config['auth_ldap_groupmembertype'] == 'fulldn') {
         $membername = $config['auth_ldap_prefix'] . $username . $config['auth_ldap_suffix'];
     }
     elseif ($config['auth_ldap_groupmembertype'] == 'puredn') {
         $filter  = '(' . $config['auth_ldap_attr']['uid'] . '=' . $username . ')';
-        $search  = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ldap_groupbase'], $filter);
-        $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+        $search  = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ldap_groupbase'], $filter);
+        $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
         $membername = $entries[0]['dn'];
     }
     else {
diff --git a/html/includes/authentication/ldap.inc.php b/html/includes/authentication/ldap.inc.php
index a9679072fd..4948b63796 100644
--- a/html/includes/authentication/ldap.inc.php
+++ b/html/includes/authentication/ldap.inc.php
@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@ if ($config['auth_ldap_starttls'] && ($config['auth_ldap_starttls'] == 'optional
 
 
 function authenticate($username, $password) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
-    if ($username && $ds) {
+    if ($username && $ldap_connection) {
         if ($config['auth_ldap_version']) {
-            ldap_set_option($ds, LDAP_OPT_PROTOCOL_VERSION, $config['auth_ldap_version']);
+            ldap_set_option($ldap_connection, LDAP_OPT_PROTOCOL_VERSION, $config['auth_ldap_version']);
         }
 
-        if (ldap_bind($ds, $config['auth_ldap_prefix'].$username.$config['auth_ldap_suffix'], $password)) {
+        if (ldap_bind($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ldap_prefix'].$username.$config['auth_ldap_suffix'], $password)) {
             if (!$config['auth_ldap_group']) {
                 return 1;
             }
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ function authenticate($username, $password) {
                 $ldap_groups = get_group_list();
                 foreach ($ldap_groups as $ldap_group) {
                     $ldap_comparison = ldap_compare(
-                        $ds,
+                        $ldap_connection,
                         $ldap_group,
                         $config['auth_ldap_groupmemberattr'],
                         get_membername($username)
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ function authenticate($username, $password) {
               }
         }
         else {
-            echo ldap_error($ds);
+            echo ldap_error($ldap_connection);
         }
     }
     else {
@@ -83,11 +83,11 @@ function adduser($username, $password, $level, $email='', $realname='', $can_mod
 
 
 function user_exists($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
     $filter  = '('.$config['auth_ldap_prefix'].$username.')';
-    $search  = ldap_search($ds, trim($config['auth_ldap_suffix'], ','), $filter);
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+    $search  = ldap_search($ldap_connection, trim($config['auth_ldap_suffix'], ','), $filter);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
     if ($entries['count']) {
         return 1;
     }
@@ -98,14 +98,14 @@ function user_exists($username) {
 
 
 function get_userlevel($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
     $userlevel = 0;
 
     // Find all defined groups $username is in
     $filter  = '(&(|(cn='.join(')(cn=', array_keys($config['auth_ldap_groups'])).'))('.$config['auth_ldap_groupmemberattr'].'='.get_membername($username).'))';
-    $search  = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ldap_groupbase'], $filter);
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+    $search  = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ldap_groupbase'], $filter);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
 
     // Loop the list and find the highest level
     foreach ($entries as $entry) {
@@ -121,11 +121,11 @@ function get_userlevel($username) {
 
 
 function get_userid($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
 
     $filter  = '('.$config['auth_ldap_prefix'].$username.')';
-    $search  = ldap_search($ds, trim($config['auth_ldap_suffix'], ','), $filter);
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+    $search  = ldap_search($ldap_connection, trim($config['auth_ldap_suffix'], ','), $filter);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
 
     if ($entries['count']) {
         return $entries[0]['uidnumber'][0];
@@ -144,13 +144,13 @@ function deluser($username) {
 
 
 function get_userlist() {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
     $userlist = array();
 
     $filter = '('.$config['auth_ldap_prefix'].'*)';
 
-    $search  = ldap_search($ds, trim($config['auth_ldap_suffix'], ','), $filter);
-    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+    $search  = ldap_search($ldap_connection, trim($config['auth_ldap_suffix'], ','), $filter);
+    $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
 
     if ($entries['count']) {
         foreach ($entries as $entry) {
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ function get_userlist() {
             $ldap_groups = get_group_list();
             foreach ($ldap_groups as $ldap_group) {
                 $ldap_comparison = ldap_compare(
-                    $ds,
+                    $ldap_connection,
                     $ldap_group,
                     $config['auth_ldap_groupmemberattr'],
                     get_membername($username)
@@ -205,14 +205,14 @@ function update_user($user_id, $realname, $level, $can_modify_passwd, $email) {
 
 
 function get_membername($username) {
-    global $config, $ds;
+    global $config, $ldap_connection;
     if ($config['auth_ldap_groupmembertype'] == 'fulldn') {
         $membername = $config['auth_ldap_prefix'].$username.$config['auth_ldap_suffix'];
     }
     elseif ($config['auth_ldap_groupmembertype'] == 'puredn') {
         $filter  = '('.$config['auth_ldap_attr']['uid'].'='.$username.')';
-        $search  = ldap_search($ds, $config['auth_ldap_groupbase'], $filter);
-        $entries = ldap_get_entries($ds, $search);
+        $search  = ldap_search($ldap_connection, $config['auth_ldap_groupbase'], $filter);
+        $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldap_connection, $search);
         $membername = $entries[0]['dn'];
     }
     else {