diff --git a/bin/dbsv-update.php b/bin/dbsv-update.php
index 32e118b7..22c8e3d6 100644
--- a/bin/dbsv-update.php
+++ b/bin/dbsv-update.php
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 		$opt['rootpath'] = dirname(__FILE__) . '/../htdocs/';
 	require_once($opt['rootpath'] . 'lib2/cli.inc.php');
 
-	if (!field_exists('cache_attrib','gc_id'))
+	if (!sql_field_exists('cache_attrib','gc_id'))
 		die("\n
 	       ERROR: Database structure too old. You must first do a manual update
 				 up to commit 467aae4 (March 27, 2013) to enable automatic updates.
@@ -44,63 +44,28 @@
 	} while ($db_version > 0);
 
 
-	// test if a database table exists
-	function table_exists($table)
-	{
-		global $opt;
-
-		return sql_value("SELECT COUNT(*)
-		                    FROM `information_schema`.`tables`
-		                   WHERE `table_schema`='&1' AND `table_name`='&2'",
-										 0, $opt['db']['placeholder']['db'], $table) > 0;
-	}
-
-	// test if a database field exists
-	function field_exists($table, $field)
-	{
-		global $opt;
-
-		return sql_value("SELECT COUNT(*)
-		                    FROM `information_schema`.`columns`
-		                   WHERE `table_schema`='&1' AND `table_name`='&2' AND `column_name`='&3'",
-										 0, $opt['db']['placeholder']['db'], $table, $field) > 0;
-	}
-
-	// get type of a database field
-	function field_type($table, $field)
-	{
-		global $opt;
-
-		return strtoupper(
-						sql_value("SELECT `data_type`
-		                    FROM `information_schema`.`columns`
-		                   WHERE `table_schema`='&1' AND `table_name`='&2' AND `column_name`='&3'",
-										 '', $opt['db']['placeholder']['db'], $table, $field) );
-	}
-
-
 	// Database mutations
 	// - must be consecutively numbered
 	// - should behave well if run multiple times
 
 	function dbv_100()  // expands log date to datetime, to enable time logging
 	{
-		if (field_type('cache_logs','date') != 'DATETIME')
+		if (sql_field_type('cache_logs','date') != 'DATETIME')
 			sql("ALTER TABLE `cache_logs` CHANGE COLUMN `date` `date` DATETIME NOT NULL");
-		if (field_type('cache_logs_archived','date') != 'DATETIME')
+		if (sql_field_type('cache_logs_archived','date') != 'DATETIME')
 			sql("ALTER TABLE `cache_logs_archived` CHANGE COLUMN `date` `date` DATETIME NOT NULL");
 	}
 
 	function dbv_101()  // add fields for fixing OKAPI issue #232
 	{
-		if (!field_exists('caches','meta_last_modified'))
+		if (!sql_field_exists('caches','meta_last_modified'))
 		{
 		  // initialize with '0000-00-00 00:00:00' for existing data, that's ok
 			sql("ALTER TABLE `caches` ADD COLUMN `meta_last_modified` DATETIME NOT NULL COMMENT 'via Trigger (cache_logs)' AFTER `listing_last_modified`");
 		}
-		if (!field_exists('cache_logs','log_last_modified'))
+		if (!sql_field_exists('cache_logs','log_last_modified'))
 		{
-			if (field_exists('cache_logs','okapi_syncbase'))
+			if (sql_field_exists('cache_logs','okapi_syncbase'))
 				$after = 'okapi_syncbase';
 			else
 				$after = 'last_modified';
@@ -110,9 +75,9 @@
 			         IFNULL((SELECT MAX(`last_modified`) FROM `pictures` WHERE `pictures`.`object_type`=1 AND `pictures`.`object_id` = `cache_logs`.`id`),'0')
 			         )");
 		}
-		if (!field_exists('cache_logs_archived','log_last_modified'))
+		if (!sql_field_exists('cache_logs_archived','log_last_modified'))
 		{
-			if (field_exists('cache_logs_archived','okapi_syncbase'))
+			if (sql_field_exists('cache_logs_archived','okapi_syncbase'))
 				$after = 'okapi_syncbase';
 			else
 				$after = 'last_modified';
@@ -130,18 +95,18 @@
 
 	function dbv_103()  // update comments on static tables
 	{
-		if (table_exists('geodb_areas'))       sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_areas`       COMMENT = 'not in use'");
-		if (table_exists('geodb_changelog'))   sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_changelog`   COMMENT = 'not in use'");
-		if (table_exists('geodb_coordinates')) sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_coordinates` COMMENT = 'static content'");
-		if (table_exists('geodb_floatdata'))   sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_floatdata`   COMMENT = 'not in use'");
-		if (table_exists('geodb_hierarchies')) sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_hierarchies` COMMENT = 'static content'");
-		if (table_exists('geodb_intdata'))     sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_intdata`     COMMENT = 'not in use'");
-		if (table_exists('geodb_locations'))   sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_locations`   COMMENT = 'static content'");
-		if (table_exists('geodb_polygons'))    sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_polygons`    COMMENT = 'not in use'");
-		if (table_exists('geodb_search'))      sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_search`      COMMENT = 'static content, not in use'");
-		if (table_exists('geodb_textdata'))    sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_textdata`    COMMENT = 'static content'");
-		if (table_exists('geodb_type_names'))  sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_type_names`  COMMENT = 'not in use'");
-		if (table_exists('pw_dict'))           sql("ALTER TABLE `pw_dict`           COMMENT = 'static content'");
+		if (sql_table_exists('geodb_areas'))       sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_areas`       COMMENT = 'not in use'");
+		if (sql_table_exists('geodb_changelog'))   sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_changelog`   COMMENT = 'not in use'");
+		if (sql_table_exists('geodb_coordinates')) sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_coordinates` COMMENT = 'static content'");
+		if (sql_table_exists('geodb_floatdata'))   sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_floatdata`   COMMENT = 'not in use'");
+		if (sql_table_exists('geodb_hierarchies')) sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_hierarchies` COMMENT = 'static content'");
+		if (sql_table_exists('geodb_intdata'))     sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_intdata`     COMMENT = 'not in use'");
+		if (sql_table_exists('geodb_locations'))   sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_locations`   COMMENT = 'static content'");
+		if (sql_table_exists('geodb_polygons'))    sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_polygons`    COMMENT = 'not in use'");
+		if (sql_table_exists('geodb_search'))      sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_search`      COMMENT = 'static content, not in use'");
+		if (sql_table_exists('geodb_textdata'))    sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_textdata`    COMMENT = 'static content'");
+		if (sql_table_exists('geodb_type_names'))  sql("ALTER TABLE `geodb_type_names`  COMMENT = 'not in use'");
+		if (sql_table_exists('pw_dict'))           sql("ALTER TABLE `pw_dict`           COMMENT = 'static content'");
 		sql("ALTER TABLE `npa_areas`  COMMENT = 'static content'");
 		sql("ALTER TABLE `npa_types`  COMMENT = 'static content'");
 		sql("ALTER TABLE `nuts_codes` COMMENT = 'static content'");
@@ -154,15 +119,15 @@
 		sql("ALTER TABLE `cache_logtype` COMMENT = 'obsolete'");
 		sql("ALTER TABLE `log_types` CHANGE COLUMN `cache_status` `cache_status` tinyint(1) NOT NULL default '0'");
 		sql("ALTER TABLE `log_types` CHANGE COLUMN `en` `en` varchar(60) NOT NULL");
-		if (!field_exists('stat_caches','maintenance'))
+		if (!sql_field_exists('stat_caches','maintenance'))
 			sql("ALTER TABLE `stat_caches` ADD COLUMN `maintenance` smallint(5) unsigned NOT NULL AFTER `will_attend`");
-		if (!field_exists('stat_cache_logs','maintenance'))
+		if (!sql_field_exists('stat_cache_logs','maintenance'))
 			sql("ALTER TABLE `stat_cache_logs` ADD COLUMN `maintenance` smallint(5) unsigned NOT NULL AFTER `will_attend`");
-		if (!field_exists('stat_user','maintenance'))
+		if (!sql_field_exists('stat_user','maintenance'))
 			sql("ALTER TABLE `stat_user` ADD COLUMN `maintenance` smallint(5) unsigned NOT NULL AFTER `will_attend`");
-		if (!field_exists('cache_logs','oc_team_comment'))
+		if (!sql_field_exists('cache_logs','oc_team_comment'))
 			sql("ALTER TABLE `cache_logs` ADD COLUMN `oc_team_comment` tinyint(1) NOT NULL default '0' AFTER `type`");
-		if (!field_exists('cache_logs_archived','oc_team_comment'))
+		if (!sql_field_exists('cache_logs_archived','oc_team_comment'))
 			sql("ALTER TABLE `cache_logs_archived` ADD COLUMN `oc_team_comment` tinyint(1) NOT NULL default '0' AFTER `type`");
 		// The new fields need not to be initialized, as these are new features and all
 		// values are initally zero.
@@ -170,9 +135,9 @@
 
 	function dbv_105()  // HTML user profile texts
 	{
-		if (!field_exists('user','desc_htmledit'))
+		if (!sql_field_exists('user','desc_htmledit'))
 			sql("ALTER TABLE `user` ADD COLUMN `desc_htmledit` tinyint(1) unsigned NOT NULL DEFAULT '1' AFTER `data_license`");
-		if (!field_exists('user','description'))
+		if (!sql_field_exists('user','description'))
 		{
 			sql("ALTER TABLE `user` ADD COLUMN `description` mediumtext NOT NULL AFTER `data_license`");
 			$rs = sql("SELECT `user`.`user_id`,`user_options`.`option_value` FROM `user`,`user_options` WHERE `user_options`.`user_id`=`user`.`user_id` AND `user_options`.`option_id`=3");
diff --git a/bin/dbupdate.php b/bin/dbupdate.php
index ff4ef779..fbed4494 100644
--- a/bin/dbupdate.php
+++ b/bin/dbupdate.php
@@ -25,11 +25,23 @@
   chdir ($rootpath . 'doc/sql/stored-proc');
   system('php maintain.php');
 
-  echo "updating OKAPI database\n";
-  chdir ($rootpath . '../bin');
-  system('php okapi-update.php | grep -i -e mutation');
+  // We do *two* tests for OKAPI presence to get some robustness agains internal OKAPI changes.
+  // This should be replaced by a facade function call.
+  $okapi_vars = sql_table_exists('okapi_vars');
+  $okapi_syncbase = sql_field_exists('caches','okapi_syncbase');
+  if ($okapi_vars != $okapi_syncbase)
+  {
+    echo "!! unknown OKAPI configuration; either dbupdate.php needs an update or your database configuration is wrong\n";
+  }
+  else if ($okapi_vars)
+  {
+    echo "updating OKAPI database\n";
+    chdir ($rootpath . '../bin');
+    system('php okapi-update.php | grep -i -e mutation');
+  }
 
   echo "resetting webcache:\n";
+  chdir ($rootpath . '../bin');
   system('php clear-webcache.php');
 
 ?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/htdocs/lib2/db.inc.php b/htdocs/lib2/db.inc.php
index 20d39064..4376bbb3 100644
--- a/htdocs/lib2/db.inc.php
+++ b/htdocs/lib2/db.inc.php
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@
 		sql_export_table($f, $table)    ... export table to file
 		sql_export_table_to_file($filename, $table)
 
+		sql_table_exists                ... tests if a table exists
+		sql_field_exists                ... tests if a table and a field in this table exist
+		sql_field_type                  ... queries the type of a field (uppercase letters)
+
 		// slave query functions
 		sql_slave_exclude()             ... do not use slave servers for the current user
 		                                    until the slaves have replicated to this point
@@ -1081,4 +1085,39 @@
 		sql_export_structure($f, $table);
 		fclose($f);
 	}
+
+	// test if a database table exists
+	function sql_table_exists($table)
+	{
+		global $opt;
+
+		return sql_value("SELECT COUNT(*)
+		                    FROM `information_schema`.`tables`
+		                   WHERE `table_schema`='&1' AND `table_name`='&2'",
+										 0, $opt['db']['placeholder']['db'], $table) > 0;
+	}
+
+	// test if a database field exists
+	function sql_field_exists($table, $field)
+	{
+		global $opt;
+
+		return sql_value("SELECT COUNT(*)
+		                    FROM `information_schema`.`columns`
+		                   WHERE `table_schema`='&1' AND `table_name`='&2' AND `column_name`='&3'",
+										 0, $opt['db']['placeholder']['db'], $table, $field) > 0;
+	}
+
+	// get type of a database field
+	function sql_field_type($table, $field)
+	{
+		global $opt;
+
+		return strtoupper(
+						sql_value("SELECT `data_type`
+		                    FROM `information_schema`.`columns`
+		                   WHERE `table_schema`='&1' AND `table_name`='&2' AND `column_name`='&3'",
+										 '', $opt['db']['placeholder']['db'], $table, $field) );
+	}
+
 ?>
\ No newline at end of file