diff --git a/boot.php b/boot.php
index cf45fed16..26dd8396f 100755
--- a/boot.php
+++ b/boot.php
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ class App {
 
 		date_default_timezone_set($this->timezone);
 
-		$this->config = array();
+		$this->config = array('system'=>array());
 		$this->page = array();
 		$this->pager= array();
 
diff --git a/include/dba/dba_driver.php b/include/dba/dba_driver.php
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 1091b9632..abc759adc
--- a/include/dba/dba_driver.php
+++ b/include/dba/dba_driver.php
@@ -1,15 +1,17 @@
 <?php /** @file */
 
-function dba_factory($server,$user,$pass,$db,$install = false) {
+function dba_factory($server, $port,$user,$pass,$db,$install = false) {
 	$dba = null;
 
 	if(class_exists('mysqli')) {
+        if (is_null($port)) $port = ini_get("mysqli.default_port");
 		require_once('include/dba/dba_mysqli.php');
-		$dba = new dba_mysqli($server,$user,$pass,$db,$install);
+		$dba = new dba_mysqli($server, $port,$user,$pass,$db,$install);
 	}
 	else {
+        if (is_null($port)) $port = "3306";
 		require_once('include/dba/dba_mysql.php');
-		$dba = new dba_mysql($server,$user,$pass,$db,$install);
+		$dba = new dba_mysql($server, $port,$user,$pass,$db,$install);
 	}
 
 	return $dba;
@@ -23,16 +25,16 @@ abstract class dba_driver {
 	public  $connected = false;
 	public  $error = false;
 
-	abstract function connect($server,$user,$pass,$db);
+	abstract function connect($server, $port, $user,$pass,$db);
 	abstract function q($sql);
 	abstract function escape($str);
 	abstract function close();
 
-	function __construct($server,$user,$pass,$db,$install = false) {
-		if(($install) && (! $this->install($server,$user,$pass,$db))) {
+	function __construct($server, $port, $user,$pass,$db,$install = false) {
+		if(($install) && (! $this->install($server, $port, $user,$pass,$db))) {
 			return;
 		}
-		$this->connect($server,$user,$pass,$db);
+		$this->connect($server, $port, $user,$pass,$db);
 	}
 
 
diff --git a/include/dba/dba_mysql.php b/include/dba/dba_mysql.php
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 05e19903d..f5a2a47ba
--- a/include/dba/dba_mysql.php
+++ b/include/dba/dba_mysql.php
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ require_once('include/dba/dba_driver.php');
 
 class dba_mysql extends dba_driver {
 
-	function connect($server,$user,$pass,$db) {
-		$this->db = mysql_connect($server,$user,$pass);
+	function connect($server, $port, $user,$pass,$db) {
+		$this->db = mysql_connect($server.":".$port,$user,$pass);
 		if($this->db && mysql_select_db($db,$this->db)) {
 			$this->connected = true;
 		}
diff --git a/include/dba/dba_mysqli.php b/include/dba/dba_mysqli.php
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index af9a2434e..9cb60cb8c
--- a/include/dba/dba_mysqli.php
+++ b/include/dba/dba_mysqli.php
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ require_once('include/dba/dba_driver.php');
 
 class dba_mysqli extends dba_driver {
 
-	function connect($server,$user,$pass,$db) {
-		$this->db = new mysqli($server,$user,$pass,$db);
+	function connect($server, $port, $user,$pass,$db) {
+		$this->db = new mysqli($server,$user,$pass,$db, $port);
 		if(! mysqli_connect_errno()) {
 			$this->connected = true;
 		}
diff --git a/include/friendica_smarty.php b/include/friendica_smarty.php
index a4675acd4..ec0748600 100755
--- a/include/friendica_smarty.php
+++ b/include/friendica_smarty.php
@@ -21,9 +21,11 @@ class FriendicaSmarty extends Smarty {
 		$template_dirs = $template_dirs + array('base' => 'view/tpl/');
 		$this->setTemplateDir($template_dirs);
 
-		$this->setCompileDir('view/tpl/smarty3/compiled/');
-		$this->setConfigDir('view/tpl/smarty3/config/');
-		$this->setCacheDir('view/tpl/smarty3/cache/');
+        $basecompiledir = $a->config['system']['smarty3_folder'];
+        
+		$this->setCompileDir($basecompiledir.'/compiled/');
+		$this->setConfigDir($basecompiledir.'/config/');
+		$this->setCacheDir($basecompiledir.'/cache/');
 
 		$this->left_delimiter = $a->get_template_ldelim('smarty3');
 		$this->right_delimiter = $a->get_template_rdelim('smarty3');
@@ -46,9 +48,16 @@ class FriendicaSmartyEngine implements ITemplateEngine {
 	static $name ="smarty3";
 	
 	public function __construct(){
-		if(!is_writable('view/tpl/smarty3/')){
-			echo "<b>ERROR:</b> folder <tt>view/tpl/smarty3/</tt> must be writable by webserver."; killme();
+        $a = get_app();
+        $basecompiledir = $a->config['system']['smarty3_folder'];
+        if (!$basecompiledir) $basecompiledir = dirname(__dir__)."/view/tpl/smarty3";
+        if (!is_dir($basecompiledir)) {
+            echo "<b>ERROR:</b> folder <tt>$basecompiledir</tt>does not exixst."; killme();
+        }
+		if(!is_writable($basecompiledir)){
+			echo "<b>ERROR:</b> folder <tt>$basecompiledir</tt> must be writable by webserver."; killme();
 		}
+         $a->config['system']['smarty3_folder'] = $basecompiledir;
 	}
 	
 	// ITemplateEngine interface
diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index d8be14888..7e3fd0ef1
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ $a->language = get_best_language();
 require_once("include/dba/dba_driver.php");
 
 if(! $install) {
-	$db = dba_factory($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data, $install);
-    	    unset($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data);
+	$db = dba_factory($db_host, $db_port, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data, $install);
+    	    unset($db_host, $db_port, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data);
 
 	/**
 	 * Load configs from db. Overwrite configs from .htconfig.php
diff --git a/install/htconfig.sample.php b/install/htconfig.sample.php
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index ebfc84543..77a0aa8a5
--- a/install/htconfig.sample.php
+++ b/install/htconfig.sample.php
@@ -13,10 +13,14 @@
 // Then set the following for your MySQL installation
 
 $db_host = 'your.mysqlhost.com';
+$db_port = null; #leave null for default or set your port
 $db_user = 'mysqlusername';
 $db_pass = 'mysqlpassword';
 $db_data = 'mysqldatabasename';
 
+// smarty3 compile dir. make sure is writable by webserver
+$a->config['system']['smarty3_folder'] = "view/tpl/smart3";
+
 // Choose a legal default timezone. If you are unsure, use "America/Los_Angeles".
 // It can be changed later and only applies to timestamps for anonymous viewers.