diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/app/conference_center/index.lua b/includes/install/scripts/app/conference_center/index.lua
index ed8e0f1ef5..afc860780c 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/app/conference_center/index.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/app/conference_center/index.lua
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@
 	digit_timeout = 5000;
 
 --connect to the database
-	dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+	dbh = database_handle('system');
 
 --prepare the api object
 	api = freeswitch.API();
@@ -139,7 +140,8 @@
 			end_epoch = os.time();
 
 		--connect to the database
-			dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+			dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+			dbh = database_handle('system');
 
 		--get the conference sessions
 			if (conference_session_uuid) then
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/app/voicemail/index.lua b/includes/install/scripts/app/voicemail/index.lua
index 4656a53655..3a034d6f78 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/app/voicemail/index.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/app/voicemail/index.lua
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@
 	password_tries = 0;
 
 --connect to the database
-	dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+	dbh = database_handle('system');
 
 --set the api
 	api = freeswitch.API();
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/app/voicemail/resources/scripts/mwi.lua b/includes/install/scripts/app/voicemail/resources/scripts/mwi.lua
index 3b10b91ea7..46abd1ba33 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/app/voicemail/resources/scripts/mwi.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/app/voicemail/resources/scripts/mwi.lua
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@
 	debug["info"] = false;
 
 --connect to the database
-	dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+	dbh = database_handle('system');
 
 --used to stop the lua service
 	local file = assert(io.open(tmp_file, "w"));
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/app/xml_handler/index.lua b/includes/install/scripts/app/xml_handler/index.lua
index 809793b449..789c0365e0 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/app/xml_handler/index.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/app/xml_handler/index.lua
@@ -42,7 +42,11 @@
 	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/explode.lua");
 
 --connect to the database
-	dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+	dbh = database_handle('system');
+
+--exits the script if we didn't connect properly
+	assert(dbh:connected());
 
 --if the params class and methods do not exist then add them to prevent errors
 	if (not params) then
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/call_flow.lua b/includes/install/scripts/call_flow.lua
index 9ac5509b00..3f1985fa0d 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/call_flow.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/call_flow.lua
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@
 	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/config.lua");
 
 --connect to the database
-	dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+	dbh = database_handle('system');
 
 if (session:ready()) then
 	--get the variables
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/call_flow_monitor.lua b/includes/install/scripts/call_flow_monitor.lua
index 3386da68d5..a7a0673d12 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/call_flow_monitor.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/call_flow_monitor.lua
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@
 	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/mkdir.lua");
 
 --connect to the database
-	dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+	dbh = database_handle('system');
 
 --make sure the scripts/run dir exists
 	mkdir(scripts_dir .. "/run");
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/destination_caller_id.lua b/includes/install/scripts/destination_caller_id.lua
index 453a442b14..9296277b62 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/destination_caller_id.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/destination_caller_id.lua
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
 	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/config.lua");
 
 --connect to the database
-	dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+	dbh = database_handle('system');
 
 --add a trim function
 	function trim (s)
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/dial_string.lua b/includes/install/scripts/dial_string.lua
index 00b7cfe763..a311c390b7 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/dial_string.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/dial_string.lua
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@
 	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/config.lua");
 
 --connect to the database
-	dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+	dbh = database_handle('system');
 
 if ( session:ready() ) then
 	session:answer();
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/directory.lua b/includes/install/scripts/directory.lua
index 7c109b20a0..1be8a5673b 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/directory.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/directory.lua
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@
 	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/config.lua");
 
 --connect to the database
-	dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+	dbh = database_handle('system');
 
 --prepare the api object
 	api = freeswitch.API();
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/eavesdrop.lua b/includes/install/scripts/eavesdrop.lua
index 9772ee77f4..308cc576b0 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/eavesdrop.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/eavesdrop.lua
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ extension = argv[1];
 		--dbh = freeswitch.Dbh("core:core"); -- when using sqlite
 		dbh = freeswitch.Dbh("sqlite://"..database_dir.."/core.db");
 	else
-		dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["switch"]);
+		dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+		dbh = database_handle('switch');
 	end
 
 --exits the script if we didn't connect properly
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/intercept.lua b/includes/install/scripts/intercept.lua
index b2f9f9af20..1bdf8ae675 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/intercept.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/intercept.lua
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@
 		--dbh = freeswitch.Dbh("core:core"); -- when using sqlite
 		dbh = freeswitch.Dbh("sqlite://"..database_dir.."/core.db");
 	else
-		dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["switch"]);
+		dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+		dbh = database_handle('switch');
 	end
 
 --exits the script if we didn't connect properly
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/ivr_menu.lua b/includes/install/scripts/ivr_menu.lua
index 08d7a4e43e..3b9be116aa 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/ivr_menu.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/ivr_menu.lua
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@
 	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/config.lua");
 
 --connect to the database
-	dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+	dbh = database_handle('system');
 
 --get the variables
 	domain_name = session:getVariable("domain_name");
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/park.lua b/includes/install/scripts/park.lua
index 30e46bf8c2..04500dd0d1 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/park.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/park.lua
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@
 --connect to the database
 	--dbh = freeswitch.Dbh("core:core"); -- when using sqlite
 	dbh = freeswitch.Dbh("sqlite://"..database_dir.."/park.db");
-	--dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+	--dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+	--dbh = database_handle('system');
 
 --exits the script if we didn't connect properly
 	assert(dbh:connected());
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/park_monitor.lua b/includes/install/scripts/park_monitor.lua
index 78c5106683..b611404802 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/park_monitor.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/park_monitor.lua
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 --connect to the database
 	--dbh = freeswitch.Dbh("core:core"); -- when using sqlite
 	dbh = freeswitch.Dbh("sqlite://"..database_dir.."/park.db");
-	--dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+	--dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
 
 --get the argv values
 	script_name = argv[0];
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/resources/functions/database_handle.lua b/includes/install/scripts/resources/functions/database_handle.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a9a3e3140a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/resources/functions/database_handle.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+
+--connect to the database
+	function database_handle(t)
+		if (t == "system") then
+			return freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+		elseif (t == "switch") then
+			return freeswitch.Dbh(database["switch"]);
+		end
+	end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/resources/functions/trim.lua b/includes/install/scripts/resources/functions/trim.lua
index ba69f3d477..4fc4a3790c 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/resources/functions/trim.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/resources/functions/trim.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 
 --add the trim function
 	function trim(s)
-		return s:gsub("^%s+", ""):gsub("%s+$", "")
+		if (s) then
+			return s:gsub("^%s+", ""):gsub("%s+$", "")
+		end
 	end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/includes/install/scripts/ring_group.lua b/includes/install/scripts/ring_group.lua
index 4d7f472a2d..e78908d02b 100644
--- a/includes/install/scripts/ring_group.lua
+++ b/includes/install/scripts/ring_group.lua
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
 	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/config.lua");
 
 --connect to the database
-	dbh = freeswitch.Dbh(database["system"]);
+	dofile(scripts_dir.."/resources/functions/database_handle.lua");
+	dbh = database_handle('system');
 
 --get the variables
 	if (session:ready()) then