diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 48f3c67faf..fffda23f6d 100755
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -4902,3 +4902,13 @@ Karl    2003/06/19
         Makefile.am
         boinc.py
         version.py.in
+
+David  June 20 2003
+    - use mysql_connect() instead of mysql_pconnect() in PHP.
+        The latter caused failures in mysql_select_db(),
+        with "commands out of sync" error.
+    
+    html_user/
+        db.inc
+    html_ops/
+        db.inc
diff --git a/html/ops/db.inc b/html/ops/db.inc
index a031c98e45..27b18d2970 100644
--- a/html/ops/db.inc
+++ b/html/ops/db.inc
@@ -1,12 +1,18 @@
 <?php
 
 function db_init() {
-    $retval = mysql_pconnect();
+    $retval = mysql_connect();
     if (!$retval) {
+        echo "Unable to connect to database - please try again later";
         exit();
     }
     $db_name = parse_config("<db_name>");
-    mysql_select_db($db_name);
+    if(!mysql_select_db($db_name)) {
+	    echo "Unable to select database - please try again later";
+	    exit();
+    }
+
+    return 0;
 }
 
 function lookup_user_auth($auth) {
diff --git a/html/user/db.inc b/html/user/db.inc
index d6ca4c9fd5..481d70c3c1 100644
--- a/html/user/db.inc
+++ b/html/user/db.inc
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 // Presentation code (HTML) shouldn't be here
 
 function db_init() {
-    $retval = mysql_pconnect();
+    $retval = mysql_connect();
     if (!$retval) {
         echo "Unable to connect to database - please try again later";
         exit();