diff --git a/admin/inc/class.customfields.inc.php b/admin/inc/class.customfields.inc.php
index 0f020e3979..e2267c5758 100644
--- a/admin/inc/class.customfields.inc.php
+++ b/admin/inc/class.customfields.inc.php
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
 				$content = array(
 					'type' => $type,
 				);
-				list(,$referer) = explode($GLOBALS['egw_info']['server']['webserver_url'],$_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']);
+				$referer = $GLOBALS['egw']->common->get_referer();
 			}
 			$GLOBALS['egw_info']['flags']['app_header'] = $GLOBALS['egw_info']['apps'][$this->appname]['title'].' - '.lang('Custom fields');
 
diff --git a/preferences/inc/class.uiaclprefs.inc.php b/preferences/inc/class.uiaclprefs.inc.php
index e1b766dc71..09f0a04208 100644
--- a/preferences/inc/class.uiaclprefs.inc.php
+++ b/preferences/inc/class.uiaclprefs.inc.php
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@
 			$referer = $_POST['referer'];
 			if (!$referer)
 			{
-				list(,$referer) = explode($GLOBALS['egw_info']['server']['webserver_url'],$_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']);
-				if (!$referer) $referer = '/preferences/index.php';
+				$referer = $GLOBALS['egw']->common->get_referer('/preferences/index.php');
 			}
 			//echo '<p align="right">'."referer='$referer'</p>\n";
 
diff --git a/preferences/inc/class.uicategories.inc.php b/preferences/inc/class.uicategories.inc.php
index d9875b7b55..c7518b1352 100644
--- a/preferences/inc/class.uicategories.inc.php
+++ b/preferences/inc/class.uicategories.inc.php
@@ -113,8 +113,7 @@
 			$cats_level  = get_var('cats_level',array('GET','POST'));
 
 			// make categories called via sidebox menu of an app, to behave like a part of that app
-			list(,$referer) = explode($GLOBALS['egw_info']['server']['webserver_url'],$_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']);
-			if (!$referer) $referer = '/preferences/index.php';
+			$referer = $GLOBALS['egw']->common->get_referer('/preferences/index.php');
 			if (!strstr($referer,'menuaction=preferences.uicategories'))
 			{
 				$this->referer = $referer;
diff --git a/preferences/inc/class.uisettings.inc.php b/preferences/inc/class.uisettings.inc.php
index 1f235eec08..86185082c8 100755
--- a/preferences/inc/class.uisettings.inc.php
+++ b/preferences/inc/class.uisettings.inc.php
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@
 		function index()
 		{
 			// make preferences called via sidebox menu of an app, to behave like a part of that app
-			list(,$referer) = explode($GLOBALS['egw_info']['server']['webserver_url'],$_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']);
-			if (!$referer) $referer = '/preferences/index.php';
+			$referer = $GLOBALS['egw']->common->get_referer('/preferences/index.php');
 			if (!preg_match('/(preferences.php|menuaction=preferences.uisettings.index)+/i',$referer))
 			{
 				$this->bo->session_data['referer'] = $referer;