diff --git a/setup/check_install.php b/setup/check_install.php
index bc58e9089c..24d7433021 100644
--- a/setup/check_install.php
+++ b/setup/check_install.php
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
   /* $Id$ */
 
+	@set_time_limit(0);
 	$run_by_webserver = !!$_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];
 	$is_windows = strtoupper(substr(PHP_OS,0,3)) == 'WIN';
 
@@ -247,19 +248,24 @@
 		if (!class_exists('PEAR_Config')) return false;
 		
 		$config = new PEAR_Config('',$pear_config);
-		//echo "<pre>config = ".print_r($config,true)."</pre>\n";  
-		     
+		//echo "<pre>config = ".print_r($config,true)."</pre>\n";
+
 		$channel = $config->get('default_channel');
-		//echo "<pre>channel = ".print_r($channel,true)."</pre>\n";       
+		//echo "<pre>channel = ".print_r($channel,true)."</pre>\n";
 		
 		if (!method_exists($config,'getRegistry')) return false;	// PEAR version to old
 
 		$reg = &$config->getRegistry();
-		//echo "<pre>reg = ".print_r($reg,true)."</pre>\n";       
-		            
+		//echo "<pre>reg = ".print_r($reg,true)."</pre>\n";
+		
+		// a bug in pear causes an endless loop if the install-dir does not exist
+		// bug reported: http://pear.php.net/bugs/bug.php?id=11317
+		if (!file_exists($reg->install_dir)) return false;
+
 		$installed = $reg->packageInfo(null,null,$channel);
+
 		//echo "<pre>installed =".print_r($installed,true)."</pre>\n";
-		$packages = array();    
+		$packages = array();
 		foreach($installed as $package)
 		{
 			$name = isset($package['package']) ? $package['package'] : $package['name'];
@@ -286,11 +292,13 @@
 		{
 			$pear_packages = get_installed_pear_packages();
 		}
+		$version_available = false;
+
 		// check if egw-pear is availible and packages is included
 		if ($package && is_dir('../egw-pear') && file_exists('../egw-pear/'.str_replace('_','/',$package).'.php'))
 		{
 			$available = true;
-			$version_availible = '999.egw-pear';
+			$version_available = '999.egw-pear';
 		}
 		// packages found in the pear registry --> use that info
 		elseif ($pear_packages)
@@ -299,30 +307,30 @@
 			// check if package is installed
 			if ($package && isset($pear_packages[$package])) $available = true;
 			// check if it's the right version
-			$version_availible = $pear_packages[$package ? $package : 'PEAR'];
+			$version_available = $pear_packages[$package ? $package : 'PEAR'];
 		}
 		else	// use the old checks as fallback
 		{
 			if (is_null($pear_available))
 			{
-				$pear_available = @include('PEAR.php');
+				$pear_available = @include_once('PEAR.php');
 	
 				if (!class_exists('PEAR')) $pear_available = false;
 			}
 			if ($pear_available && $package)
 			{
 				$file = str_replace('_','/',$package).'.php';
-				$available = @include($file);
+
+				$available = @include_once($file);
 	
 				if (!class_exists($package)) $available = false;
 			}
 		}
 		// is the right version availible
-		$available = $pear_available && (!$package || $available) && (!$min_version || version_compare($min_version,$version_availible) <= 0);
-		
+		$available = $pear_available && (!$package || $available) && (!$min_version || version_compare($min_version,$version_available) <= 0);
 		echo '<div>'.($available ? $passed_icon : $warning_icon).' <span'.($available ? '' : ' class="setup_warning"').'>'.
 			lang('Checking PEAR%1 is installed',($package?'::'.$package:'').($min_version?" ($min_version)":'')).': '.
-			($available ? ($version_availible ? $version_availible : lang('True')) : lang('False'))."</span></div>\n";		
+			($available ? ($version_available ? $version_available : lang('True')) : lang('False'))."</span></div>\n";		
 
 		if (!$available)	// give further info only if not availible
 		{
@@ -334,14 +342,14 @@
 				echo ' '.lang('PEAR (%1) is a PHP repository and is usually in a package called %2.',
 					'<a href="http://pear.php.net" target="_blank">pear.php.net</a>','php-pear');
 			}
-			elseif ($min_version && !$version_availible)
+			elseif ($min_version && !$version_available)
 			{
 				echo ' '.lang('We could not determine the version of %1, please make sure it is at least %2',$package,$min_version);
 			}
-			elseif ($min_version && version_compare($min_version,$version_availible) > 0)
+			elseif ($min_version && version_compare($min_version,$version_available) > 0)
 			{
 				echo ' '.lang('Your installed version of %1 is %2, required is at least %3, please run: ',
-					$package,$version_availible,$min_version).' pear update '.$package;
+					$package,$version_available,$min_version).' pear update '.$package;
 			}
 			elseif ($package)
 			{