diff --git a/api/src/Link.php b/api/src/Link.php
index da84892067..e7d660de9e 100644
--- a/api/src/Link.php
+++ b/api/src/Link.php
@@ -751,45 +751,7 @@ class Link extends Link\Storage
 			echo "Options: "; _debug_array($options);
 		}
 
-		// See etemplate's nextmatch widget, following was copied from there
-		// allow static callbacks
-		if(strpos($method,'::') !== false)
-		{
-			//  workaround for php < 5.3: do NOT call it static, but allow application code to specify static callbacks
-			if (version_compare(PHP_VERSION,'5.3','<')) list($class,$method) = explode('::',$method);
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			list($app,$class,$method) = explode('.',$method);
-		}
-		if ($class)
-		{
-			if (!$app && !is_object($GLOBALS[$class]))
-			{
-				$GLOBALS[$class] = new $class();
-			}
-			if (is_object($GLOBALS[$class]))        // use existing instance (put there by a previous CreateObject)
-			{
-				$obj = $GLOBALS[$class];
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				$obj = CreateObject($app.'.'.$class);
-			}
-		}
-		if(is_callable($method))        // php5.3+ call
-		{
-			$result = call_user_func($method,$pattern,$options);
-		}
-		elseif(is_object($obj) && method_exists($obj,$method))
-		{
-			$result = $obj->$method($pattern,$options);
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			// if there is no object or no method, give a more explaining error message
-			throw new Exception\AssertionFailed("Object has no method '$reg[query]'!");
-		}
+		$result = self::exec($method, $pattern, $options);
 
 		if (!isset($options['total']))
 		{
@@ -848,7 +810,7 @@ class Link extends Link\Storage
 		}
 		$method = $reg['title'];
 
-		if (true) $title = ExecMethod($method,$id);
+		if (true) $title = self::exec($method,$id);
 
 		if ($id && is_null($title))	// $app,$id has been deleted ==> unlink all links to it
 		{
@@ -909,7 +871,7 @@ class Link extends Link\Storage
 		{
 			for ($n = 0; ($ids = array_slice($ids_to_query,$n*self::MAX_TITLES_QUERY,self::MAX_TITLES_QUERY)); ++$n)
 			{
-				foreach(ExecMethod(self::$app_register[$app]['titles'],$ids) as $id => $t)
+				foreach(self::exec(self::$app_register[$app]['titles'],$ids) as $id => $t)
 				{
 					$title =& self::get_cache($app,$id);
 					$titles[$id] = $title = $t;
@@ -1533,7 +1495,7 @@ class Link extends Link\Storage
 			$method = $args['method'];
 			unset($args['method']);
 			//error_log(__METHOD__."() calling $method(".array2string($args).')');
-			ExecMethod($method, $args);
+			self::exec($method, $args);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1649,7 +1611,7 @@ class Link extends Link\Storage
 		{
 			throw new Exception\WrongParameter(__METHOD__."('$id')");
 		}
-		$ret = call_user_func_array('ExecMethod2', $data);
+		$ret = call_user_func_array('self::exec', $data);
 
 		if (is_resource($ret)) fseek($ret, 0);
 
@@ -1703,7 +1665,7 @@ class Link extends Link\Storage
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				$ret = ExecMethod2($method,$id,$required,$rel_path,$user);
+				$ret = self::exec($method,$id,$required,$rel_path,$user);
 				$err = "(from $method)";
 			}
 			//error_log(__METHOD__."('$app',$id,$required,'$rel_path',$user) returning $err ".array2string($ret));
@@ -1716,7 +1678,7 @@ class Link extends Link\Storage
 		{
 			if(($method = self::get_registry($app,'file_access')))
 			{
-				$cache |= ExecMethod2($method,$id,$required,$rel_path) ? $required|Acl::READ : 0;
+				$cache |= self::exec($method,$id,$required,$rel_path) ? $required|Acl::READ : 0;
 			}
 			else
 			{
@@ -1727,5 +1689,41 @@ class Link extends Link\Storage
 		//else error_log(__METHOD__."($app,$id,$required,$rel_path) using cached value $cache --> ".($cache & $required ? 'true' : 'false'));
 		return !!($cache & $required);
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Execute a static method or $app.$class.$method string with given arguments
+	 *
+	 * In case of a non-static method as shared instance of the class is used.
+	 * This is a replacement for global ExecMethod(2) functions.
+	 *
+	 * @param callable|string $method "$app.$class.$method" or static method
+	 * @param mixed args variable number of arguments
+	 */
+	protected static function exec($method)
+	{
+		static $objs = array();
+
+		$params = func_get_args();
+		array_shift($params);
+
+		// static methods or callables can be called directly
+		if (is_callable($method))
+		{
+			return call_user_func_array($method, $params);
+		}
+
+		list($app, $class, $m) = $parts = explode('.', $method);
+		if (count($parts) != 3) throw Api\Exception\WrongParameter("Wrong dot-delimited method string '$method'!");
+
+		if (!isset($objs[$class]))
+		{
+			if (!class_exists($class))
+			{
+				require_once EGW_INCLUDE_ROOT.'/'.$app.'/inc/class.'.$class.'.inc.php';
+			}
+			$objs[$class] = new $class;
+		}
+		return call_user_func_array(array($objs[$class], $m), $params);
+	}
 }
 Link::init_static();
diff --git a/api/src/loader/deprecated_factory.php b/api/src/loader/deprecated_factory.php
index 673eaa57f7..62c5a58854 100755
--- a/api/src/loader/deprecated_factory.php
+++ b/api/src/loader/deprecated_factory.php
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ use EGroupware\Api;
  * Load a class and include the class file if not done so already.
  *
  * This function is used to create an instance of a class, and if the class file has not been included it will do so.
- * $GLOBALS['egw']->acl =& CreateObject('phpgwapi.acl');
+ * $GLOBALS['egw']->acl = CreateObject('phpgwapi.acl');
  *
  * @author RalfBecker@outdoor-training.de
  * @param $classname name of class
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@ function CreateObject($class)
 
 /**
  * Execute a function with multiple arguments
- * We take object $GLOBALS[classname] from class if exists
  *
  * @param string app.class.method method to execute
  * @example ExecObject('etemplates.so_sql.search',$criteria,$key_only,...);
@@ -106,25 +105,17 @@ function CreateObject($class)
  */
 function &ExecMethod2($acm)
 {
-	// class::method is php5.2.3+
-	if (strpos($acm,'::') !== false && version_compare(PHP_VERSION,'5.2.3','<'))
-	{
-		list($class,$method) = explode('::',$acm);
-		$acm = array($class,$method);
-	}
 	if (!is_callable($acm))
 	{
 		list(,$class,$method) = explode('.',$acm);
-		if (!is_object($obj =& $GLOBALS[$class]))
+
+		if (class_exists($class))
 		{
-			if (class_exists($class))
-			{
-				$obj = new $class;
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				$obj = CreateObject($acm);
-			}
+			$obj = new $class;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			$obj = CreateObject($acm);
 		}
 
 		if (!method_exists($obj,$method))
@@ -162,29 +153,26 @@ function ExecMethod($method, $functionparam = '_UNDEF_', $loglevel = 3, $classpa
 	if (!is_callable($method) && $partscount == 2)
 	{
 		list($appname,$classname,$functionname) = explode(".", $method);
-		if (!is_object($GLOBALS[$classname]))
+
+		if ($classparams != '_UNDEF_' && ($classparams || $classparams != 'True'))
 		{
-			// please note: no reference assignment (=&) here, as $GLOBALS is a reference itself!!!
-			if ($classparams != '_UNDEF_' && ($classparams || $classparams != 'True'))
-			{
-				$GLOBALS[$classname] = CreateObject($appname.'.'.$classname, $classparams);
-			}
-			elseif (class_exists($classname))
-			{
-				$GLOBALS[$classname] = new $classname;
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				$GLOBALS[$classname] = CreateObject($appname.'.'.$classname);
-			}
+			$obj = CreateObject($appname.'.'.$classname, $classparams);
+		}
+		elseif (class_exists($classname))
+		{
+			$obj = new $classname;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			$obj = CreateObject($appname.'.'.$classname);
 		}
 
-		if (!method_exists($GLOBALS[$classname],$functionname))
+		if (!method_exists($obj, $functionname))
 		{
 			error_log("ExecMethod('$method', ...) No methode '$functionname' in class '$classname'! ".function_backtrace());
 			return false;
 		}
-		$method = array($GLOBALS[$classname],$functionname);
+		$method = array($obj, $functionname);
 	}
 	if (is_callable($method))
 	{