diff --git a/db/update18.5.sql b/db/update18.5.sql
index 8bfdc29616..9072ad19c7 100644
--- a/db/update18.5.sql
+++ b/db/update18.5.sql
@@ -64,14 +64,14 @@ CREATE INDEX `objectID` ON `zt_actionrecent`(`objectID`);
 ALTER TABLE `zt_notify` ADD `toListCopy` text NULL;
 UPDATE `zt_notify` SET `toListCopy` = `toList`;
 ALTER TABLE `zt_notify` DROP `toList`;
-ALTER TABLE `zt_notify` CHANGE COLUMN `toListCopy` `toList`;
+ALTER TABLE `zt_notify` CHANGE COLUMN `toListCopy` `toList` text;
 
 ALTER TABLE `zt_notify` ADD `subjectCopy` text NULL;
 UPDATE `zt_notify` SET `subjectCopy` = `subject`;
 ALTER TABLE `zt_notify` DROP `subject`;
-ALTER TABLE `zt_notify` CHANGE COLUMN `subjectCopy` `subject`;
+ALTER TABLE `zt_notify` CHANGE COLUMN `subjectCopy` `subject` text;
 
-DROP INDEX `objectType_toList_status` ON `zt_notify`;
+DROP INDEX IF EXISTS `objectType_toList_status` ON `zt_notify`;
 CREATE INDEX `objectType` ON `zt_notify` (`objectType`);
 CREATE INDEX `status` ON `zt_notify` (`status`);
 
@@ -92,4 +92,4 @@ UPDATE `zt_programoutput` SET `activity` = (SELECT `activity` FROM `zt_zoutput`
 ALTER TABLE `zt_reviewissue` ADD `opinionCopy` mediumtext NULL;
 UPDATE `zt_reviewissue` SET `opinionCopy` = `opinion`;
 ALTER TABLE `zt_reviewissue` DROP `opinion`;
-ALTER TABLE `zt_reviewissue` CHANGE COLUMN `opinionCopy` `opinion`;
+ALTER TABLE `zt_reviewissue` CHANGE COLUMN `opinionCopy` `opinion` text;
diff --git a/lib/dbh/dbh.class.php b/lib/dbh/dbh.class.php
index 246cc41b49..b2bd2f341c 100644
--- a/lib/dbh/dbh.class.php
+++ b/lib/dbh/dbh.class.php
@@ -257,8 +257,12 @@ class dbh
     {
         $sql = trim($sql);
         $sql = $this->formatFunction($sql);
-	$sql = $this->processDmChangeColumn($sql);
-        $sql = $this->processDmTableIndex($sql);
+
+	if(defined('IN_UPGRADE'))
+	{
+            $sql = $this->processDmChangeColumn($sql);
+            $sql = $this->processDmTableIndex($sql);
+	}
 
         $actionPos = strpos($sql, ' ');
         $action    = strtoupper(substr($sql, 0, $actionPos));
@@ -381,8 +385,8 @@ class dbh
      */
     public function processDmTableIndex($sql)
     {
-	if(strpos($sql, 'DROP INDEX') === FALSE) return $sql;
-        return preg_replace('/DROP INDEX `(\w+)` ON `zt_(\w+)`/', 'DROP INDEX `$2_$1`', $sql);
+	if(strpos($sql, 'DROP INDEX IF EXISTS') === FALSE) return $sql;
+        return preg_replace('/DROP INDEX IF EXISTS `(\w+)` ON `zt_(\w+)`/', 'DROP INDEX IF EXISTS `$2_$1`', $sql);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -395,7 +399,7 @@ class dbh
     public function processDmChangeColumn($sql)
     {
 	if(strpos($sql, 'CHANGE COLUMN') === FALSE) return $sql;
-	return preg_replace('/ALTER TABLE `([^`]+)` CHANGE COLUMN `([^`]+)` `([^`]+)`/', 'ALTER TABLE `$1` RENAME COLUMN `$2` TO `$3`;', $sql);
+	return preg_replace('/ALTER TABLE `([^`]+)` CHANGE COLUMN `([^`]+)` `([^`]+)` (\w+)/', 'ALTER TABLE `$1` RENAME COLUMN `$2` TO `$3`;', $sql);
     }
 
     /**