diff --git a/mythtv/bindings/php/MythBackend.php b/mythtv/bindings/php/MythBackend.php
index a703620982..2b94e08490 100644
--- a/mythtv/bindings/php/MythBackend.php
+++ b/mythtv/bindings/php/MythBackend.php
@@ -90,10 +90,11 @@ class MythBackend {
 
     private function checkProtocolVersion() {
     // Allow overriding this check
-        if ($_SERVER['ignore_proto'] == true )
+        if (isset($_SERVER['ignore_proto']) && $_SERVER['ignore_proto'] == true )
             return true;
 
-        if (   time() - $_SESSION['backend'][$this->host]['proto_version']['last_check_time'] < 60*60*2
+        if (isset($_SESSION['backend'][$this->host]['proto_version'])
+            && time() - $_SESSION['backend'][$this->host]['proto_version']['last_check_time'] < 60*60*2
             && $_SESSION['backend'][$this->host]['proto_version']['last_check_version'] == MythBackend::$protocol_version )
             return true;
 
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ class MythBackend {
     }
 
     public function setTimezone() {
-        if (!is_string($_SESSION['backend']['timezone']['value']) || time() - $_SESSION['backend']['timezone']['last_check_time'] > 60*60*24) {
+        if (!isset($_SESSION['backend']['timezone']) || !is_string($_SESSION['backend']['timezone']['value']) || time() - $_SESSION['backend']['timezone']['last_check_time'] > 60*60*24) {
             $response = $this->sendCommand('QUERY_TIME_ZONE');
             $timezone = str_replace(' ', '_', $response[0]);
             $_SESSION['backend']['timezone']['value']           = $timezone;
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ class MythBackend {
         }
     // Lastly, grab the offset data (if there is any)
         for ($i=0; $i < $offset; $i++) {
-            $rows['offset'][$i] = $recs[$i];
+            $rows['offset'][$i] = $records[$i];
         }
     // Return the data
         return $rows;
@@ -246,11 +247,11 @@ class MythBackend {
            $opts = array();
        }
 
-       if (!$opts['http']) {
+       if (empty($opts['http'])) {
            $opts['http'] = array();
        }
 
-       if (!$opts['http']['method']) {
+       if (empty($opts['http']['method'])) {
            $opts['http']['method'] = "GET";
        }