diff --git a/funcs/func_db.c b/funcs/func_db.c
index 1837c8be735534b556d552732ba0c39364dba234..3125d8ecaa1303383307d1553720f936f1607b9d 100644
--- a/funcs/func_db.c
+++ b/funcs/func_db.c
@@ -44,30 +44,35 @@
 
 static char *function_db_read(struct ast_channel *chan, char *cmd, char *data, char *buf, size_t len)
 {
-	int argc;	
-	char *args;
-	char *argv[2];
-	char *family;
-	char *key;
+	char *parse;    
+	AST_DECLARE_APP_ARGS(args,
+		AST_APP_ARG(family);
+		AST_APP_ARG(key);
+	);
 
 	if (ast_strlen_zero(data)) {
 		ast_log(LOG_WARNING, "DB requires an argument, DB(<family>/<key>)\n");
+		buf[0] = '\0';
 		return buf;
 	}
 
-	args = ast_strdupa(data);
-	argc = ast_app_separate_args(args, '/', argv, sizeof(argv) / sizeof(argv[0]));
+	parse = ast_strdupa(data);
+	if (!parse) {
+		ast_log(LOG_ERROR, "Out of memory!\n");
+		buf[0] = '\0';
+		return buf;
+	}
+	        
+	AST_NONSTANDARD_APP_ARGS(args, parse, '/');
 	
-	if (argc > 1) {
-		family = argv[0];
-		key = argv[1];
-	} else {
+	if (args.argc < 2) {
 		ast_log(LOG_WARNING, "DB requires an argument, DB(<family>/<key>)\n");
+		buf[0] = '\0';
 		return buf;
 	}
 
-	if (ast_db_get(family, key, buf, len-1)) {
-		ast_log(LOG_DEBUG, "DB: %s/%s not found in database.\n", family, key);
+	if (ast_db_get(args.family, args.key, buf, len-1)) {
+		ast_log(LOG_DEBUG, "DB: %s/%s not found in database.\n", args.family, args.key);
 	} else
 		pbx_builtin_setvar_helper(chan, "DB_RESULT", buf);
 
@@ -77,29 +82,31 @@ static char *function_db_read(struct ast_channel *chan, char *cmd, char *data, c
 
 static void function_db_write(struct ast_channel *chan, char *cmd, char *data, const char *value) 
 {
-	int argc;	
-	char *args;
-	char *argv[2];
-	char *family;
-	char *key;
+	char *parse;    
+	AST_DECLARE_APP_ARGS(args,
+		AST_APP_ARG(family);
+		AST_APP_ARG(key);
+	);
 
 	if (ast_strlen_zero(data)) {
 		ast_log(LOG_WARNING, "DB requires an argument, DB(<family>/<key>)=<value>\n");
 		return;
 	}
 
-	args = ast_strdupa(data);
-	argc = ast_app_separate_args(args, '/', argv, sizeof(argv) / sizeof(argv[0]));
-	
-	if (argc > 1) {
-		family = argv[0];
-		key = argv[1];
-	} else {
+	parse = ast_strdupa(data);
+	if (!parse) { 
+		ast_log(LOG_ERROR, "Out of memory!\n"); 
+		return;
+	}
+
+	AST_NONSTANDARD_APP_ARGS(args, parse, '/');
+
+	if (args.argc < 2) {
 		ast_log(LOG_WARNING, "DB requires an argument, DB(<family>/<key>)=value\n");
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (ast_db_put(family, key, (char*)value)) {
+	if (ast_db_put(args.family, args.key, (char*)value)) {
 		ast_log(LOG_WARNING, "DB: Error writing value to database.\n");
 	}
 }
@@ -123,29 +130,34 @@ struct ast_custom_function db_function = {
 
 static char *function_db_exists(struct ast_channel *chan, char *cmd, char *data, char *buf, size_t len)
 {
-	int argc;	
-	char *args;
-	char *argv[2];
-	char *family;
-	char *key;
+	char *parse;    
+	AST_DECLARE_APP_ARGS(args,
+		AST_APP_ARG(family);
+		AST_APP_ARG(key);
+	);
 
 	if (ast_strlen_zero(data)) {
 		ast_log(LOG_WARNING, "DB_EXISTS requires an argument, DB(<family>/<key>)\n");
+		buf[0] = '\0';
 		return buf;
 	}
 
-	args = ast_strdupa(data);
-	argc = ast_app_separate_args(args, '/', argv, sizeof(argv) / sizeof(argv[0]));
+	parse = ast_strdupa(data);
+	if (!parse) {
+		ast_log(LOG_ERROR, "Out of memory!\n");
+		buf[0] = '\0';
+		return buf;
+	}
+	        
+	AST_NONSTANDARD_APP_ARGS(args, parse, '/');
 	
-	if (argc > 1) {
-		family = argv[0];
-		key = argv[1];
-	} else {
+	if (args.argc < 2) {
 		ast_log(LOG_WARNING, "DB_EXISTS requires an argument, DB(<family>/<key>)\n");
+		buf[0] = '\0';
 		return buf;
 	}
 
-	if (ast_db_get(family, key, buf, len-1))
+	if (ast_db_get(args.family, args.key, buf, len-1))
 		ast_copy_string(buf, "0", len);	
 	else {
 		pbx_builtin_setvar_helper(chan, "DB_RESULT", buf);
diff --git a/funcs/func_rand.c b/funcs/func_rand.c
index 0f1bd0068d018d64f7921812f866878a8e55567b..4b7f7b6d42456c75f5f31524b21f05a9d23ac016 100644
--- a/funcs/func_rand.c
+++ b/funcs/func_rand.c
@@ -50,24 +50,29 @@ LOCAL_USER_DECL;
 static char *acf_rand_exec(struct ast_channel *chan, char *cmd, char *data, char *buffer, size_t buflen)
 {
 	struct localuser *u;
-	char *args[2] = { "", "" }, *s;
 	int min_int, response_int, max_int;
-
-	LOCAL_USER_ACF_ADD(u);
-
-	if (!(s = ast_strdupa(data))) {
+	char *parse;
+
+	AST_DECLARE_APP_ARGS(args,
+		AST_APP_ARG(min);
+		AST_APP_ARG(max);
+	);
+	
+	if (!(parse = ast_strdupa(data))) {
 		*buffer = '\0';
-		LOCAL_USER_REMOVE(u);
 		return buffer;
 	}
 
-	ast_app_separate_args(s, '|', args, sizeof(args) / sizeof(args[0]));
+	LOCAL_USER_ACF_ADD(u);
 
-	if (ast_strlen_zero(args[0]) || sscanf(args[0], "%d", &min_int) != 1) {
+	AST_STANDARD_APP_ARGS(args, parse);
+	
+	if (ast_strlen_zero(args.min) || sscanf(args.min, "%d", &min_int) != 1) {
 		min_int = 0;
 	}
 
-	if (ast_strlen_zero(args[1]) || sscanf(args[1], "%d", &max_int) != 1) {
+
+	if (ast_strlen_zero(args.max) || sscanf(args.max, "%d", &max_int) != 1) {
 		max_int = RAND_MAX;
 	}
 
diff --git a/manager.c b/manager.c
index ce4d26221f100ddb897e0b5f1f519fdccbe9d25e..91537c1185c8d9314aecd41438114cefddfb12ab 100644
--- a/manager.c
+++ b/manager.c
@@ -320,23 +320,27 @@ struct ast_variable *astman_get_variables(struct message *m)
 	int varlen, x, y;
 	struct ast_variable *head = NULL, *cur;
 	char *var, *val;
-	unsigned int var_count;
-        char *vars[32];
-	
+
+	char *parse;    
+	AST_DECLARE_APP_ARGS(args,
+		AST_APP_ARG(vars)[32];
+	);
+
 	varlen = strlen("Variable: ");	
 
 	for (x = 0; x < m->hdrcount; x++) {
 		if (strncasecmp("Variable: ", m->headers[x], varlen))
 			continue;
 
-		if (!(var = ast_strdupa(m->headers[x] + varlen)))
+		if (!(parse = ast_strdupa(m->headers[x] + varlen)))
 			return head;
 
-		if ((var_count = ast_app_separate_args(var, '|', vars, sizeof(vars) / sizeof(vars[0])))) {
-			for (y = 0; y < var_count; y++) {
-				if (!vars[y])
+		AST_STANDARD_APP_ARGS(args, parse);
+		if (args.argc) {
+			for (y = 0; y < args.argc; y++) {
+				if (!args.vars[y])
 					continue;
-				var = val = ast_strdupa(vars[y]);
+				var = val = ast_strdupa(args.vars[y]);
 				strsep(&val, "=");
 				if (!val || ast_strlen_zero(var))
 					continue;