diff --git a/scripts/common.php b/scripts/common.php
index 003e71a..6e3a4b1 100644
--- a/scripts/common.php
+++ b/scripts/common.php
@@ -140,20 +140,25 @@ function get_label($record, $sort_by, $date=null) {
   return $ret;
 }
 
-function fetch_species_array($sort_by, $date=null) {
+function get_db() {
   if (!isset($_db)) {
     $_db = new SQLite3('./scripts/birds.db', SQLITE3_OPEN_READONLY);
     $_db->busyTimeout(1000);
   }
+  return $_db;
+}
+
+function fetch_species_array($sort_by, $date=null) {
+  $db = get_db();
   $where = (isset($date)) ? "WHERE Date == \"$date\"" : "";
   if ($sort_by === "occurrences") {
-    $statement = $_db->prepare("SELECT Date, Time, File_Name, Com_Name, Sci_Name, COUNT(*) as Count, MAX(Confidence) as MaxConfidence FROM detections $where GROUP BY Sci_Name ORDER BY COUNT(*) DESC");
+    $statement = $db->prepare("SELECT Date, Time, File_Name, Com_Name, Sci_Name, COUNT(*) as Count, MAX(Confidence) as MaxConfidence FROM detections $where GROUP BY Sci_Name ORDER BY COUNT(*) DESC");
   } elseif ($sort_by === "confidence") {
-    $statement = $_db->prepare("SELECT Date, Time, File_Name, Com_Name, Sci_Name, COUNT(*) as Count, MAX(Confidence) as MaxConfidence FROM detections $where GROUP BY Sci_Name ORDER BY MAX(Confidence) DESC");
+    $statement = $db->prepare("SELECT Date, Time, File_Name, Com_Name, Sci_Name, COUNT(*) as Count, MAX(Confidence) as MaxConfidence FROM detections $where GROUP BY Sci_Name ORDER BY MAX(Confidence) DESC");
   } elseif ($sort_by === "date") {
-    $statement = $_db->prepare("SELECT Date, Time, File_Name, Com_Name, Sci_Name, COUNT(*) as Count, MAX(Confidence) as MaxConfidence FROM detections $where GROUP BY Sci_Name ORDER BY MIN(Date) DESC, Time DESC");
+    $statement = $db->prepare("SELECT Date, Time, File_Name, Com_Name, Sci_Name, COUNT(*) as Count, MAX(Confidence) as MaxConfidence FROM detections $where GROUP BY Sci_Name ORDER BY MIN(Date) DESC, Time DESC");
   } else {
-    $statement = $_db->prepare("SELECT Date, Time, File_Name, Com_Name, Sci_Name, COUNT(*) as Count, MAX(Confidence) as MaxConfidence FROM detections $where GROUP BY Sci_Name ORDER BY Com_Name ASC");
+    $statement = $db->prepare("SELECT Date, Time, File_Name, Com_Name, Sci_Name, COUNT(*) as Count, MAX(Confidence) as MaxConfidence FROM detections $where GROUP BY Sci_Name ORDER BY Com_Name ASC");
   }
   ensure_db_ok($statement);
   $result = $statement->execute();
@@ -161,29 +166,23 @@ function fetch_species_array($sort_by, $date=null) {
 }
 
 function fetch_best_detection($com_name) {
-  if (!isset($_db)) {
-    $_db = new SQLite3('./scripts/birds.db', SQLITE3_OPEN_READONLY);
-    $_db->busyTimeout(1000);
-  }
-  $statement = $_db->prepare("SELECT Com_Name, Sci_Name, COUNT(*), MAX(Confidence), File_Name, Date, Time from detections WHERE Com_Name = \"$com_name\"");
+  $db = get_db();
+  $statement = $db->prepare("SELECT Com_Name, Sci_Name, COUNT(*), MAX(Confidence), File_Name, Date, Time from detections WHERE Com_Name = \"$com_name\"");
   ensure_db_ok($statement);
   $result = $statement->execute();
   return $result;
 }
 
 function fetch_all_detections($sci_name, $sort_by, $date=null) {
-  if (!isset($_db)) {
-    $_db = new SQLite3('./scripts/birds.db', SQLITE3_OPEN_READONLY);
-    $_db->busyTimeout(1000);
-  }
+  $db = get_db();
   $filter = (isset($date)) ? "AND Date == \"$date\"" : "";
   if ($sort_by === "occurrences") {
-    $statement = $_db->prepare("SELECT * FROM detections WHERE Sci_Name == \"$sci_name\" $filter ORDER BY COUNT(*) DESC");
+    $statement = $db->prepare("SELECT * FROM detections WHERE Sci_Name == \"$sci_name\" $filter ORDER BY COUNT(*) DESC");
   } elseif ($sort_by === "confidence") {
-    $statement = $_db->prepare("SELECT * FROM detections WHERE Sci_Name == \"$sci_name\" $filter ORDER BY Confidence DESC");
+    $statement = $db->prepare("SELECT * FROM detections WHERE Sci_Name == \"$sci_name\" $filter ORDER BY Confidence DESC");
   } else {
     $order = (isset($date)) ? "Time DESC" : "Date DESC, Time DESC";
-    $statement = $_db->prepare("SELECT * FROM detections where Sci_Name == \"$sci_name\" $filter ORDER BY $order");
+    $statement = $db->prepare("SELECT * FROM detections where Sci_Name == \"$sci_name\" $filter ORDER BY $order");
   }
   ensure_db_ok($statement);
   $result = $statement->execute();