diff --git a/sites/all/modules/unl/includes/common.php b/sites/all/modules/unl/includes/common.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..87430fdd9872259fb9c0abda6b60b5b338f9d12a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sites/all/modules/unl/includes/common.php
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+<?php
+
+function unl_load_zend_framework() {
+  static $isLoaded = FALSE;
+
+  if ($isLoaded) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  set_include_path(get_include_path() . PATH_SEPARATOR . dirname(__FILE__) . '/../../../libraries');
+  require_once 'Zend/Loader/Autoloader.php';
+  $autoloader = Zend_Loader_Autoloader::getInstance();
+  $autoloader->registerNamespace('Unl_');
+  $isLoaded = TRUE;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Custom function to get the db prefix of the 'main' site.
+ */
+function unl_get_shared_db_prefix() {
+  require 'sites/default/settings.php';
+  $shared_prefix = $databases['default']['default']['prefix'];
+
+  return $shared_prefix;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Custom function.
+ */
+function unl_shared_variable_get($name, $default = NULL) {
+  $shared_prefix = unl_get_shared_db_prefix();
+  $data = db_query(
+    "SELECT * "
+    . "FROM {$shared_prefix}variable "
+    . "WHERE name = :name",
+    array(':name' => $name)
+  )->fetchAll();
+
+  if (count($data) == 0) {
+    return $default;
+  }
+
+  return unserialize($data[0]->value);
+}
diff --git a/sites/all/modules/unl/unl.module b/sites/all/modules/unl/unl.module
index 02b6606d5e294fae9df9029505fbb6b26993712c..b5fb82e0c6290cde8960f28168b5a9ca98a7e4e4 100644
--- a/sites/all/modules/unl/unl.module
+++ b/sites/all/modules/unl/unl.module
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 
+require_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/includes/common.php';
+
 /**
  * Implements hook_field_attach_view_alter().
  */
@@ -304,7 +306,7 @@ function unl_form_alter(&$form, $form_state, $form_id) {
   /**
    * Modify the Permissions and Roles forms for non-administrators
    */
-  $admin_role_id = variable_get('user_admin_role', -1);
+  $admin_role_id = unl_shared_variable_get('user_admin_role', -1);
   if (!in_array($admin_role_id, array_keys($GLOBALS['user']->roles))) {
     switch ($form_id) {
       // Add additional validation on admin/people/permissions/roles/edit/%
@@ -534,7 +536,7 @@ function unl_user_access($permissions, $account = NULL) {
  * to prevent a user from deleting the administrator role. (This is not needed if permissions are shared and only administrators can edit roles.)
  */
 function unl_user_admin_role_validate($form, &$form_state) {
-  $admin_role_id = variable_get('user_admin_role', -1);
+  $admin_role_id = unl_shared_variable_get('user_admin_role', -1);
 
   if ($form_state['values']['op'] == t('Delete role')) {
     $role = user_role_load_by_name($form_state['values']['name']);
@@ -669,13 +671,6 @@ function unl_create_db_prefix($site) {
   return $db_prefix;
 }
 
-function unl_get_shared_db_prefix() {
-  require 'sites/default/settings.php';
-  $shared_prefix = $databases['default']['default']['prefix'];
-
-  return $shared_prefix;
-}
-
 function unl_get_alternate_base_uris() {
   $shared_prefix = unl_get_shared_db_prefix();
   if (is_array($GLOBALS['databases']['default']['default']['prefix'])) {
@@ -810,22 +805,6 @@ function unl_send_site_created_email($site = NULL) {
   }
 }
 
-function unl_shared_variable_get($name, $default = NULL) {
-  $shared_prefix = unl_get_shared_db_prefix();
-  $data = db_query(
-    "SELECT * "
-    . "FROM {$shared_prefix}variable "
-    . "WHERE name = :name",
-    array(':name' => $name)
-  )->fetchAll();
-
-  if (count($data) == 0) {
-    return $default;
-  }
-
-  return unserialize($data[0]->value);
-}
-
 // A simple "I'm still alive" page to check to see that drupal is working.
 function unl_still_alive()
 {
diff --git a/sites/all/modules/unl/unl_cas/unl_cas.module b/sites/all/modules/unl/unl_cas/unl_cas.module
index 50cb3d7374083aa23c71ee49dc3a80855c877ec8..ce5e37067aab188c0890c2051482df06ae09f4e8 100644
--- a/sites/all/modules/unl/unl_cas/unl_cas.module
+++ b/sites/all/modules/unl/unl_cas/unl_cas.module
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 <?php
 
-require_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/unl_loader.php';
-unl_load_zend_framework();
+require_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/../includes/common.php';
 
 function unl_cas_enable() {
   variable_set('user_register', 0);
@@ -31,6 +30,8 @@ function unl_cas_init() {
  * @return Unl_Cas
  */
 function unl_cas_get_adapter() {
+  unl_load_zend_framework();
+  
   // Start the session because if drupal doesn't then Zend_Session will. 
   drupal_session_start();
   static $adapter;
@@ -243,7 +244,7 @@ function unl_cas_user_presave(&$edit, $account, $category) {
     $username = $edit['name'];
   }
 
-  $local_admin_role_id = variable_get('user_admin_role');
+  $local_admin_role_id = unl_shared_variable_get('user_admin_role');
 
   if (_unl_cas_is_user_default_site_administrator($username)) {
     $local_admin_role = user_role_load($local_admin_role_id);
@@ -269,7 +270,7 @@ function unl_cas_user_login(&$edit, $account) {
     return;
   }
 
-  if (!in_array(variable_get('user_admin_role'), array_keys($account->roles))) {
+  if (!in_array(unl_shared_variable_get('user_admin_role'), array_keys($account->roles))) {
     return;
   }
 
@@ -280,12 +281,8 @@ function unl_cas_user_login(&$edit, $account) {
 }
 
 function _unl_cas_is_user_default_site_administrator($username) {
-  require 'sites/default/settings.php';
-  $shared_prefix = $databases['default']['default']['prefix'];
-
-  $data = db_query("SELECT value FROM {$shared_prefix}variable WHERE name='user_admin_role'")->fetchCol();
-  $shared_admin_role_id = unserialize($data[0]);
-
+  $shared_prefix = unl_get_shared_db_prefix();
+  $shared_admin_role_id = unl_shared_variable_get('user_admin_role');
   $shared_admin_usernames = db_query("SELECT u.name FROM {$shared_prefix}users AS u JOIN {$shared_prefix}users_roles AS r ON u.uid = r.uid WHERE name=:name AND rid=:rid", array(':name' => $username, ':rid' => $shared_admin_role_id))->fetchCol();
   return count($shared_admin_usernames) > 0;
 }
@@ -330,7 +327,7 @@ function unl_cas_set_setting($name, $value) {
 
 function unl_cas_user_is_administrator() {
   $user = $GLOBALS['user'];
-  if ($user && in_array(variable_get('user_admin_role'), array_keys($user->roles))) {
+  if ($user && in_array(unl_shared_variable_get('user_admin_role'), array_keys($user->roles))) {
     return TRUE;
   }
   return FALSE;
diff --git a/sites/all/modules/unl/unl_cas/unl_loader.php b/sites/all/modules/unl/unl_cas/unl_loader.php
deleted file mode 100644
index d537a48013a7a9a0e53eda3665d386628ec732a5..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/sites/all/modules/unl/unl_cas/unl_loader.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-
-function unl_load_zend_framework() {
-  static $isLoaded = FALSE;
-
-  if ($isLoaded) {
-    return;
-  }
-
-  set_include_path(get_include_path() . PATH_SEPARATOR . dirname(__FILE__) . '/../../../libraries');
-  require_once 'Zend/Loader/Autoloader.php';
-  $autoloader = Zend_Loader_Autoloader::getInstance();
-  $autoloader->registerNamespace('Unl_');
-  $isLoaded = TRUE;
-}