diff --git a/boot.php b/boot.php
index 34836a97aa..fa4f8b072e 100644
--- a/boot.php
+++ b/boot.php
@@ -2388,3 +2388,11 @@ if(!function_exists('exif_imagetype')) {
                 return($size[2]);
         }
 }
+
+// See https://github.com/friendica/friendica/issues/1218
+// Try to get the values for $argv and $argc via the $_SERVER array
+if (!isset($argv) && array_key_exists('argv', $_SERVER))
+	$argv = $_SERVER['argv'];
+
+if (!isset($argc) && array_key_exists('argc', $_SERVER))
+	$argv = $_SERVER['argc'];
diff --git a/include/dbupdate.php b/include/dbupdate.php
index eb2eda48da..3fcd6b7f05 100644
--- a/include/dbupdate.php
+++ b/include/dbupdate.php
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ function dbupdate_run(&$argv, &$argc) {
 	if(is_null($a)){
 		$a = new App;
 	}
-  
+
 	if(is_null($db)) {
 		@include(".htconfig.php");
 		require_once("include/dba.php");
@@ -26,4 +26,3 @@ if (array_search(__file__,get_included_files())===0){
   dbupdate_run($argv,$argc);
   killme();
 }
-
diff --git a/testargs.php b/testargs.php
index 4c9bce4e93..8c6da430e9 100644
--- a/testargs.php
+++ b/testargs.php
@@ -8,14 +8,16 @@
  * During installation we need to check if register_argc_argv is
  * enabled for the command line PHP processor, because otherwise
  * deliveries will fail. So we will do a shell exec of php and
- * execute this file with a command line argument, and see if it 
- * echoes the argument back to us. Otherwise notify the person 
+ * execute this file with a command line argument, and see if it
+ * echoes the argument back to us. Otherwise notify the person
  * that their installation doesn't meet the system requirements.
  *
- */ 
+ */
+
 
- 
 if(($argc > 1) && isset($argv[1]))
 	echo $argv[1];
+elseif(($_SERVER["argc"] > 1) && isset($_SERVER["argv"][1]))
+	echo $_SERVER["argv"][1];
 else
 	echo '';