diff --git includes/bootstrap.inc includes/bootstrap.inc
index 0739332..0b47e52 100644
--- includes/bootstrap.inc
+++ includes/bootstrap.inc
@@ -395,8 +395,9 @@ function conf_path($require_settings = TRUE, $reset = FALSE) {
   for ($i = count($uri) - 1; $i > 0; $i--) {
     for ($j = count($server); $j > 0; $j--) {
       $dir = implode('.', array_slice($server, -$j)) . implode('.', array_slice($uri, 0, $i));
-      if (isset($sites[$dir]) && file_exists(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . $confdir . '/' . $sites[$dir])) {
-        $dir = $sites[$dir];
+      if (isset($sites[$dir])) {
+        $conf = "$confdir/$sites[$dir]";
+        return $conf;
       }
       if (file_exists(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . $confdir . '/' . $dir . '/settings.php') || (!$require_settings && file_exists(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . $confdir . '/' . $dir))) {
         $conf = "$confdir/$dir";
@@ -550,9 +551,7 @@ function drupal_settings_initialize() {
   global $databases, $cookie_domain, $conf, $installed_profile, $update_free_access, $db_url, $db_prefix, $drupal_hash_salt, $is_https, $base_secure_url, $base_insecure_url;
   $conf = array();
 
-  if (file_exists(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . conf_path() . '/settings.php')) {
-    include_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . conf_path() . '/settings.php';
-  }
+  include DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . conf_path() . '/settings.php';
   $is_https = isset($_SERVER['HTTPS']) && strtolower($_SERVER['HTTPS']) == 'on';
 
   if (isset($base_url)) {
diff --git includes/install.core.inc includes/install.core.inc
index c7b4053..725a018 100644
--- includes/install.core.inc
+++ includes/install.core.inc
@@ -235,8 +235,9 @@ function install_begin_request(&$install_state) {
     header($_SERVER['SERVER_PROTOCOL'] . ' 403 Forbidden');
     exit;
   }
-
-  drupal_bootstrap(DRUPAL_BOOTSTRAP_CONFIGURATION);
+  if (file_exists(DRUPAL_ROOT . '/' . conf_path() . '/settings.php')) {
+    drupal_bootstrap(DRUPAL_BOOTSTRAP_CONFIGURATION);
+  }
 
   // This must go after drupal_bootstrap(), which unsets globals!
   global $conf;