Index: includes/database/database.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/database/database.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.88
diff -u -r1.88 database.inc
--- includes/database/database.inc	3 Jan 2010 06:50:07 -0000	1.88
+++ includes/database/database.inc	3 Jan 2010 08:22:19 -0000
@@ -1443,8 +1443,6 @@
   final public static function parseConnectionInfo() {
     global $databases;
 
-    _db_check_install_needed();
-
     $databaseInfo = $databases;
     foreach ($databaseInfo as $index => $info) {
       foreach ($databaseInfo[$index] as $target => $value) {
@@ -1527,8 +1525,9 @@
    */
   final protected static function openConnection($key, $target) {
     global $db_prefix;
+    global $databases;
 
-    if (empty(self::$databaseInfo)) {
+    if (empty(self::$databaseInfo) && isset($databases)) {
       self::parseConnectionInfo();
     }
     try {