diff --git a/backend/lib/controller/frontcontroller.php b/backend/lib/controller/frontcontroller.php
index 6557272..507e08a 100644
--- a/backend/lib/controller/frontcontroller.php
+++ b/backend/lib/controller/frontcontroller.php
@@ -28,18 +28,18 @@ final class FrontController {
 		$response = new HttpResponse();
 		
 		// create view instance
-		$rc = new ReflectionClass($request->get['format'] . 'View');
-		if (!$rc->isSubclassOf('View')) {
-			throw new InvalidArgumentException('\'' . $rc->getName() . '\' is not a valid View');
+		$view = $request->get['format'] . 'View';
+		if (!is_subclass_of($view, 'View')) {
+			throw new InvalidArgumentException('\'' . $view . '\' is not a valid View');
 		}
-		$this->view = $rc->newInstanceArgs(array($request, $response));
+		$this->view = new $view($request, $response);
 		
 		// create controller instance
-		$rc = new ReflectionClass($request->get['controller'] . 'Controller');
-		if (!$rc->isSubclassOf('Controller')) {
-			throw new InvalidArgumentException('\'' . $rc->getName() . '\' is not a valid Controller');
+		$controller = $request->get['controller'] . 'Controller';
+		if (!is_subclass_of($controller, 'Controller')) {
+			throw new InvalidArgumentException('\'' . $controller . '\' is not a valid controller');
 		}
-		$this->controller = $rc->newInstanceArgs(array($this->view));
+		$this->controller = new $controller($this->view);
 	}
 	
 	public function run() {
diff --git a/backend/lib/model/channel.php b/backend/lib/model/channel.php
index fce59f5..9bb7127 100644
--- a/backend/lib/model/channel.php
+++ b/backend/lib/model/channel.php
@@ -157,12 +157,10 @@ abstract class Channel extends DatabaseObject implements ChannelInterface {
 	 * create new channel instance by given database query result
 	 */
 	final static protected function factory($object) {
-		$rc = new ReflectionClass($object['type']);
-		if (!$rc->isSubclassOf('Channel')) {
-			throw new InvalidArgumentException('\'' . $rc->getName() . '\' is not a valid channel type');
+		if (!is_subclass_of($object['type'], 'Channel')) {
+			throw new InvalidArgumentException('\'' . $object['type'] . '\' is not a valid channel type');
 		}
-
-		return $rc->newInstanceArgs(array($object));
+		return new $object['type']($object);
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --git a/backend/lib/model/database.php b/backend/lib/model/database.php
index 4ca0b16..8780d94 100644
--- a/backend/lib/model/database.php
+++ b/backend/lib/model/database.php
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ interface DatabaseInterface {
 	public function escapeString($string);
 
 	public function escape($value);
-	
+
 	public function lastInsertId();
 }
 
@@ -194,12 +194,10 @@ abstract class Database implements DatabaseInterface {
 		if (is_null(self::$connection)) {
 			$config = Registry::get('config');
 				
-			$rc = new ReflectionClass($config['db']['backend']);
-			if (!$rc->isSubclassOf('Database')) {
-				throw new InvalidArgumentException('\'' . $rc->getName() . '\' is not a valid database backend');
+			if (!is_subclass_of($config['db']['backend'], 'Database')) {
+				throw new InvalidArgumentException('\'' . $config['db']['backend'] . '\' is not a valid database backend');
 			}
-				
-			self::$connection = $rc->newInstanceArgs(array($config['db']));
+			self::$connection = new $config['db']['backend']($config['db']);
 		}
 
 		return self::$connection;
@@ -215,7 +213,7 @@ abstract class Database implements DatabaseInterface {
 		else {
 			$value = '\'' . $this->escapeString($value) . '\'';
 		}
-		
+
 		return $value;
 	}
 }