diff --git a/admin/environment.xml b/admin/environment.xml
index b70ced30f46..614fe68f3b6 100644
--- a/admin/environment.xml
+++ b/admin/environment.xml
@@ -321,6 +321,11 @@
       </PHP_SETTING>
     </PHP_SETTINGS>
     <CUSTOM_CHECKS>
+      <CUSTOM_CHECK file="lib/customcheckslib.php" function="php_check_php533" level="optional">
+        <FEEDBACK>
+          <ON_CHECK message="php533warning" />
+        </FEEDBACK>
+      </CUSTOM_CHECK>
     </CUSTOM_CHECKS>
   </MOODLE>
 </COMPATIBILITY_MATRIX>
diff --git a/lang/en/admin.php b/lang/en/admin.php
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 1bad6b9c699..b1d59ecc39d
--- a/lang/en/admin.php
+++ b/lang/en/admin.php
@@ -782,6 +782,7 @@ $string['perfdebug'] = 'Performance info';
 $string['performance'] = 'Performance';
 $string['pgcluster'] = 'PostgreSQL Cluster';
 $string['pgclusterdescription'] = 'PostgreSQL version/cluster parameter for command line operations. If you only have one postgresql on your system or you are not sure what this is, leave this blank.';
+$string['php533warning'] = 'PHP 5.3.3 and upwards is recommended';
 $string['phpfloatproblem'] = 'Detected unexpected problem in handling of PHP float numbers - {$a}';
 $string['php50restricted'] = 'PHP 5.0.x has a number of known problems, please upgrade to 5.1.x or downgrade to 4.3.x or 4.4.x';
 $string['pleaserefreshregistration'] = 'Your site has been registered with moodle.org, please consider updating the registration if significant changes happened since your last update, on {$a}';
diff --git a/lib/customcheckslib.php b/lib/customcheckslib.php
index 35f4698f2d4..7c63c502f79 100644
--- a/lib/customcheckslib.php
+++ b/lib/customcheckslib.php
@@ -54,3 +54,12 @@ function php_check_register_globals($result) {
 
     return $result;
 }
+
+function php_check_php533($result) {
+    if (version_compare(phpversion(), '5.3.3') < 0) {
+        $result->status = false;
+    } else {
+        $result = null;
+    }
+    return $result;
+}