diff --git a/lib/bennu/iCalendar_properties.php b/lib/bennu/iCalendar_properties.php
index a99f7626427..15f916e3efa 100644
--- a/lib/bennu/iCalendar_properties.php
+++ b/lib/bennu/iCalendar_properties.php
@@ -737,7 +737,7 @@ class iCalendar_property_duration extends iCalendar_property {
         }
 
         // Value must be positive
-        return ($value{0} != '-');
+        return ($value[0] != '-');
     }
 }
 
@@ -761,11 +761,11 @@ class iCalendar_property_freebusy extends iCalendar_property {
         }
 
         $pos = strpos($value, '/'); // We know there's only one / in there
-        if($value{$pos - 1} != 'Z') {
+        if($value[$pos - 1] != 'Z') {
             // Start time MUST be in UTC
             return false;
         }
-        if($value{$pos + 1} != 'P' && substr($value, -1) != 'Z') {
+        if($value[$pos + 1] != 'P' && substr($value, -1) != 'Z') {
             // If the second part is not a period, it MUST be in UTC
             return false;
         }
@@ -1279,13 +1279,13 @@ class iCalendar_property_request_status extends iCalendar_property {
         $escch = false;
 
         for($i = 0; $i < $len; ++$i) {
-            if($value{$i} == ';' && !$escch) {
+            if($value[$i] == ';' && !$escch) {
                 // Token completed
                 $parts[] = substr($value, $from, $i - $from);
                 $from = $i + 1;
                 continue;
             }
-            $escch = ($value{$i} == '\\');
+            $escch = ($value[$i] == '\\');
         }
         // Add one last token with the remaining text; if the value
         // ended with a ';' it was illegal, so check that this token
@@ -1306,23 +1306,23 @@ class iCalendar_property_request_status extends iCalendar_property {
             return false;
         }
 
-        if($parts[0]{0} < '1' || $parts[0]{0} > '4') {
+        if($parts[0][0] < '1' || $parts[0][0] > '4') {
             return false;
         }
 
         $len = strlen($parts[0]);
 
         // Max 3 levels, and can't end with a period
-        if($len > 5 || $parts[0]{$len - 1} == '.') {
+        if($len > 5 || $parts[0][$len - 1] == '.') {
             return false;
         }
 
         for($i = 1; $i < $len; ++$i) {
-            if(($i & 1) == 1 && $parts[0]{$i} != '.') {
+            if(($i & 1) == 1 && $parts[0][$i] != '.') {
                 // Even-indexed chars must be periods
                 return false;
             }
-            else if(($i & 1) == 0 && ($parts[0]{$i} < '0' || $parts[0]{$i} > '9')) {
+            else if(($i & 1) == 0 && ($parts[0][$i] < '0' || $parts[0][$i] > '9')) {
                 // Odd-indexed chars must be numbers
                 return false;
             }
@@ -1346,8 +1346,8 @@ class iCalendar_property_request_status extends iCalendar_property {
             $parts[$i] .= '#'; // This guard token saves some conditionals in the loop
 
             for($j = 0; $j < $len; ++$j) {
-                $thischar = $parts[$i]{$j};
-                $nextchar = $parts[$i]{$j + 1};
+                $thischar = $parts[$i][$j];
+                $nextchar = $parts[$i][$j + 1];
                 if($thischar == '\\') {
                     // Next char must now be one of ";,\nN"
                     if($nextchar != ';' && $nextchar != ',' && $nextchar != '\\' &&
diff --git a/lib/bennu/iCalendar_rfc2445.php b/lib/bennu/iCalendar_rfc2445.php
index 8392eed9af0..68f94a4727c 100644
--- a/lib/bennu/iCalendar_rfc2445.php
+++ b/lib/bennu/iCalendar_rfc2445.php
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ function rfc2445_is_valid_value($value, $type) {
             }
 
             for($i = 0; $i < $len; ++$i) {
-                $ch = $value{$i};
+                $ch = $value[$i];
                 if(!($ch >= 'a' && $ch <= 'z' || $ch >= 'A' && $ch <= 'Z' || $ch >= '0' && $ch <= '9' || $ch == '-' || $ch == '+')) {
                     if($ch == '=' && $len - $i <= 2) {
                         continue;
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ function rfc2445_is_valid_value($value, $type) {
                 return false;
             }
 
-            return($value{8} == 'T' && 
+            return($value[8] == 'T' && 
                    rfc2445_is_valid_value(substr($value, 0, 8), RFC2445_TYPE_DATE) &&
                    rfc2445_is_valid_value(substr($value, 9), RFC2445_TYPE_TIME));
         break;
@@ -228,12 +228,12 @@ function rfc2445_is_valid_value($value, $type) {
                 return false;
             }
 
-            if($value{0} == '+' || $value{0} == '-') {
+            if($value[0] == '+' || $value[0] == '-') {
                 $value = substr($value, 1);
                 --$len; // Don't forget to update this!
             }
 
-            if($value{0} != 'P') {
+            if($value[0] != 'P') {
                 return false;
             }
 
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ function rfc2445_is_valid_value($value, $type) {
             $allowed = 'WDT';
 
             for($i = 1; $i < $len; ++$i) {
-                $ch = $value{$i};
+                $ch = $value[$i];
                 if($ch >= '0' && $ch <= '9') {
                     $num .= $ch;
                     continue;
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ function rfc2445_is_valid_value($value, $type) {
             $int = false;
             $len = strlen($value);
             for($i = 0; $i < $len; ++$i) {
-                switch($value{$i}) {
+                switch($value[$i]) {
                     case '-': case '+':
                         // A sign can only be seen at position 0 and cannot be the only char
                         if($i != 0 || $len == 1) {
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ function rfc2445_is_valid_value($value, $type) {
                 return false;
             }
 
-            if($value{0} == '+' || $value{0} == '-') {
+            if($value[0] == '+' || $value[0] == '-') {
                 if(strlen($value) == 1) {
                     return false;
                 }
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ function rfc2445_is_valid_value($value, $type) {
             }
             else if(rfc2445_is_valid_value($parts[1], RFC2445_TYPE_DURATION)) {
                 // The period MUST NOT be negative
-                return ($parts[1]{0} != '-');
+                return ($parts[1][0] != '-');
             }
 
             // It seems to be illegal
@@ -752,7 +752,7 @@ function rfc2445_is_valid_value($value, $type) {
                 return false;
             }
 
-            if($value{0} != '+' && $value{0} != '-') {
+            if($value[0] != '+' && $value[0] != '-') {
                 return false;
             }