diff --git a/mod/forum/lib.php b/mod/forum/lib.php
index 676b5f89b08..3211d3ffc52 100644
--- a/mod/forum/lib.php
+++ b/mod/forum/lib.php
@@ -1278,7 +1278,9 @@ function forum_get_discussions($forum="0", $forumsort="d.timemodified DESC",
         $umtable = ' LEFT JOIN '.$CFG->prefix.'user um on (d.usermodified = um.id)';
     }
 
-    return get_records_sql("SELECT $postdata, d.name, d.timemodified, d.usermodified, d.groupid,
+    //TODO: there must be a nice way to do this that keeps both postgres and mysql 3.2x happy but I can't find it right now.
+    if ($CFG->dbtype == 'postgres7') {
+        return get_records_sql("SELECT $postdata, d.name, d.timemodified, d.usermodified, d.groupid,
                                    u.firstname, u.lastname, u.email, u.picture $umfields
                               FROM {$CFG->prefix}forum_discussions d
                               JOIN {$CFG->prefix}forum_posts p ON p.discussion = d.id
@@ -1288,6 +1290,19 @@ function forum_get_discussions($forum="0", $forumsort="d.timemodified DESC",
                                AND p.parent = 0
                                    $groupselect $userselect 
                           ORDER BY $forumsort $limit");
+    } else {
+        return get_records_sql("SELECT $postdata, d.name, d.timemodified, d.usermodified, d.groupid,
+                                   u.firstname, u.lastname, u.email, u.picture $umfields
+                              FROM {$CFG->prefix}forum_discussions d,
+                                   {$CFG->prefix}forum_posts p,
+                                   {$CFG->prefix}user u  
+                                   $umtable
+                             WHERE d.forum = '$forum'
+                               AND p.discussion = d.id
+                               AND p.parent = 0
+                               AND p.userid = u.id $groupselect $userselect 
+                          ORDER BY $forumsort $limit");
+    }
 }