diff --git a/admin/config.php b/admin/config.php
index 667c486ea54..032f00c8f65 100644
--- a/admin/config.php
+++ b/admin/config.php
@@ -150,12 +150,14 @@
 
     $httpsurl = str_replace('http://', 'https://', $CFG->wwwroot);
     if ($httpsurl != $CFG->wwwroot) {
-        if ((($fh = @fopen($httpsurl, 'r')) == false) and ($config->loginhttps == 0)) {
-            echo '<script type="text/javascript">'."\n";
-            echo '<!--'."\n";
-            echo "eval('document.form.loginhttps.disabled=true');\n";
-            echo '-->'."\n";
-            echo '</script>'."\n";
+        if (ini_get('allow_url_fopen')) {
+            if ((($fh = @fopen($httpsurl, 'r')) == false) and ($config->loginhttps == 0)) {
+                echo '<script type="text/javascript">'."\n";
+                echo '<!--'."\n";
+                echo "eval('document.form.loginhttps.disabled=true');\n";
+                echo '-->'."\n";
+                echo '</script>'."\n";
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/install.php b/install.php
index bcde35d7e89..08a8324f1c3 100644
--- a/install.php
+++ b/install.php
@@ -262,7 +262,9 @@ if ($INSTALL['stage'] == 3) {
 /// If we can open a file then we know that the admin name is correct.
 
 if ($nextstage == 4 or $INSTALL['stage'] == 4) {
-    if (($fh = @fopen($INSTALL['wwwroot'].'/'.$INSTALL['admindirname'].'/site.html', 'r')) !== false) {
+    if (!ini_get('allow_url_fopen')) {
+        $nextstage = ($goforward) ? 5 : 3;
+    } else if (($fh = @fopen($INSTALL['wwwroot'].'/'.$INSTALL['admindirname'].'/site.html', 'r')) !== false) {
         $nextstage = ($goforward) ? 5 : 3;
         fclose($fh);
     } else {