Index: includes/database.inc
===================================================================
--- includes/database.inc	(revision 981)
+++ includes/database.inc	(working copy)
@@ -118,10 +118,12 @@
  * @param $name
  *   The name assigned to the newly active database connection. If omitted, the
  *   default connection will be made active.
+ * @param $abort
+ *   If database connection could not be made, should we abort here or continue.
  *
  * @return the name of the previously active database or FALSE if non was found.
  */
-function db_set_active($name = 'default') {
+function db_set_active($name = 'default', $abort = TRUE) {
   global $db_url, $db_type, $active_db;
   static $db_conns, $active_name = FALSE;
 
@@ -149,7 +151,27 @@
       _db_error_page("The database type '". $db_type ."' is unsupported. Please use either 'mysql' or 'mysqli' for MySQL, or 'pgsql' for PostgreSQL databases.");
     }
 
-    $db_conns[$name] = db_connect($connect_url);
+    $connection = db_connect($connect_url);
+    // db_connect is using array return notation.
+    if (is_array($connection)) {
+      list($success, $result) = $connection;
+      // Connection worked
+      if ($success) {
+        $db_conns[$name] = $result;
+      }
+      // Connection failed and abort page load.
+      elseif ($abort) {
+        _db_error_page($result);
+      }
+      // Connection failed but return false. Calling function will handle error.
+      else {
+        return FALSE;
+      }
+    }
+    // db_connect is not using array return notation; revert to old code style.
+    else {
+      $db_conns[$name] = $connection;
+    }
   }
 
   $previous_name = $active_name;
Index: includes/database.mysql.inc
===================================================================
--- includes/database.mysql.inc	(revision 981)
+++ includes/database.mysql.inc	(working copy)
@@ -77,12 +77,12 @@
   $connection = @mysql_connect($url['host'], $url['user'], $url['pass'], TRUE, 2);
   if (!$connection || !mysql_select_db(substr($url['path'], 1))) {
     // Show error screen otherwise
-    _db_error_page(mysql_error());
+    return array(FALSE, mysql_error());
   }
 
   // Force UTF-8.
   mysql_query('SET NAMES "utf8"', $connection);
-  return $connection;
+  return array(TRUE, $connection);
 }
 
 /**
Index: includes/database.mysqli.inc
===================================================================
--- includes/database.mysqli.inc	(revision 981)
+++ includes/database.mysqli.inc	(working copy)
@@ -76,13 +76,13 @@
   @mysqli_real_connect($connection, $url['host'], $url['user'], $url['pass'], substr($url['path'], 1), $url['port'], NULL, MYSQLI_CLIENT_FOUND_ROWS);
 
   if (mysqli_connect_errno() > 0) {
-    _db_error_page(mysqli_connect_error());
+    return array(FALSE, mysqli_connect_error());
   }
 
   // Force UTF-8.
   mysqli_query($connection, 'SET NAMES "utf8"');
 
-  return $connection;
+  return array(TRUE, $connection);
 }
 
 /**
Index: includes/database.pgsql.inc
===================================================================
--- includes/database.pgsql.inc	(revision 981)
+++ includes/database.pgsql.inc	(working copy)
@@ -79,14 +79,14 @@
   $connection = @pg_connect($conn_string);
   if (!$connection) {
     require_once './includes/unicode.inc';
-    _db_error_page(decode_entities($php_errormsg));
+    return array(FALSE, decode_entities($php_errormsg));
   }
 
   // Restore error tracking setting
   ini_set('track_errors', $track_errors_previous);
 
   pg_query($connection, "set client_encoding=\"UTF8\"");
-  return $connection;
+  return array(TRUE, $connection);
 }
 
 /**