diff --git a/include/acl_selectors.php b/include/acl_selectors.php
index d5730a93a..69181b735 100644
--- a/include/acl_selectors.php
+++ b/include/acl_selectors.php
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ function group_select($selname,$selclass,$preselected = false,$size = 4) {
 
 	$o .= "<select name=\"{$selname}[]\" id=\"$selclass\" class=\"$selclass\" multiple=\"multiple\" size=\"$size\" >\r\n";
 
-	$r = q("SELECT * FROM `group` WHERE `deleted` = 0 AND `uid` = %d ORDER BY `name` ASC",
+	$r = q("SELECT `id`, `name` FROM `group` WHERE NOT `deleted` AND `uid` = %d ORDER BY `name` ASC",
 		intval(local_user())
 	);
 
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ function populate_acl($user = null, $show_jotnets = false) {
 		$pubmail_enabled = false;
 
 		if(! $mail_disabled) {
-			$r = q("SELECT * FROM `mailacct` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `server` != '' LIMIT 1",
+			$r = q("SELECT `pubmail` FROM `mailacct` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `server` != '' LIMIT 1",
 				intval(local_user())
 			);
 			if(count($r)) {
diff --git a/include/config.php b/include/config.php
index 05bcea621..b27274e9a 100644
--- a/include/config.php
+++ b/include/config.php
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ if(! function_exists('load_config')) {
 function load_config($family) {
 	global $a;
 
-	$r = q("SELECT * FROM `config` WHERE `cat` = '%s'", dbesc($family));
+	$r = q("SELECT `v`, `k` FROM `config` WHERE `cat` = '%s'", dbesc($family));
 	if(count($r)) {
 		foreach($r as $rr) {
 			$k = $rr['k'];
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ function set_config($family,$key,$value) {
 if(! function_exists('load_pconfig')) {
 function load_pconfig($uid,$family) {
 	global $a;
-	$r = q("SELECT * FROM `pconfig` WHERE `cat` = '%s' AND `uid` = %d",
+	$r = q("SELECT `v`,`k` FROM `pconfig` WHERE `cat` = '%s' AND `uid` = %d",
 		dbesc($family),
 		intval($uid)
 	);
diff --git a/include/text.php b/include/text.php
index 200e2c9bc..fc5e79294 100644
--- a/include/text.php
+++ b/include/text.php
@@ -895,9 +895,9 @@ function contact_block() {
 		$micropro = Null;
 
 	} else {
-		$r = q("SELECT * FROM `contact`
-				WHERE `uid` = %d AND `self` = 0 AND `blocked` = 0 and `pending` = 0
-					AND `hidden` = 0 AND `archive` = 0
+		$r = q("SELECT `id`, `uid`, `addr`, `url`, `name`, `micro`, `network` FROM `contact`
+				WHERE `uid` = %d AND NOT `self` AND NOT `blocked` AND NOT `pending`
+					AND NOT `hidden` AND NOT `archive`
 				AND `network` IN ('%s', '%s', '%s') ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT %d",
 				intval($a->profile['uid']),
 				dbesc(NETWORK_DFRN),