diff --git a/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_driver.php b/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_driver.php
index 25b6cec..d06119a 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_driver.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_driver.php
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@
 			return 0;
 		}
 
-		$query = $this->query($this->_count_string.$this->_protect_identifiers('numrows').' FROM '.$this->_protect_identifiers($table, TRUE, NULL, FALSE));
+		$query = $this->query($this->_count_string.$this->protect_identifiers('numrows').' FROM '.$this->protect_identifiers($table, TRUE, NULL, FALSE));
 		if ($query->num_rows() == 0)
 		{
 			return 0;
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@
 	 */
 	protected function _list_columns($table = '')
 	{
-		return 'SHOW COLUMNS FROM '.$this->_protect_identifiers($table, TRUE, NULL, FALSE);
+		return 'SHOW COLUMNS FROM '.$this->protect_identifiers($table, TRUE, NULL, FALSE);
 	}
 
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@
 			return ($this->db_debug) ? $this->display_error('db_field_param_missing') : FALSE;
 		}
 
-		$query = $this->query('DESCRIBE '.$this->_protect_identifiers($table, TRUE, NULL, FALSE));
+		$query = $this->query('DESCRIBE '.$this->protect_identifiers($table, TRUE, NULL, FALSE));
 		$query = $query->result_object();
 
 		$retval = array();
diff --git a/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_forge.php b/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_forge.php
index 7de0361..744525f 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_forge.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/mysqli/mysqli_forge.php
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@
 	 */
 	public function _alter_table($alter_type, $table, $fields, $after_field = '')
 	{
-		$sql = 'ALTER TABLE '.$this->db->_protect_identifiers($table).' '.$alter_type.' ';
+		$sql = 'ALTER TABLE '.$this->db->protect_identifiers($table).' '.$alter_type.' ';
 
 		// DROP has everything it needs now.
 		if ($alter_type === 'DROP')