diff --git a/system/database/DB_driver.php b/system/database/DB_driver.php
index 572595f..9508ded 100644
--- a/system/database/DB_driver.php
+++ b/system/database/DB_driver.php
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@
 	var $cache_autodel	= FALSE;
 	var $CACHE; // The cache class object
 
+	// Private variables
+	var $_protect_identifiers	= TRUE;
+	var $_reserved_identifiers	= array('*'); // Identifiers that should NOT be escaped
 
 	// These are use with Oracle
 	var $stmt_id;
@@ -97,19 +100,21 @@
 	 * @param	mixed
 	 * @return	void
 	 */	
-	function initialize($create_db = FALSE)
+	function initialize()
 	{
-		// If an existing DB connection resource is supplied
+		// If an existing connection resource is available
 		// there is no need to connect and select the database
 		if (is_resource($this->conn_id) OR is_object($this->conn_id))
 		{
 			return TRUE;
 		}
+	
+		// ----------------------------------------------------------------
 		
-		// Connect to the database
+		// Connect to the database and set the connection ID
 		$this->conn_id = ($this->pconnect == FALSE) ? $this->db_connect() : $this->db_pconnect();
 
-		// No connection?  Throw an error
+		// No connection resource?  Throw an error
 		if ( ! $this->conn_id)
 		{
 			log_message('error', 'Unable to connect to the database');
@@ -121,70 +126,30 @@
 			return FALSE;
 		}
 
-		// Select the database
+		// ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+		// Select the DB... assuming a database name is specified in the config file
 		if ($this->database != '')
 		{
 			if ( ! $this->db_select())
 			{
-				// Should we attempt to create the database?
-				if ($create_db == TRUE)
-				{ 
-					// Load the DB utility class
-					$CI =& get_instance();
-					$CI->load->dbutil();
-					
-					// Create the DB
-					if ( ! $CI->dbutil->create_database($this->database))
-					{
-						log_message('error', 'Unable to create database: '.$this->database);
-					
-						if ($this->db_debug)
-						{
-							$this->display_error('db_unable_to_create', $this->database);
-						}
-						return FALSE;
-					}
-					else
-					{
-						// In the event the DB was created we need to select it
-						if ($this->db_select())
-						{
-							if ( ! $this->db_set_charset($this->char_set, $this->dbcollat))
-							{
-								log_message('error', 'Unable to set database connection charset: '.$this->char_set);
-
-								if ($this->db_debug)
-								{
-									$this->display_error('db_unable_to_set_charset', $this->char_set);
-								}
-
-								return FALSE;
-							}
-							
-							return TRUE;
-						}
-					}
-				}
-			
 				log_message('error', 'Unable to select database: '.$this->database);
 			
 				if ($this->db_debug)
 				{
 					$this->display_error('db_unable_to_select', $this->database);
 				}
-				return FALSE;
+				return FALSE;			
 			}
-			
-			if ( ! $this->db_set_charset($this->char_set, $this->dbcollat))
+			else
 			{
-				log_message('error', 'Unable to set database connection charset: '.$this->char_set);
-			
-				if ($this->db_debug)
+				// We've selected the DB. Now we set the character set
+				if ( ! $this->db_set_charset($this->char_set, $this->dbcollat))
 				{
-					$this->display_error('db_unable_to_set_charset', $this->char_set);
+					return FALSE;
 				}
-				
-				return FALSE;
+		
+				return TRUE;
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -194,6 +159,33 @@
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 	/**
+	 * Set client character set
+	 *
+	 * @access	public
+	 * @param	string
+	 * @param	string
+	 * @return	resource
+	 */
+	function db_set_charset($charset, $collation)
+	{
+		if ( ! $this->_db_set_charset($this->char_set, $this->dbcollat))
+		{
+			log_message('error', 'Unable to set database connection charset: '.$this->char_set);
+		
+			if ($this->db_debug)
+			{
+				$this->display_error('db_unable_to_set_charset', $this->char_set);
+			}
+			
+			return FALSE;
+		}
+		
+		return TRUE;
+	}
+	
+	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+	/**
 	 * The name of the platform in use (mysql, mssql, etc...)
 	 *
 	 * @access	public
@@ -667,23 +659,6 @@
 	{
 		return end($this->queries);
 	}
-	
-	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-	/**
-	 * Protect Identifiers
-	 *
-	 * This function adds backticks if appropriate based on db type
-	 *
-	 * @access	private
-	 * @param	mixed	the item to escape
-	 * @param	boolean	only affect the first word
-	 * @return	mixed	the item with backticks
-	 */
-	function protect_identifiers($item, $first_word_only = FALSE)
-	{
-		return $this->_protect_identifiers($item, $first_word_only);
-	}
 
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -791,8 +766,8 @@
 	 * @return	boolean
 	 */
 	function table_exists($table_name)
-	{
-		return ( ! in_array($this->prep_tablename($table_name), $this->list_tables())) ? FALSE : TRUE;
+	{	
+		return ( ! in_array($this->_protect_identifiers($table_name, TRUE, NULL, FALSE), $this->list_tables())) ? FALSE : TRUE;
 	}
 	
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -821,7 +796,7 @@
 			return FALSE;
 		}
 		
-		if (FALSE === ($sql = $this->_list_columns($this->prep_tablename($table))))
+		if (FALSE === ($sql = $this->_list_columns($this->_protect_identifiers($table, TRUE, NULL, FALSE))))
 		{
 			if ($this->db_debug)
 			{
@@ -866,16 +841,6 @@
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 	/**
-	 * DEPRECATED - use list_fields()
-	 */
-	function field_names($table = '')
-	{
-		return $this->list_fields($table);
-	}
-	
-	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-	/**
 	 * Returns an object with field data
 	 *
 	 * @access	public
@@ -893,7 +858,8 @@
 			return FALSE;
 		}
 		
-		$query = $this->query($this->_field_data($this->prep_tablename($table)));
+		$query = $this->query($this->_field_data($this->_protect_identifiers($table, TRUE, NULL, FALSE)));
+
 		return $query->field_data();
 	}	
 
@@ -914,11 +880,11 @@
 		
 		foreach($data as $key => $val)
 		{
-			$fields[] = $this->_escape_column($key);
+			$fields[] = $this->_escape_identifiers($key);
 			$values[] = $this->escape($val);
 		}
 				
-		return $this->_insert($this->prep_tablename($table), $fields, $values);
+		return $this->_insert($this->_protect_identifiers($table, TRUE, NULL, FALSE), $fields, $values);
 	}	
 	
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -942,7 +908,7 @@
 		$fields = array();
 		foreach($data as $key => $val)
 		{
-			$fields[$this->_escape_column($key)] = $this->escape($val);
+			$fields[$this->_protect_identifiers($key)] = $this->escape($val);
 		}
 
 		if ( ! is_array($where))
@@ -970,7 +936,7 @@
 			}
 		}		
 
-		return $this->_update($this->prep_tablename($table), $fields, $dest);
+		return $this->_update($this->_protect_identifiers($table, TRUE, NULL, FALSE), $fields, $dest);
 	}	
 
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -992,29 +958,6 @@
 
 		return TRUE;
 	}
-	
-	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-	/**
-	 * Prep the table name - simply adds the table prefix if needed
-	 *
-	 * @access	public
-	 * @param	string	the table name
-	 * @return	string		
-	 */	
-	function prep_tablename($table = '')
-	{
-		// Do we need to add the table prefix?
-		if ($this->dbprefix != '')
-		{
-			if (substr($table, 0, strlen($this->dbprefix)) != $this->dbprefix)
-			{
-				$table = $this->dbprefix.$table;
-			}
-		}
-
-		return $table;
-	}
 
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -1201,7 +1144,174 @@
 		echo $error->show_error($heading, $message, 'error_db');
 		exit;
 	}
+
+	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+	/**
+	 * Protect Identifiers
+	 *
+	 * This function adds backticks if appropriate based on db type
+	 *
+	 * @access	private
+	 * @param	mixed	the item to escape
+	 * @return	mixed	the item with backticks
+	 */
+	function protect_identifiers($item, $prefix_single = FALSE)
+	{
+		return $this->_protect_identifiers($item, $prefix_single);
+	}
+
+	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+	/**
+	 * Protect Identifiers
+	 *
+	 * This function is used extensively by the Active Record class, and by
+	 * a couple functions in this class. 
+	 * It takes a column or table name (optionally with an alias) and inserts
+	 * the table prefix onto it.  Some logic is necessary in order to deal with
+	 * column names that include the path.  Consider a query like this:
+	 *
+	 * SELECT * FROM hostname.database.table.column AS c FROM hostname.database.table
+	 *
+	 * Or a query with aliasing:
+	 *
+	 * SELECT m.member_id, m.member_name FROM members AS m
+	 *
+	 * Since the column name can include up to four segments (host, DB, table, column)
+	 * or also have an alias prefix, we need to do a bit of work to figure this out and
+	 * insert the table prefix (if it exists) in the proper position, and escape only
+	 * the correct identifiers.
+	 *
+	 * @access	private
+	 * @param	string
+	 * @param	bool
+	 * @param	mixed
+	 * @param	bool
+	 * @return	string
+	 */	
+	function _protect_identifiers($item, $prefix_single = FALSE, $protect_identifiers = NULL, $field_exists = TRUE)
+	{
+		if ( ! is_bool($protect_identifiers))
+		{
+			$protect_identifiers = $this->_protect_identifiers;
+		}
+		
+		// Convert tabs or multiple spaces into single spaces
+		$item = preg_replace('/[\t| ]+/', ' ', $item);
 	
+		// If the item has an alias declaration we remove it and set it aside.
+		// Basically we remove everything to the right of the first space
+		$alias = '';
+		if (strpos($item, ' ') !== FALSE)
+		{		
+			$alias = strstr($item, " ");
+			$item = substr($item, 0, - strlen($alias));
+		}
+
+		// Break the string apart if it contains periods, then insert the table prefix
+		// in the correct location, assuming the period doesn't indicate that we're dealing
+		// with an alias. While we're at it, we will escape the components
+		if (strpos($item, '.') !== FALSE)
+		{
+			$parts	= explode('.', $item);
+			
+			// Does the first segment of the exploded item match
+			// one of the aliases previously identified?  If so,
+			// we have nothing more to do other then escape the item
+			if (in_array($parts[0], $this->ar_aliased_tables))
+			{				
+				if ($protect_identifiers === TRUE)
+				{
+					foreach ($parts as $key => $val)
+					{
+						if ( ! in_array($val, $this->_reserved_identifiers))
+						{
+							$parts[$key] = $this->_escape_identifiers($val);
+						}
+					}
+				
+					$item = implode('.', $parts);
+				}			
+				return $item.$alias;
+			}
+			
+			// Is there a table prefix defined in the config file?  If not, no need to do anything
+			if ($this->dbprefix != '')
+			{
+				// We now add the table prefix based on some logic.
+				// Do we have 4 segments (hostname.database.table.column)?
+				// If so, we add the table prefix to the column name in the 3rd segment.
+				if (isset($parts[3]))
+				{
+					$i = 2;
+				}
+				// Do we have 3 segments (database.table.column)?
+				// If so, we add the table prefix to the column name in 2nd position
+				elseif (isset($parts[2]))
+				{
+					$i = 1;
+				}
+				// Do we have 2 segments (table.column)?
+				// If so, we add the table prefix to the column name in 1st segment
+				else
+				{
+					$i = 0;
+				}
+				
+				// This flag is set when the supplied $item does not contain a field name.
+				// This can happen when this function is being called from a JOIN.
+				if ($field_exists == FALSE)
+				{
+					$i++;
+				}
+				
+				// We only add the table prefix if it does not already exist
+				if (substr($parts[$i], 0, strlen($this->dbprefix)) != $this->dbprefix)
+				{
+					$parts[$i] = $this->dbprefix.$parts[$i];
+				}
+				
+				// Put the parts back together
+				$item = implode('.', $parts);
+			}
+			
+			if ($protect_identifiers === TRUE)
+			{
+				$item = $this->_escape_identifiers($item);
+			}
+			
+			return $item.$alias;
+		}
+
+		// This is basically a bug fix for queries that use MAX, MIN, etc.
+		// If a parenthesis is found we know that we do not need to 
+		// escape the data or add a prefix.  There's probably a more graceful
+		// way to deal with this, but I'm not thinking of it -- Rick
+		if (strpos($item, '(') !== FALSE)
+		{
+			return $item.$alias;
+		}
+		
+		// Is there a table prefix?  If not, no need to insert it
+		if ($this->dbprefix != '')
+		{
+			// Do we prefix an item with no segments?
+			if ($prefix_single == TRUE AND substr($item, 0, strlen($this->dbprefix)) != $this->dbprefix)
+			{
+				$item = $this->dbprefix.$item;
+			}		
+		}
+		
+		if ($protect_identifiers === TRUE AND ! in_array($item, $this->_reserved_identifiers))
+		{
+			$item = $this->_escape_identifiers($item);
+		}
+		
+		return $item.$alias;
+	}
+
+
 }