diff --git a/admin/cli/upgrade.php b/admin/cli/upgrade.php
index 1fae897c8cb..72a03f0b075 100644
--- a/admin/cli/upgrade.php
+++ b/admin/cli/upgrade.php
@@ -159,9 +159,7 @@ set_config('branch', $branch);
 upgrade_noncore(true);
 
 // log in as admin - we need doanything permission when applying defaults
-$admins = get_admins();
-$admin = reset($admins);
-session_set_user($admin);
+session_set_user(get_admin());
 
 // apply all default settings, just in case do it twice to fill all defaults
 admin_apply_default_settings(NULL, false);
diff --git a/admin/handlevirus.php b/admin/handlevirus.php
index d7cf3cd9900..bfd76c16c27 100644
--- a/admin/handlevirus.php
+++ b/admin/handlevirus.php
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ function notify_admins($user,$subject,$a) {
     foreach ($admins as $admin) {
         $eventdata = new stdClass();
         $eventdata->modulename        = 'moodle';
-        $eventdata->userfrom          = $admin;
+        $eventdata->userfrom          = get_admin();
         $eventdata->userto            = $admin;
         $eventdata->subject           = $subject;
         $eventdata->fullmessage       = $body;
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ function notify_admins_unknown($file,$a) {
     foreach ($admins as $admin) {
         $eventdata = new stdClass();
         $eventdata->modulename        = 'moodle';
-        $eventdata->userfrom          = $admin;
+        $eventdata->userfrom          = get_admin();
         $eventdata->userto            = $admin;
         $eventdata->subject           = $subject;
         $eventdata->fullmessage       = $body;
diff --git a/lib/installlib.php b/lib/installlib.php
index 7da6ed6a1f7..bc6f90223e0 100644
--- a/lib/installlib.php
+++ b/lib/installlib.php
@@ -476,9 +476,7 @@ function install_cli_database(array $options, $interactive) {
     upgrade_finished();
 
     // log in as admin - we need do anything when applying defaults
-    $admins = get_admins();
-    $admin = reset($admins);
-    session_set_user($admin);
+    session_set_user(get_admin());
 
     // apply all default settings, do it twice to fill all defaults - some settings depend on other setting
     admin_apply_default_settings(NULL, true);
diff --git a/lib/pluginlib.php b/lib/pluginlib.php
index c3a5456297b..6752997dbda 100644
--- a/lib/pluginlib.php
+++ b/lib/pluginlib.php
@@ -1315,13 +1315,11 @@ class available_update_checker {
         $html .= html_writer::tag('footer', html_writer::tag('p', get_string('updatenotificationfooter', 'core_admin', $a),
             array('style' => 'font-size:smaller; color:#333;')));
 
-        $mainadmin = reset($admins);
-
         foreach ($admins as $admin) {
             $message = new stdClass();
             $message->component         = 'moodle';
             $message->name              = 'availableupdate';
-            $message->userfrom          = $mainadmin;
+            $message->userfrom          = get_admin();
             $message->userto            = $admin;
             $message->subject           = get_string('updatenotifications', 'core_admin');
             $message->fullmessage       = $text;
diff --git a/lib/portfoliolib.php b/lib/portfoliolib.php
index 0cac1453db5..04a2223aaf2 100644
--- a/lib/portfoliolib.php
+++ b/lib/portfoliolib.php
@@ -1120,7 +1120,7 @@ function portfolio_insane_notify_admins($insane, $instances=false) {
         $eventdata->modulename = 'portfolio';
         $eventdata->component = 'portfolio';
         $eventdata->name = 'notices';
-        $eventdata->userfrom = $admin;
+        $eventdata->userfrom = get_admin();
         $eventdata->userto = $admin;
         $eventdata->subject = $subject;
         $eventdata->fullmessage = $plainbody;
diff --git a/portfolio/googledocs/db/upgrade.php b/portfolio/googledocs/db/upgrade.php
index 39164bfc33e..98a271e0530 100644
--- a/portfolio/googledocs/db/upgrade.php
+++ b/portfolio/googledocs/db/upgrade.php
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ function portfolio_googledocs_admin_upgrade_notification() {
     if (empty($admins)) {
         return;
     }
-    $mainadmin = reset($admins);
     $a = new stdClass;
     $a->docsurl = get_docs_url('Google_OAuth_2.0_setup');
 
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ function portfolio_googledocs_admin_upgrade_notification() {
         $message = new stdClass();
         $message->component         = 'moodle';
         $message->name              = 'notices';
-        $message->userfrom          = $mainadmin;
+        $message->userfrom          = get_admin();
         $message->userto            = $admin;
         $message->smallmessage      = get_string('oauth2upgrade_message_small', 'portfolio_googledocs');
         $message->subject           = get_string('oauth2upgrade_message_subject', 'portfolio_googledocs');
diff --git a/portfolio/picasa/db/upgrade.php b/portfolio/picasa/db/upgrade.php
index cb1eeb77b6c..cf51622dbba 100644
--- a/portfolio/picasa/db/upgrade.php
+++ b/portfolio/picasa/db/upgrade.php
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ function portfolio_picasa_admin_upgrade_notification() {
     if (empty($admins)) {
         return;
     }
-    $mainadmin = reset($admins);
     $a = new stdClass;
     $a->docsurl = get_docs_url('Google_OAuth_2.0_setup');
 
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ function portfolio_picasa_admin_upgrade_notification() {
         $message = new stdClass();
         $message->component         = 'moodle';
         $message->name              = 'notices';
-        $message->userfrom          = $mainadmin;
+        $message->userfrom          = get_admin();
         $message->userto            = $admin;
         $message->smallmessage      = get_string('oauth2upgrade_message_small', 'portfolio_picasa');
         $message->subject           = get_string('oauth2upgrade_message_subject', 'portfolio_picasa');
diff --git a/repository/googledocs/db/upgrade.php b/repository/googledocs/db/upgrade.php
index 7c783017864..6d4f45f4d84 100644
--- a/repository/googledocs/db/upgrade.php
+++ b/repository/googledocs/db/upgrade.php
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ function repository_googledocs_admin_upgrade_notification() {
     if (empty($admins)) {
         return;
     }
-    $mainadmin = reset($admins);
 
     $a = new stdClass;
     $a->docsurl = get_docs_url('Google_OAuth_2.0_setup');
@@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ function repository_googledocs_admin_upgrade_notification() {
         $message = new stdClass();
         $message->component         = 'moodle';
         $message->name              = 'notices';
-        $message->userfrom          = $mainadmin;
+        $message->userfrom          = get_admin();
         $message->userto            = $admin;
         $message->smallmessage      = get_string('oauth2upgrade_message_small', 'repository_googledocs');
         $message->subject           = get_string('oauth2upgrade_message_subject', 'repository_googledocs');
diff --git a/repository/picasa/db/upgrade.php b/repository/picasa/db/upgrade.php
index 3d50bbaa4df..bc2f16c2bb0 100644
--- a/repository/picasa/db/upgrade.php
+++ b/repository/picasa/db/upgrade.php
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ function repository_picasa_admin_upgrade_notification() {
     if (empty($admins)) {
         return;
     }
-    $mainadmin = reset($admins);
     $a = new stdClass;
     $a->docsurl = get_docs_url('Google_OAuth_2.0_setup');
 
@@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ function repository_picasa_admin_upgrade_notification() {
         $message = new stdClass();
         $message->component         = 'moodle';
         $message->name              = 'notices';
-        $message->userfrom          = $mainadmin;
+        $message->userfrom          = get_admin();
         $message->userto            = $admin;
         $message->smallmessage      = get_string('oauth2upgrade_message_small', 'repository_picasa');
         $message->subject           = get_string('oauth2upgrade_message_subject', 'repository_picasa');