diff --git a/include/dba.php b/include/dba.php
index 97f6c87956..9ccdcd1304 100644
--- a/include/dba.php
+++ b/include/dba.php
@@ -91,6 +91,22 @@ class dba {
 		return $this->db;
 	}
 
+	/** Returns the MySQL server version string
+	 *
+	 * This function discriminate between the deprecated mysql API and the current
+	 * object-oriented mysqli API. Example of returned string: 5.5.46-0+deb8u1
+	 *
+	 * @return string
+	 */
+	public function server_info() {
+		if ($this->mysqli) {
+			$return = $this->db->server_info;
+		} else {
+			$return = mysql_get_server_info($this->db);
+		}
+		return $return;
+	}
+
 	public function q($sql, $onlyquery = false) {
 		global $a;
 
diff --git a/include/dbstructure.php b/include/dbstructure.php
index 9e0020fdbe..d3b148b2a8 100644
--- a/include/dbstructure.php
+++ b/include/dbstructure.php
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ function update_structure($verbose, $action, $tables=null, $definition=null) {
 		@$db->q($sql_config);
 
 	// MySQL >= 5.7.4 doesn't support the IGNORE keyword in ALTER TABLE statements
-	if (version_compare($db->getdb()->server_info, '5.7.4') >= 0) {
+	if (version_compare($db->server_info(), '5.7.4') >= 0) {
 		$ignore = '';
 	}else {
 		$ignore = ' IGNORE';