diff --git a/classes/feeds.php b/classes/feeds.php
index cb1b032d1..df0fd440b 100755
--- a/classes/feeds.php
+++ b/classes/feeds.php
@@ -166,12 +166,30 @@ class Feeds extends Handler_Protected {
 
 		$method_split = explode(":", $method);
 
-		if ($method == "ForceUpdate" && $feed > 0 && is_numeric($feed) && !ini_get("open_basedir")) {
+		if ($method == "ForceUpdate" && $feed > 0 && is_numeric($feed)) {
 			// Update the feed if required with some basic flood control
 
-			$result = $this->dbh->query(
-				"SELECT cache_images,".SUBSTRING_FOR_DATE."(last_updated,1,19) AS last_updated
-					FROM ttrss_feeds WHERE id = '$feed'");
+			$any_needs_curl = false;
+
+			if (ini_get("open_basedir")) {
+				$pluginhost = PluginHost::getInstance();
+				foreach ($pluginhost->get_plugins() as $plugin) {
+					$flags = $plugin->flags();
+
+					if (isset($flags["needs_curl"]) && $flags["needs_curl"]) {
+						$any_needs_curl = true;
+						break;
+					}
+				}
+			}
+
+			//if ($_REQUEST["debug"]) print "<!-- any_needs_curl: $any_needs_curl -->";
+
+			if (!$any_needs_curl) {
+
+				$result = $this->dbh->query(
+						"SELECT cache_images," . SUBSTRING_FOR_DATE . "(last_updated,1,19) AS last_updated
+						FROM ttrss_feeds WHERE id = '$feed'");
 
 				if ($this->dbh->num_rows($result) != 0) {
 					$last_updated = strtotime($this->dbh->fetch_result($result, 0, "last_updated"));
@@ -182,9 +200,10 @@ class Feeds extends Handler_Protected {
 						update_rss_feed($feed, true, true);
 					} else {
 						$this->dbh->query("UPDATE ttrss_feeds SET last_updated = '1970-01-01', last_update_started = '1970-01-01'
-							WHERE id = '$feed'");
+								WHERE id = '$feed'");
 					}
 				}
+			}
 		}
 
 		if ($method_split[0] == "MarkAllReadGR")  {
diff --git a/classes/plugin.php b/classes/plugin.php
index 8fbacf363..01ac46bae 100644
--- a/classes/plugin.php
+++ b/classes/plugin.php
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@ class Plugin {
 		return array(1.0, "plugin", "No description", "No author", false);
 	}
 
+	function flags() {
+		/* associative array, possible keys:
+			needs_curl = boolean
+		*/
+		return array();
+	}
+
 	function get_js() {
 		return "";
 	}
diff --git a/plugins/af_readability/init.php b/plugins/af_readability/init.php
index 1d7c638a6..a52b745b8 100755
--- a/plugins/af_readability/init.php
+++ b/plugins/af_readability/init.php
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ class Af_Readability extends Plugin {
 			"fox");
 	}
 
+	function flags() {
+		return array("needs_curl" => true);
+	}
+
 	function save() {
 		//
 	}
diff --git a/plugins/af_redditimgur/init.php b/plugins/af_redditimgur/init.php
index 1ab696ce3..67ee0c989 100755
--- a/plugins/af_redditimgur/init.php
+++ b/plugins/af_redditimgur/init.php
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ class Af_RedditImgur extends Plugin {
 			"fox");
 	}
 
+	function flags() {
+		return array("needs_curl" => true);
+	}
+
 	function init($host) {
 		$this->host = $host;
 
diff --git a/plugins/af_tumblr_1280/init.php b/plugins/af_tumblr_1280/init.php
index 985d8c5f8..dbdc78e93 100755
--- a/plugins/af_tumblr_1280/init.php
+++ b/plugins/af_tumblr_1280/init.php
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ class Af_Tumblr_1280 extends Plugin {
 			"fox");
 	}
 
+	function flags() {
+		return array("needs_curl" => true);
+	}
+
 	function init($host) {
 		$this->host = $host;
 
diff --git a/plugins/af_unburn/init.php b/plugins/af_unburn/init.php
index 72f8a2606..e5f43e40a 100755
--- a/plugins/af_unburn/init.php
+++ b/plugins/af_unburn/init.php
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ class Af_Unburn extends Plugin {
 			"fox");
 	}
 
+	function flags() {
+		return array("needs_curl" => true);
+	}
+
 	function init($host) {
 		$this->host = $host;
 
diff --git a/plugins/af_zz_imgsetsizes/init.php b/plugins/af_zz_imgsetsizes/init.php
index 96afbbfe0..cdfd06338 100644
--- a/plugins/af_zz_imgsetsizes/init.php
+++ b/plugins/af_zz_imgsetsizes/init.php
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ class Af_Zz_ImgSetSizes extends Plugin {
 			"fox");
 	}
 
+	function flags() {
+		return array("needs_curl" => true);
+	}
+
 	function init($host) {
 		$this->host = $host;