diff --git a/doc/config.rst b/doc/config.rst
index b65799bb01..7d484284fd 100644
--- a/doc/config.rst
+++ b/doc/config.rst
@@ -1111,8 +1111,8 @@ Generic settings
     :type: boolean
     :default: true
 
-    Enables check for latest versions using javascript on main phpMyAdmin
-    page.
+    Enables check for latest versions using JavaScript on the main phpMyAdmin
+    page or by directly accessing :file:`version_check.php`.
 
     .. note::
 
@@ -1693,6 +1693,15 @@ Main panel
     Defines whether to display informations about the current Git revision (if
     applicable) on the main panel.
 
+.. config:option:: $cfg['MysqlMinVersion']
+
+    :type: array
+
+    Defines the minimum supported MySQL version. The default is chosen
+    by the phpMyAdmin team; however this directive was asked by a developer
+    of the Plesk control panel to ease integration with older MySQL servers
+    (where most of the phpMyAdmin features work).
+
 Database structure
 ------------------
 
diff --git a/libraries/Util.class.php b/libraries/Util.class.php
index 7a4ef957bd..51f3f3f5dd 100644
--- a/libraries/Util.class.php
+++ b/libraries/Util.class.php
@@ -4491,6 +4491,10 @@ class PMA_Util
      */
     public static function getLatestVersion()
     {
+        if (!$GLOBALS['cfg']['VersionCheck']) {
+            return new stdClass();
+        }
+
         // wait 3s at most for server response, it's enough to get information
         // from a working server
         $connection_timeout = 3;
diff --git a/libraries/common.inc.php b/libraries/common.inc.php
index a8412dd446..7d795a480a 100644
--- a/libraries/common.inc.php
+++ b/libraries/common.inc.php
@@ -1027,10 +1027,10 @@ if (! defined('PMA_MINIMUM_COMMON')) {
         /* Log success */
         PMA_logUser($cfg['Server']['user']);
 
-        if (PMA_MYSQL_INT_VERSION < 50500) {
+        if (PMA_MYSQL_INT_VERSION < $cfg['MysqlMinVersion']['internal']) {
             PMA_fatalError(
                 __('You should upgrade to %s %s or later.'),
-                array('MySQL', '5.5.0')
+                array('MySQL', $cfg['MysqlMinVersion']['human'])
             );
         }
 
diff --git a/libraries/config.default.php b/libraries/config.default.php
index 06cb63ebad..79cb5390b9 100644
--- a/libraries/config.default.php
+++ b/libraries/config.default.php
@@ -3065,4 +3065,15 @@ $cfg['maxRowPlotLimit'] = 500;
  */
 $cfg['ShowGitRevision'] = true;
 
+/**
+ * MySQL minimal version required
+ *
+ * @global array $cfg['MysqlMinVersion']
+ */
+$cfg['MysqlMinVersion'] = array(
+    'internal' => 50500,
+    'human' => '5.5.0'
+);
+
+
 ?>
diff --git a/libraries/navigation/NavigationHeader.class.php b/libraries/navigation/NavigationHeader.class.php
index 9d9ec76ab3..a5023e4a27 100644
--- a/libraries/navigation/NavigationHeader.class.php
+++ b/libraries/navigation/NavigationHeader.class.php
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ if (! defined('PHPMYADMIN')) {
     exit;
 }
 
+require_once 'libraries/Template.class.php';
+use PMA\Template;
+
 /**
  * This class renders the logo, links, server selection,
  * which are then displayed at the top of the navigation panel
@@ -73,11 +76,10 @@ class PMA_NavigationHeader
      */
     private function _logo()
     {
-        $retval = '<!-- LOGO START -->';
         // display Logo, depending on $GLOBALS['cfg']['NavigationDisplayLogo']
         if (!$GLOBALS['cfg']['NavigationDisplayLogo']) {
-            $retval .= '<!-- LOGO END -->';
-            return $retval;
+            return Template::get('logo')
+                ->render(array('displayLogo' => false));
         }
 
         $logo = 'phpMyAdmin';
@@ -88,44 +90,57 @@ class PMA_NavigationHeader
             $logo = '<img src="' . $GLOBALS['pmaThemeImage'] . 'pma_logo2.png" '
                 . 'alt="' . $logo . '" id="imgpmalogo" />';
         }
-        $retval .= '<div id="pmalogo">';
-        if ($GLOBALS['cfg']['NavigationLogoLink']) {
-            $logo_link = trim(
-                htmlspecialchars($GLOBALS['cfg']['NavigationLogoLink'])
-            );
-            // prevent XSS, see PMASA-2013-9
-            // if link has protocol, allow only http and https
-            if (preg_match('/^[a-z]+:/i', $logo_link)
-                && ! preg_match('/^https?:/i', $logo_link)
-            ) {
-                $logo_link = 'index.php';
-            }
-            $retval .= '    <a href="' . $logo_link;
-            switch ($GLOBALS['cfg']['NavigationLogoLinkWindow']) {
-            case 'new':
-                $retval .= '" target="_blank"';
-                break;
-            case 'main':
-                // do not add our parameters for an external link
-                $navLogoLinkLower = /*overload*/mb_strtolower(
-                    $GLOBALS['cfg']['NavigationLogoLink']
-                );
-                if (/*overload*/mb_substr($navLogoLinkLower, 0, 4) !== '://') {
-                    $retval .= $GLOBALS['url_query'] . '"';
-                } else {
-                    $retval .= '" target="_blank"';
-                }
-            }
-            $retval .= '>';
-            $retval .= $logo;
-            $retval .= '</a>';
-        } else {
-            $retval .= $logo;
-        }
-        $retval .= '</div>';
 
-        $retval .= '<!-- LOGO END -->';
-        return $retval;
+        if (!$GLOBALS['cfg']['NavigationLogoLink']) {
+            return Template::get('logo')
+                ->render(
+                    array(
+                        'displayLogo' => true,
+                        'useLogoLink' => false,
+                        'logo' => $logo,
+                    )
+                );
+        }
+
+        $useLogoLink = true;
+        $logoLink = null;
+        $linkAttriks = null;
+        $logoLink = trim(
+            htmlspecialchars($GLOBALS['cfg']['NavigationLogoLink'])
+        );
+        // prevent XSS, see PMASA-2013-9
+        // if link has protocol, allow only http and https
+        if (preg_match('/^[a-z]+:/i', $logoLink)
+            && ! preg_match('/^https?:/i', $logoLink)
+        ) {
+            $logoLink = 'index.php';
+        }
+        switch ($GLOBALS['cfg']['NavigationLogoLinkWindow']) {
+        case 'new':
+            $linkAttriks = 'target="_blank"';
+            break;
+        case 'main':
+            // do not add our parameters for an external link
+            $navLogoLinkLower = /*overload*/mb_strtolower(
+                $GLOBALS['cfg']['NavigationLogoLink']
+            );
+            if (/*overload*/mb_substr($navLogoLinkLower, 0, 4) !== '://') {
+                $logoLink .= $GLOBALS['url_query'];
+            } else {
+                $linkAttriks = 'target="_blank"';
+            }
+        }
+
+        return Template::get('logo')
+            ->render(
+                array(
+                    'displayLogo' => true,
+                    'useLogoLink' => $useLogoLink,
+                    'logoLink' => $logoLink,
+                    'linkAttribs' => $linkAttriks,
+                    'logo' => $logo,
+                )
+            );
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/libraries/sqlparser.data.php b/libraries/sqlparser.data.php
index c1379864d6..ec9451ccb1 100644
--- a/libraries/sqlparser.data.php
+++ b/libraries/sqlparser.data.php
@@ -473,7 +473,6 @@ $PMA_SQPdata_reserved_word = array (
     'FUNCTION',
     'GEMINI',
     'GEMINI_SPIN_RETRIES',
-    'GENERAL',
     'GLOBAL',
     'GRANT',
     'GRANTS',
@@ -766,7 +765,6 @@ $PMA_SQPdata_forbidden_word = array (
     'FOREIGN',
     'FROM',
     'FULLTEXT',
-    'GENERAL',
     'GET',
     'GRANT',
     'GROUP',
diff --git a/templates/logo.phtml b/templates/logo.phtml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..60b60e88d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/logo.phtml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+<!-- LOGO START -->
+<?php if (false === $displayLogo) : ?>
+    <!-- LOGO END -->
+    <?php return; ?>
+<?php endif; ?>
+<div id="pmalogo">
+    <?php if (true === $useLogoLink) : ?>
+        <a href="<?php echo $logoLink; ?>" <?php echo $linkAttribs; ?>>
+    <?php endif; ?>
+    <?php echo $logo; ?>
+    <?php if (true === $useLogoLink) : ?>
+        </a>
+    <?php endif; ?>
+</div>
+<!-- LOGO END -->
\ No newline at end of file