diff --git a/wp-admin/load-scripts.php b/wp-admin/load-scripts.php
index 8dfe3b18ad..528fbcdc18 100644
--- a/wp-admin/load-scripts.php
+++ b/wp-admin/load-scripts.php
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 /**
  * Disable error reporting
  *
- * Set this to error_reporting( E_ALL ) or error_reporting( E_ALL | E_STRICT ) for debugging
+ * Set this to error_reporting( -1 ) for debugging
  */
 error_reporting(0);
 
diff --git a/wp-admin/load-styles.php b/wp-admin/load-styles.php
index 2c3c5fb93b..716592344e 100644
--- a/wp-admin/load-styles.php
+++ b/wp-admin/load-styles.php
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 /**
  * Disable error reporting
  *
- * Set this to error_reporting( E_ALL ) or error_reporting( E_ALL | E_STRICT ) for debugging
+ * Set this to error_reporting( -1 ) for debugging
  */
 error_reporting(0);
 
diff --git a/wp-admin/setup-config.php b/wp-admin/setup-config.php
index 1866964339..f222da4a73 100644
--- a/wp-admin/setup-config.php
+++ b/wp-admin/setup-config.php
@@ -24,44 +24,15 @@ define('WP_SETUP_CONFIG', true);
 /**
  * Disable error reporting
  *
- * Set this to error_reporting( E_ALL ) or error_reporting( E_ALL | E_STRICT ) for debugging
+ * Set this to error_reporting( -1 ) for debugging
  */
-error_reporting(0);
+error_reporting(-1);
 
-/**#@+
- * These three defines are required to allow us to use require_wp_db() to load
- * the database class while being wp-content/db.php aware.
- * @ignore
- */
-define('ABSPATH', dirname(dirname(__FILE__)).'/');
-define('WPINC', 'wp-includes');
-define('WP_CONTENT_DIR', ABSPATH . 'wp-content');
-define('WP_DEBUG', false);
-/**#@-*/
+define( 'ABSPATH', dirname( dirname( __FILE__ ) ) . '/' );
 
-require(ABSPATH . WPINC . '/load.php');
-require(ABSPATH . WPINC . '/version.php');
-
-// Check for the required PHP version and for the MySQL extension or a database drop-in.
-wp_check_php_mysql_versions();
-
-require_once(ABSPATH . WPINC . '/functions.php');
-
-// Also loads plugin.php, l10n.php, pomo/mo.php (all required by setup-config.php)
-wp_load_translations_early();
-
-// Turn register_globals off.
-wp_unregister_GLOBALS();
-
-// Standardize $_SERVER variables across setups.
-wp_fix_server_vars();
-
-require_once(ABSPATH . WPINC . '/compat.php');
-require_once(ABSPATH . WPINC . '/class-wp-error.php');
-require_once(ABSPATH . WPINC . '/formatting.php');
-
-// Add magic quotes and set up $_REQUEST ( $_GET + $_POST )
-wp_magic_quotes();
+require_once( ABSPATH . 'wp-includes/plugin.php' );
+add_action( 'plugins_loaded', 'wp_load_translations_early' );
+require( ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php' );
 
 // Support wp-config-sample.php one level up, for the develop repo.
 if ( file_exists( ABSPATH . 'wp-config-sample.php' ) )
@@ -120,7 +91,11 @@ switch($step) {
 	<li><?php _e( 'Database host' ); ?></li>
 	<li><?php _e( 'Table prefix (if you want to run more than one WordPress in a single database)' ); ?></li>
 </ol>
-<p><strong><?php _e( "If for any reason this automatic file creation doesn&#8217;t work, don&#8217;t worry. All this does is fill in the database information to a configuration file. You may also simply open <code>wp-config-sample.php</code> in a text editor, fill in your information, and save it as <code>wp-config.php</code>." ); ?></strong></p>
+<p>
+	<?php _e( 'We&#8217;re going to use this information to create a <code>wp-config.php</code> file.' ); ?>
+	<strong><?php _e( "If for any reason this automatic file creation doesn&#8217;t work, don&#8217;t worry. All this does is fill in the database information to a configuration file. You may also simply open <code>wp-config-sample.php</code> in a text editor, fill in your information, and save it as <code>wp-config.php</code>." ); ?></strong>
+	<?php _e( "Need more help? <a href='http://codex.wordpress.org/Editing_wp-config.php'>We got it</a>." ); ?>
+</p>
 <p><?php _e( "In all likelihood, these items were supplied to you by your Web Host. If you do not have this information, then you will need to contact them before you can continue. If you&#8217;re all ready&hellip;" ); ?></p>
 
 <p class="step"><a href="setup-config.php?step=1<?php if ( isset( $_GET['noapi'] ) ) echo '&amp;noapi'; ?>" class="button button-large"><?php _e( 'Let&#8217;s go!' ); ?></a></p>
@@ -191,29 +166,25 @@ switch($step) {
 	define('DB_HOST', $dbhost);
 	/**#@-*/
 
-	// We'll fail here if the values are no good.
+	// Re-construct $wpdb with these new values.
+	unset( $wpdb );
 	require_wp_db();
+
+	// The wpdb constructor bails when WP_SETUP_CONFIG is set, so we must
+	// fire this manually. We'll fail here if the values are no good.
+	$wpdb->db_connect();
+
 	if ( ! empty( $wpdb->error ) )
 		wp_die( $wpdb->error->get_error_message() . $tryagain_link );
 
 	// Fetch or generate keys and salts.
 	$no_api = isset( $_POST['noapi'] );
 	if ( ! $no_api ) {
-		require_once( ABSPATH . WPINC . '/class-http.php' );
-		require_once( ABSPATH . WPINC . '/http.php' );
-		/**#@+
-		 * @ignore
-		 */
-		function get_bloginfo() {
-			return wp_guess_url();
-		}
-		/**#@-*/
 		$secret_keys = wp_remote_get( 'https://api.wordpress.org/secret-key/1.1/salt/' );
 	}
 
 	if ( $no_api || is_wp_error( $secret_keys ) ) {
 		$secret_keys = array();
-		require_once( ABSPATH . WPINC . '/pluggable.php' );
 		for ( $i = 0; $i < 8; $i++ ) {
 			$secret_keys[] = wp_generate_password( 64, true, true );
 		}
diff --git a/wp-includes/js/tinymce/wp-tinymce.php b/wp-includes/js/tinymce/wp-tinymce.php
index 03abd2d9de..d839c11f85 100644
--- a/wp-includes/js/tinymce/wp-tinymce.php
+++ b/wp-includes/js/tinymce/wp-tinymce.php
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 /**
  * Disable error reporting
  *
- * Set this to error_reporting( E_ALL ) or error_reporting( E_ALL | E_STRICT ) for debugging
+ * Set this to error_reporting( -1 ) for debugging
  */
 error_reporting(0);
 
diff --git a/wp-includes/wp-db.php b/wp-includes/wp-db.php
index 7366172101..6f3e46ef2a 100644
--- a/wp-includes/wp-db.php
+++ b/wp-includes/wp-db.php
@@ -604,6 +604,11 @@ class wpdb {
 		$this->dbname = $dbname;
 		$this->dbhost = $dbhost;
 
+		// wp-config.php creation will manually connect when ready.
+		if ( defined( 'WP_SETUP_CONFIG' ) ) {
+			return;
+		}
+
 		$this->db_connect();
 	}
 
diff --git a/wp-load.php b/wp-load.php
index fb859533c3..24cae89978 100644
--- a/wp-load.php
+++ b/wp-load.php
@@ -38,12 +38,7 @@ if ( file_exists( ABSPATH . 'wp-config.php') ) {
 	// A config file doesn't exist
 
 	define( 'WPINC', 'wp-includes' );
-	define( 'WP_CONTENT_DIR', ABSPATH . 'wp-content' );
 	require_once( ABSPATH . WPINC . '/load.php' );
-	require_once( ABSPATH . WPINC . '/version.php' );
-
-	wp_check_php_mysql_versions();
-	wp_load_translations_early();
 
 	// Standardize $_SERVER variables across setups.
 	wp_fix_server_vars();
@@ -52,6 +47,21 @@ if ( file_exists( ABSPATH . 'wp-config.php') ) {
 
 	$path = wp_guess_url() . '/wp-admin/setup-config.php';
 
+	/* We're going to redirect to setup-config.php. While this shouldn't result
+	 * in an infinite loop, that's a silly thing to assume, don't you think? If
+	 * we're traveling in circles, our last-ditch effort is "Need more help?"
+	 */
+	if ( false === strpos( $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'], 'setup-config' ) ) {
+		header( 'Location: ' . $path );
+		exit;
+	}
+
+	define( 'WP_CONTENT_DIR', ABSPATH . 'wp-content' );
+	require_once( ABSPATH . WPINC . '/version.php' );
+
+	wp_check_php_mysql_versions();
+	wp_load_translations_early();
+
 	// Die with an error message
 	$die  = __( "There doesn't seem to be a <code>wp-config.php</code> file. I need this before we can get started." ) . '</p>';
 	$die .= '<p>' . __( "Need more help? <a href='http://codex.wordpress.org/Editing_wp-config.php'>We got it</a>." ) . '</p>';