diff --git a/generators/php.js b/generators/php.js
index cf6334138..85d5b1297 100644
--- a/generators/php.js
+++ b/generators/php.js
@@ -105,17 +105,22 @@ Blockly.PHP.init = function(workspace) {
   } else {
     Blockly.PHP.variableDB_.reset();
   }
-
-  var defvars = [];
-  var variables = Blockly.Variables.allVariables(workspace);
-  for (var x = 0; x < variables.length; x++) {
-    defvars[x] = 'var ' +
-        Blockly.PHP.variableDB_.getName(variables[x],
-        Blockly.Variables.NAME_TYPE) + ';';
-  }
-  Blockly.PHP.definitions_['variables'] = defvars.join('\n');
 };
 
+Blockly.PHP.getDistinctName = function(name, type) {
+  var safeName = this.variableDB_.safeName_(name);
+  var i = '';
+  while (this.variableDB_.dbReverse_[safeName + i] ||
+  (safeName + i) in this.variableDB_.reservedDict_) {
+    // Collision with existing name.  Create a unique name.
+    i = i ? i + 1 : 2;
+  }
+  safeName += i;
+  this.variableDB_.dbReverse_[safeName] = true;
+  return '$' + safeName;
+};
+
+
 /**
  * Prepend the generated code with the variable definitions.
  * @param {string} code Generated code.
diff --git a/generators/php/lists.js b/generators/php/lists.js
index 8d66fd969..dd098ab84 100644
--- a/generators/php/lists.js
+++ b/generators/php/lists.js
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ Blockly.PHP['lists_repeat'] = function(block) {
       Blockly.PHP.ORDER_COMMA) || 'null';
   var argument1 = Blockly.PHP.valueToCode(block, 'NUM',
       Blockly.PHP.ORDER_COMMA) || '0';
-  var code = functionName + '($' + argument0 + ', $' + argument1 + ')';
+  var code = functionName + '(' + argument0 + ', ' + argument1 + ')';
   return [code, Blockly.PHP.ORDER_FUNCTION_CALL];
 };
 
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ Blockly.PHP['lists_setIndex'] = function(block) {
     if (list.match(/^\w+$/)) {
       return '';
     }
-    var listVar = Blockly.PHP.variableDB_.getDistinctName(
+    var listVar = Blockly.PHP.getDistinctName(
         'tmp_list', Blockly.Variables.NAME_TYPE);
     var code = 'var ' + listVar + ' = ' + list + ';\n';
     list = listVar;
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ Blockly.PHP['lists_setIndex'] = function(block) {
     }
   } else if (where == 'RANDOM') {
     var code = cacheList();
-    var xVar = Blockly.PHP.variableDB_.getDistinctName(
+    var xVar = Blockly.PHP.getDistinctName(
         'tmp_x', Blockly.Variables.NAME_TYPE);
     code += 'var ' + xVar + ' = Math.floor(Math.random() * ' + list +
         '.length);\n';
diff --git a/generators/php/loops.js b/generators/php/loops.js
index 4583e75a4..cccc552fd 100644
--- a/generators/php/loops.js
+++ b/generators/php/loops.js
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ Blockly.PHP['controls_repeat'] = function(block) {
   var repeats = Number(block.getFieldValue('TIMES'));
   var branch = Blockly.PHP.statementToCode(block, 'DO');
   branch = Blockly.PHP.addLoopTrap(branch, block.id);
-  var loopVar = Blockly.PHP.variableDB_.getDistinctName(
+  var loopVar = Blockly.PHP.getDistinctName(
       'count', Blockly.Variables.NAME_TYPE);
-  var code = 'for ($' + loopVar + ' = 0; $' +
-      loopVar + ' < ' + repeats + '; $' +
+  var code = 'for (' + loopVar + ' = 0; ' +
+      loopVar + ' < ' + repeats + '; ' +
       loopVar + '++) {\n' +
       branch + '}\n';
   return code;
@@ -50,16 +50,16 @@ Blockly.PHP['controls_repeat_ext'] = function(block) {
   var branch = Blockly.PHP.statementToCode(block, 'DO');
   branch = Blockly.PHP.addLoopTrap(branch, block.id);
   var code = '';
-  var loopVar = Blockly.PHP.variableDB_.getDistinctName(
+  var loopVar = Blockly.PHP.getDistinctName(
       'count', Blockly.Variables.NAME_TYPE);
   var endVar = repeats;
   if (!repeats.match(/^\w+$/) && !Blockly.isNumber(repeats)) {
-    var endVar = Blockly.PHP.variableDB_.getDistinctName(
+    var endVar = Blockly.PHP.getDistinctName(
         'repeat_end', Blockly.Variables.NAME_TYPE);
-    code += 'var ' + endVar + ' = ' + repeats + ';\n';
+    code += endVar + ' = ' + repeats + ';\n';
   }
-  code += 'for ($' + loopVar + ' = 0; $' +
-      loopVar + ' < $' + endVar + '; $' +
+  code += 'for (' + loopVar + ' = 0; ' +
+      loopVar + ' < ' + endVar + '; ' +
       loopVar + '++) {\n' +
       branch + '}\n';
   return code;
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ Blockly.PHP['controls_for'] = function(block) {
       Blockly.isNumber(increment)) {
     // All arguments are simple numbers.
     var up = parseFloat(argument0) <= parseFloat(argument1);
-    code = 'for ($' + variable0 + ' = ' + argument0 + '; $' +
-        variable0 + (up ? ' <= ' : ' >= ') + argument1 + '; $' +
+    code = 'for (' + variable0 + ' = ' + argument0 + '; ' +
+        variable0 + (up ? ' <= ' : ' >= ') + argument1 + '; ' +
         variable0;
     var step = Math.abs(parseFloat(increment));
     if (step == 1) {
@@ -111,34 +111,34 @@ Blockly.PHP['controls_for'] = function(block) {
     // Cache non-trivial values to variables to prevent repeated look-ups.
     var startVar = argument0;
     if (!argument0.match(/^\w+$/) && !Blockly.isNumber(argument0)) {
-      startVar = Blockly.PHP.variableDB_.getDistinctName(
+      startVar = Blockly.PHP.getDistinctName(
           variable0 + '_start', Blockly.Variables.NAME_TYPE);
-      code += '$' + startVar + ' = ' + argument0 + ';\n';
+      code += startVar + ' = ' + argument0 + ';\n';
     }
     var endVar = argument1;
     if (!argument1.match(/^\w+$/) && !Blockly.isNumber(argument1)) {
-      var endVar = Blockly.PHP.variableDB_.getDistinctName(
+      var endVar = Blockly.PHP.getDistinctName(
           variable0 + '_end', Blockly.Variables.NAME_TYPE);
-      code += '$' + endVar + ' = ' + argument1 + ';\n';
+      code += endVar + ' = ' + argument1 + ';\n';
     }
     // Determine loop direction at start, in case one of the bounds
     // changes during loop execution.
-    var incVar = Blockly.PHP.variableDB_.getDistinctName(
+    var incVar = Blockly.PHP.getDistinctName(
         variable0 + '_inc', Blockly.Variables.NAME_TYPE);
-    code += '$' + incVar + ' = ';
+    code += incVar + ' = ';
     if (Blockly.isNumber(increment)) {
       code += Math.abs(increment) + ';\n';
     } else {
       code += 'abs(' + increment + ');\n';
     }
-    code += 'if ($' + startVar + ' > $' + endVar + ') {\n';
-    code += Blockly.PHP.INDENT + '$' + incVar + ' = -$' + incVar + ';\n';
+    code += 'if (' + startVar + ' > ' + endVar + ') {\n';
+    code += Blockly.PHP.INDENT + incVar + ' = -' + incVar + ';\n';
     code += '}\n';
-    code += 'for (' + variable0 + ' = $' + startVar + ';\n' +
-        '     ' + incVar + ' >= 0 ? $' +
-        variable0 + ' <= ' + endVar + ' : $' +
+    code += 'for (' + variable0 + ' = ' + startVar + ';\n' +
+        '     ' + incVar + ' >= 0 ? ' +
+        variable0 + ' <= ' + endVar + ' : ' +
         variable0 + ' >= ' + endVar + ';\n' +
-        '     ' + variable0 + ' += $' + incVar + ') {\n' +
+        '     ' + variable0 + ' += ' + incVar + ') {\n' +
         branch + '}\n';
   }
   return code;
@@ -156,15 +156,15 @@ Blockly.PHP['controls_forEach'] = function(block) {
   // Cache non-trivial values to variables to prevent repeated look-ups.
   var listVar = argument0;
   if (!argument0.match(/^\w+$/)) {
-    listVar = Blockly.PHP.variableDB_.getDistinctName(
+    listVar = Blockly.PHP.getDistinctName(
         variable0 + '_list', Blockly.Variables.NAME_TYPE);
-    code += '$' + listVar + ' = ' + argument0 + ';\n';
+    code += listVar + ' = ' + argument0 + ';\n';
   }
-  var indexVar = Blockly.PHP.variableDB_.getDistinctName(
+  var indexVar = Blockly.PHP.getDistinctName(
       variable0 + '_index', Blockly.Variables.NAME_TYPE);
   branch = Blockly.PHP.INDENT + variable0 + ' = ' +
       listVar + '[' + indexVar + '];\n' + branch;
-  code += 'foreach ($' + listVar + ' as $' + indexVar + ') {\n' + branch + '}\n';
+  code += 'foreach (' + listVar + ' as ' + indexVar + ') {\n' + branch + '}\n';
   return code;
 };
 
diff --git a/generators/php/text.js b/generators/php/text.js
index 6d4e69e52..b9445b94e 100644
--- a/generators/php/text.js
+++ b/generators/php/text.js
@@ -76,14 +76,14 @@ Blockly.PHP['text_length'] = function(block) {
   // String length.
   var argument0 = Blockly.PHP.valueToCode(block, 'VALUE',
       Blockly.PHP.ORDER_FUNCTION_CALL) || '\'\'';
-  return ['strlen(' + argument0 + ')', Blockly.PHP.ORDER_MEMBER];
+  return ['strlen(' + argument0 + ')', Blockly.PHP.ORDER_FUNCTION_CALL];
 };
 
 Blockly.PHP['text_isEmpty'] = function(block) {
   // Is the string null?
   var argument0 = Blockly.PHP.valueToCode(block, 'VALUE',
       Blockly.PHP.ORDER_MEMBER) || '\'\'';
-  return ['empty(' + argument0 + ')', Blockly.PHP.ORDER_LOGICAL_NOT];
+  return ['empty(' + argument0 + ')', Blockly.PHP.ORDER_FUNCTION_CALL];
 };
 
 Blockly.PHP['text_indexOf'] = function(block) {
diff --git a/generators/php/variables.js b/generators/php/variables.js
index 7857cf4b8..1d185cd3c 100644
--- a/generators/php/variables.js
+++ b/generators/php/variables.js
@@ -31,8 +31,7 @@ goog.require('Blockly.PHP');
 
 Blockly.PHP['variables_get'] = function(block) {
   // Variable getter.
-  var code = Blockly.PHP.variableDB_.getName(block.getFieldValue('VAR'),
-      Blockly.Variables.NAME_TYPE);
+  var code = '$' + block.getFieldValue('VAR');
   return [code, Blockly.PHP.ORDER_ATOMIC];
 };