--- /dev/null
+++ b/includes/load-bearing.php
@@ -1,1 +1,39 @@
+<?php
+// Load-bearing variable if statements for languages - PHP 8
+// Reference: https://efiction.org/community/support/php-notice-undefined-variable-in-languages-en-php/
 
+if(!isset($allowed_tags)){
+$allowed_tags = 'Variable allowed_tags is not set';
+}
+if(!isset($recentdays)){
+$recentdays = 'Varaible recentdays is not set';
+}
+if(!isset($sitename)){
+$sitename = 'Variable sitename is not set';
+}
+if(!isset($url)){
+$url = 'Varaible url is not set';
+}
+if(!isset($multiplecats)){
+$multiplecats = 'Variable multiplecats is not set';
+}
+if(!isset($minwords)){
+$minwords = 'Varaible minwords is not set';
+}
+if(!isset($maxwords)){
+$maxwords = 'Variable maxwords is not set';
+}
+if(!isset($action)){
+$action = 'Varaible action is not set';
+}
+if(!isset($pwdsetting)){
+$pwdsetting = 'Variable pwdsetting is not set';
+}
+if(!isset($imagewidth)){
+$imagewidth = 'Varaible imagewidth is not set';
+}
+if(!isset($imageheight)){
+$imageheight = 'Varaible imageheight is not set';
+}
+?>
+

--- a/languages/en.php
+++ b/languages/en.php
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 <?php
-// temp error message suppression - for stories.php when adding a new story or editing an existing one
-// main purpose is to stop web server error log spam with stories.php - this has very unintended effects
-// should properly fix this before PHP 9.0
-// Reference: https://wiki.php.net/rfc/undefined_variable_error_promotion
-error_reporting(0);
+// fix - needed for PHP 8
+include(""._BASEDIR."/includes/load-bearing.php");
 
 // Defines the character set for your language/location