diff --git a/templates/mod/dashboard.html b/templates/mod/dashboard.html
index ee1817b3..7066adcd 100644
--- a/templates/mod/dashboard.html
+++ b/templates/mod/dashboard.html
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
 
 {%  endif %}
 
-{% if config.mod.dashboard_links|count %}
+{% if config.mod.dashboard_links|length %}
 
   {% for label,link in config.mod.dashboard_links %}
   <li><a href="{{ link }}">{{ label }}</a></li>
diff --git a/templates/mod/inbox.html b/templates/mod/inbox.html
index 97afe446..614c1020 100644
--- a/templates/mod/inbox.html
+++ b/templates/mod/inbox.html
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{% if messages|count == 0 %}
+{% if messages|default([])|length == 0 %}
 	<p style="text-align:center" class="unimportant">({% trans 'No private messages for you.' %})</p>
 {% else %}
 	<table class="modlog">
diff --git a/templates/mod/recent_posts.html b/templates/mod/recent_posts.html
index cb4f1726..2a166723 100644
--- a/templates/mod/recent_posts.html
+++ b/templates/mod/recent_posts.html
@@ -1,19 +1,19 @@
-<script src="{{ config.additional_javascript_url }}js/mod/recent_posts.js"></script>
-{% if not posts|count %}
-	<p style="text-align:center" class="unimportant">({% trans 'There are no active posts.' %})</p>
-{% else %}
-	<h4>Viewing last {{ limit|e }} posts</h4>
-	<p>View <a href="?/recent/25"> 25 </a>|<a href="?/recent/50"> 50 </a>|<a href="?/recent/100"> 100 </a></p>
-	<a href="javascript:void(0)" id="erase-local-data" style="float:right; clear:both">Erase local data</a></div>
-	{% for post in posts %}
-		{% if not post.thread %}
-			{% set thread = post.id %}
-		{% else %}
-			{% set thread = post.thread %}
-		{% endif %}
-		<div class="post-wrapper" data-board="{{ post.board }}"><hr/><a class="eita-link" id="eita-{{ post.board }}-{{ thread }}" href="?/{{ post.board }}/{{ config.dir.res }}{{ thread }}.html#{{ post.id }}">/{{ post.board }}/{{ post.id }}</a><br>
-			{{ post.built }}
-		</div>
-	{% endfor %}
-{% endif %}
-<a href="/mod.php?/recent/{{ limit|e }}&amp;last={{ last_time|e }}">Next {{ limit }} posts</a>
+<script src="{{ config.additional_javascript_url }}js/mod/recent_posts.js"></script>
+{% if posts|default([])|length %}
+	<p style="text-align:center" class="unimportant">({% trans 'There are no active posts.' %})</p>
+{% else %}
+	<h4>Viewing last {{ limit|e }} posts</h4>
+	<p>View <a href="?/recent/25"> 25 </a>|<a href="?/recent/50"> 50 </a>|<a href="?/recent/100"> 100 </a></p>
+	<a href="javascript:void(0)" id="erase-local-data" style="float:right; clear:both">Erase local data</a></div>
+	{% for post in posts %}
+		{% if not post.thread %}
+			{% set thread = post.id %}
+		{% else %}
+			{% set thread = post.thread %}
+		{% endif %}
+		<div class="post-wrapper" data-board="{{ post.board }}"><hr/><a class="eita-link" id="eita-{{ post.board }}-{{ thread }}" href="?/{{ post.board }}/{{ config.dir.res }}{{ thread }}.html#{{ post.id }}">/{{ post.board }}/{{ post.id }}</a><br>
+			{{ post.built }}
+		</div>
+	{% endfor %}
+{% endif %}
+<a href="/mod.php?/recent/{{ limit|e }}&amp;last={{ last_time|e }}">Next {{ limit }} posts</a>
diff --git a/templates/mod/themes.html b/templates/mod/themes.html
index b230bc48..99aaadf5 100644
--- a/templates/mod/themes.html
+++ b/templates/mod/themes.html
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{% if themes|count == 0 %}
+{% if themes|default([])|length == 0 %}
 	<p style="text-align:center" class="unimportant">({% trans 'There are no themes available.' %})</p>
 {% else %}
 	<table class="modlog">
diff --git a/templates/mod/user.html b/templates/mod/user.html
index 08598fe5..d72ac535 100644
--- a/templates/mod/user.html
+++ b/templates/mod/user.html
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
 	</ul>
 </form>
 
-{% if logs|count > 0  %}
+{% if logs|default([])|length > 0  %}
 	<table class="modlog" style="width:600px">
 		<tr>
 			<th>{% trans 'IP address' %}</th>			
diff --git a/templates/mod/users.html b/templates/mod/users.html
index 6f42ce2a..4f02c524 100644
--- a/templates/mod/users.html
+++ b/templates/mod/users.html
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@
 				</td>
 			{% endif %}
 			<td>
-				{% if mod|hasPermission(config.mod.promoteusers) and user.type < constant(config.mod.groups[0:-1]|last) %}
+				{% if mod|hasPermission(config.mod.promoteusers) and user.type < constant(config.mod.groups[0:-1]|last|upper) %}
 					<a style="float:left;text-decoration:none" href="?/users/{{ user.id }}/promote/{{ user.promote_token }}" title="{% trans 'Promote' %}">&#9650;</a> 
 				{% endif %}
-				{% if mod|hasPermission(config.mod.promoteusers) and user.type > constant(config.mod.groups|first) %}
+				{% if mod|hasPermission(config.mod.promoteusers) and user.type > constant(config.mod.groups|first|upper) %}
 					<a style="float:left;text-decoration:none" href="?/users/{{ user.id }}/demote/{{ user.demote_token }}" title="{% trans 'Demote' %}"{% if mod.id == user.id %} onclick="return confirm('{% trans 'Are you sure you want to demote yourself?' %}')"{% endif %}>&#9660;</a> 
 				{% endif %}
 				{% if mod|hasPermission(config.mod.modlog) %}
diff --git a/templates/mod/view_ip.html b/templates/mod/view_ip.html
index 4bacc7f6..6735ff6f 100644
--- a/templates/mod/view_ip.html
+++ b/templates/mod/view_ip.html
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 			<legend>{{ notes|count }} {% trans notes_on_record %}</legend>
 		</legend>
 		
-		{% if notes|count > 0 %}
+		{% if notes|default([])|length > 0 %}
 			<table class="modlog">
 				<tr>
 					<th>{% trans 'Staff' %}</th>
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
 	</fieldset>
 {% endif %}
 
-{% if bans|count > 0 and mod|hasPermission(config.mod.view_ban) %}
+{% if bans|default([])|length > 0 and mod|hasPermission(config.mod.view_ban) %}
 	<fieldset id="bans">
 		{% set bans_on_record = 'ban' ~ (bans|count != 1 ? 's' : '') ~ ' on record' %}
 		<legend>{{ bans|count }} {% trans bans_on_record %}</legend>
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@
 	</fieldset>
 {% endif %}
 
-{% if logs|count > 0  %}
+{% if logs|default([])|length > 0  %}
 	<fieldset id="history">
 		<legend>History</legend>
 		<table class="modlog" style="width:100%">
diff --git a/templates/themes/basic/index.html b/templates/themes/basic/index.html
index 213e2ede..a444be71 100644
--- a/templates/themes/basic/index.html
+++ b/templates/themes/basic/index.html
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
     <img src="static/lain_is_cute_datass_small_teal.png" alt="mascot"/>
 	</center>
 	<div class="ban">
-		{% if news|count == 0 %}
+		{% if news|default([])|length == 0 %}
 			<p style="text-align:center" class="unimportant">(No news to show.)</p>
 		{% else %}
 			{% for entry in news %}
diff --git a/templates/themes/categories/news.html b/templates/themes/categories/news.html
index 4ce65128..a51cc0f6 100644
--- a/templates/themes/categories/news.html
+++ b/templates/themes/categories/news.html
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 	</header>
 	
 	<div class="ban">
-		{% if news|count == 0 %}
+		{% if news|default([])|length == 0 %}
 			<p style="text-align:center" class="unimportant">{% trans %}(No news to show.){% endtrans %}</p>
 		{% else %}
 			{% for entry in news %}
diff --git a/templates/themes/frameset/news.html b/templates/themes/frameset/news.html
index 320c64d3..04f89f87 100644
--- a/templates/themes/frameset/news.html
+++ b/templates/themes/frameset/news.html
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 	</header>
 	
 	<div class="ban">
-		{% if news|count == 0 %}
+		{% if news|default([])|length == 0 %}
 			<p style="text-align:center" class="unimportant">(No news to show.)</p>
 		{% else %}
 			{% for entry in news %}
diff --git a/templates/themes/recent/recent.html b/templates/themes/recent/recent.html
index 5367b075..02132d03 100644
--- a/templates/themes/recent/recent.html
+++ b/templates/themes/recent/recent.html
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
     <br>
      <div class="ban" id="global3">   
 			<h2>Latest News</h2>
-		{% if recent_news|count == 0 %}
+		{% if recent_news|default([])|length == 0 %}
 			<p style="text-align:center" class="unimportant">(No news to show.)</p>
 		{% else %}
 			{% for entry in recent_news %}