diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/SQL.pm b/lib/WebGUI/SQL.pm
index ff8d8cc31..f38d5100e 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/SQL.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/SQL.pm
@@ -45,17 +45,18 @@ Package for interfacing with SQL databases. This package implements Perl DBI fun
  $db->commit;
  $db->rollback;
 
- @arr = $db->buildArray($sql);
+ @arr      = $db->buildArray($sql);
  $arrayRef = $db->buildArrayRef($sql);
- %hash = $db->buildHash($sql);
- $hashRef = $db->buildHashRef($sql);
- @arr = $db->quickArray($sql);
- $text = $db->quickCSV($sql);
- %hash = $db->quickHash($sql);
- $hashRef = $db->quickHashRef($sql);
- $text = $db->quickTab($sql);
+ %hash     = $db->buildHash($sql);
+ $hashRef  = $db->buildHashRef($sql);
+ @arr      = $db->quickArray($sql);
+ $scalar   = $db->quickScalar($sql);
+ $text     = $db->quickCSV($sql);
+ %hash     = $db->quickHash($sql);
+ $hashRef  = $db->quickHashRef($sql);
+ $text     = $db->quickTab($sql);
 
- $id = $db->getNextId("someId");
+ $id     = $db->getNextId("someId");
  $string = $db->quote($string);
  $string = $db->quoteAndJoin(\@array);
 
@@ -620,6 +621,35 @@ sub quickHashRef {
 	}
 }
 
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+=head2 quickScalar ( sql, params )
+
+Executes a query and returns the first column from a single row of data as a scalar.
+
+=head3 sql
+
+An SQL query.
+
+=head3 params
+
+An array reference containing values for any placeholder params used in the SQL query.
+
+=cut
+
+sub quickScalar {
+	my $self = shift;
+	my $sql = shift;
+	my $params = shift;
+	my ($sth, @data);
+	$sth = $self->prepare($sql);
+	$sth->execute($params);
+	@data = $sth->array;
+	$sth->finish;
+	return $data[0];
+}
+
+
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 =head2 quickTab ( sql, params )
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/User.pm b/lib/WebGUI/User.pm
index 03879e51b..6753a196b 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/User.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/User.pm
@@ -383,6 +383,7 @@ sub new {
 	my $cache = WebGUI::Cache->new($session,["user",$userId]);
 	my $userData = $cache->get;
 	unless ($userData->{_userId} && $userData->{_user}{username}) {
+        $session->errorHandler->warn('Cache invalid');
 		my %user;
 		tie %user, 'Tie::CPHash';
 		%user = $session->db->quickHash("select * from users where userId=?",[$userId]);
@@ -462,7 +463,7 @@ sub profileField {
 	$self = shift;
         $fieldName = shift;
         $value = shift;
-	if (!exists $self->{_profile}{$fieldName} && !$self->session->db->quickArray("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM userProfileField WHERE fieldName = ?", [$fieldName])) {
+	if (!exists $self->{_profile}{$fieldName} && !$self->session->db->quickScalar("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM userProfileField WHERE fieldName = ?", [$fieldName]) ) {
 		$self->session->errorHandler->warn("No such profile field: $fieldName");
 		return undef;
 	}
diff --git a/t/SQL.t b/t/SQL.t
index dec5b278e..46e6b196c 100644
--- a/t/SQL.t
+++ b/t/SQL.t
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ use WebGUI::Session;
 use Data::Dumper;
 use Test::Deep;
 
-use Test::More tests => 50; # increment this value for each test you create
+use Test::More tests => 52; # increment this value for each test you create
 
 my $session = WebGUI::Test->session;
 
@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@ $sth->finish;
 my ($value) = $session->db->quickArray("select value from settings where name='authMethod'");
 ok($value, "quickArray()");
 
+# quickScalar
+my $quickScalar = $session->db->quickScalar("SELECT COUNT(*) from userProfileField where fieldName='email'");
+is(ref $quickScalar, '', 'quickScalar returns a scalar');
+is($quickScalar, 1, 'quickScalar returns the correct scalar');
+
 # write
 $session->db->write("delete from incrementer where incrementerId='theBigTest'"); # clean up previous failures
 $session->db->write("insert into incrementer (incrementerId, nextValue) values ('theBigTest',25)");
diff --git a/t/User.t b/t/User.t
index 47ced1053..de2d9da57 100644
--- a/t/User.t
+++ b/t/User.t
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use WebGUI::Cache;
 use WebGUI::User;
 use WebGUI::ProfileField;
 
-use Test::More tests => 102; # increment this value for each test you create
+use Test::More tests => 90; # increment this value for each test you create
 use Test::Deep;
 
 my $session = WebGUI::Test->session;
@@ -64,12 +64,21 @@ is($user->status, "Selfdestructed", 'status("Selfdestructed")');
 $user->status('Deactivated');
 is($user->status, "Deactivated", 'status("Deactivated")');
 
+################################################################
+#
+# profileField
+#
+################################################################
+
 #Let's get/set a profile field
 $user->profileField("firstName", "Bill");
 $lastUpdate = time();
 is($user->profileField("firstName"), "Bill", 'profileField() get/set');
 cmp_ok(abs($user->lastUpdated-$lastUpdate), '<=', 1, 'lastUpdated() -- profileField');
 
+#Fetching a non-existant profile field returns undef
+is($user->profileField('notAProfileField'), undef, 'getting non-existant profile fields returns undef');
+
 #Let's check the auth methods
 
 #Default should be WebGUI
@@ -118,7 +127,8 @@ cmp_ok(abs($user->lastUpdated-$lastUpdate), '<=', 1, 'lastUpdated() -- referring
 my @groups = qw|6 4|;
 $user->addToGroups(\@groups);
 
-my ($result) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from groupings where groupId=? and userId=?", [6, $user->userId]);
+my $result;
+($result) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from groupings where groupId=? and userId=?", [6, $user->userId]);
 ok($result, 'addToGroups() -- added to first test group');
 
 ($result) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from groupings where groupId=? and userId=?", [4, $user->userId]);
@@ -127,10 +137,10 @@ ok($result, 'addToGroups() -- added to second test group');
 #Let's delete this user from our test groups
 $user->deleteFromGroups(\@groups);
 
-my ($result) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from groupings where groupId=? and userId=?", [6, $user->userId]);
+($result) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from groupings where groupId=? and userId=?", [6, $user->userId]);
 is($result, '0', 'deleteFromGroups() -- removed from first test group');
 
-my ($result) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from groupings where groupId=? and userId=?", [4, $user->userId]);
+($result) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from groupings where groupId=? and userId=?", [4, $user->userId]);
 is($result, '0', 'deleteFromGroups() -- removed from second test group');
 
 #Let's delete this user
@@ -166,64 +176,13 @@ is($user->userId, "ROYSUNIQUEUSERID000002", 'new() -- override user id');
 $user->authMethod("LDAP");
 is($user->authMethod, "LDAP", 'authMethod() -- set to LDAP');
 
-#get/set karma
-my $oldKarma = $user->karma;
-$user->karma('69', 'peter gibbons', 'test karma');
-is($user->karma, $oldKarma+69, 'karma() -- get/set add amount');
-
-my ($source, $description) = $session->db->quickArray("select source, description from karmaLog where userId=?",[$user->userId]);
-
-is($source, 'peter gibbons', 'karma() -- get/set source');
-is($description, 'test karma', 'karma() -- get/set description');
-
-$oldKarma = $user->karma;
-$user->karma('-69', 'peter gibbons', 'lumberg took test karma away');
-is($user->karma, $oldKarma-69, 'karma() -- get/set subtract amount');
-
-#Let's test referringAffiliate
-$lastUpdate = time();
-$user->referringAffiliate(10);
-is($user->referringAffiliate, '10', 'referringAffiliate() -- get/set');
-cmp_ok(abs($user->lastUpdated-$lastUpdate), '<=', 1, 'lastUpdated() -- referringAffiliate');
-
-#Let's try adding this user to some groups
-my @groups = qw|2 4|;
-$user->addToGroups(\@groups);
-
-my ($result) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from groupings where groupId=".$session->db->quote('2')." and userId=".$session->db->quote($user->userId));
-ok($result, 'addToGroups() -- added to first test group');
-
-($result) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from groupings where groupId=".$session->db->quote('4')." and userId=".$session->db->quote($user->userId));
-ok($result, 'addToGroups() -- added to second test group');
-
-#Let's delete this user from our test groups
-$user->deleteFromGroups(\@groups);
-
-($result) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from groupings where groupId=".$session->db->quote('2')." and userId=".$session->db->quote($user->userId));
-is($result, '0', 'deleteFromGroups() -- removed from first test group');
-
-($result) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from groupings where groupId=".$session->db->quote('4')." and userId=".$session->db->quote($user->userId));
-is($result, '0', 'deleteFromGroups() -- removed from second test group');
-
-#Let's delete this user
-my $userId = $user->userId;
-$user->delete;
-
-my ($count) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from users where userId=".$session->db->quote($userId));
-is($count, '0', 'delete() -- users table');
-
-($count) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from userProfileData where userId=".$session->db->quote($userId));
-is($count, '0', 'delete() -- userProfileData table');
-
-($count) = $session->db->quickArray("select count(*) from inbox where userId=".$session->db->quote($userId));
-is($count, '0', 'delete() -- inbox table'); 
-
-
 ok(WebGUI::User->validUserId($session, 1), 'Visitor has a valid userId');
 ok(WebGUI::User->validUserId($session, 3), 'Admin has a valid userId');
 ok(!WebGUI::User->validUserId($session, 'eeee'), 'random illegal Id #1');
 ok(!WebGUI::User->validUserId($session, 37), 'random illegal Id #2');
 
+$user->delete;
+
 #identifier() and uncache()
 SKIP: {
   skip("identifier() -- deprecated",1);