diff --git a/create-domain.php b/create-domain.php
index 034e2a85..cfd3aea9 100644
--- a/create-domain.php
+++ b/create-domain.php
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ foreach($form_fields  as $key => $field) {
 
 if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == "POST") {
 
-    $handler =  new DomainHandler($values['domain'], 1);
-    if (!$handler->result()) {
+    $handler = new DomainHandler(1);
+    if (!$handler->init($values['domain'])) {
         $error = 1;
         $pAdminCreate_domain_domain_text_error = join("<br />", $handler->errormsg);
     }
diff --git a/model/DomainHandler.php b/model/DomainHandler.php
index 413dc452..25a606df 100644
--- a/model/DomainHandler.php
+++ b/model/DomainHandler.php
@@ -16,35 +16,44 @@ class DomainHandler extends PFAHandler {
 
     public $errormsg = array();
 
-    # error messages used in __construct() and view()
+    # error messages used in init() and view()
     protected $error_already_exists = 'pAdminCreate_domain_domain_text_error';
     protected $error_does_not_exist = 'domain_does_not_exist';
 
     /**
-     * @param string $username
+     * Constructor: fill $struct etc.
+     * @param string $new
      */
-    public function __construct($username, $new = 0) {
-        $this->username = strtolower($username); # TODO: find a better place for strtolower() to avoid a special constructor in DomainHandler (or agree that $username should be lowercase in all *Handler classes ;-)
+    public function __construct($new = 0) {
         if ($new) $this->new = 1;
-
         $this->initStruct();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * initialize with $username and check if it is valid
+     * @param string $username
+     */
+    public function init($username) {
+        $this->username = strtolower($username);
 
         $exists = $this->view(false);
-        $this->return = false; # be pessimistic by default
 
-        if ($new) {
+        if ($this->new) {
             if ($exists) {
                 $this->errormsg[] = Lang::read($this->error_already_exists);
+                return false;
             } elseif (!$this->validate_id() ) {
                 # errormsg filled by validate_id()
+                return false;
             } else {
-                $this->return = true;
+                return true;
             }
         } else { # edit mode
             if (!$exists) {
                 $this->errormsg[] = Lang::read($this->error_does_not_exist);
+                return false;
             } else {
-                $this->return = true;
+                return true;
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/scripts/shells/domain.php b/scripts/shells/domain.php
index 130ff88e..0d7a5071 100644
--- a/scripts/shells/domain.php
+++ b/scripts/shells/domain.php
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class AddTask extends Shell {
                      $question = "Domain Quota (in MB):";
                     $d = $this->in($question);
     
-                    $handler = new DomainHandler($domain);
+                    $handler = new DomainHandler();
                     $transports = $handler->getTransports();
                     $qt[] = 'Choose transport option';
                     foreach ($transports AS $key => $val) {
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ class AddTask extends Shell {
         function __handle($domain, $desc, $a, $m, $t, $q, $d, $default, $backup) {
                 
 
-                $handler =  new DomainHandler($domain, 1);
-                if (!$handler->result()) {
+                $handler =  new DomainHandler(1);
+                if (!$handler->init($domain)) {
                       $this->error("Error:",join("\n", $handler->errormsg));
                       return;
                 } 
@@ -269,8 +269,8 @@ class DeleteTask extends Shell {
  * @access private
  */
         function __handle($address) {
-                $handler =  new DomainHandler($address);
-                if (!$handler->result()) {
+                $handler =  new DomainHandler();
+                if (!$handler->init($address)) {
                       $this->error("Error:",join("\n", $handler->errormsg));
                       return;
                 } 
@@ -345,8 +345,8 @@ class ViewTask extends Shell {
         function __handle($domain) {
 
 
-                $handler =  new DomainHandler($domain);
-                if (!$handler->result()) {
+                $handler =  new DomainHandler();
+                if (!$handler->init($domain)) {
                       $this->error("Error:",join("\n", $handler->errormsg));
                       return;
                 }