diff --git a/classes/DiskCache.php b/classes/DiskCache.php
index 249079b36..c52759a75 100644
--- a/classes/DiskCache.php
+++ b/classes/DiskCache.php
@@ -301,8 +301,11 @@ class DiskCache implements Cache_Adapter {
 		if ($this->exists($local_filename) && !$force)
 			return true;
 
-		$data = UrlHelper::fetch(array_merge(["url" => $url,
-							"max_size" => Config::get(Config::MAX_CACHE_FILE_SIZE)], $options));
+		$data = UrlHelper::fetch([
+			'url' => $url,
+			'max_size' => Config::get(Config::MAX_CACHE_FILE_SIZE),
+			...$options,
+		]);
 
 		if ($data)
 			return $this->put($local_filename, $data) > 0;
diff --git a/classes/PluginHost.php b/classes/PluginHost.php
index cc81bc9c0..9a8fa32c2 100644
--- a/classes/PluginHost.php
+++ b/classes/PluginHost.php
@@ -851,14 +851,12 @@ class PluginHost {
 	 */
 	function get_method_url(Plugin $sender, string $method, array $params = []): string  {
 		return Config::get_self_url() . "/backend.php?" .
-			http_build_query(
-				array_merge(
-					[
-						"op" => "pluginhandler",
-						"plugin" => strtolower(get_class($sender)),
-						"method" => $method
-					],
-					$params));
+			http_build_query([
+				'op' => 'pluginhandler',
+				'plugin' => strtolower(get_class($sender)),
+				'method' => $method,
+				...$params,
+			]);
 	}
 
 	// shortcut syntax (disabled for now)
@@ -880,12 +878,10 @@ class PluginHost {
 	function get_public_method_url(Plugin $sender, string $method, array $params = []): ?string  {
 		if ($sender->is_public_method($method)) {
 			return Config::get_self_url() . "/public.php?" .
-				http_build_query(
-					array_merge(
-						[
-							"op" => strtolower(get_class($sender) . self::PUBLIC_METHOD_DELIMITER . $method),
-						],
-						$params));
+				http_build_query([
+					'op' => strtolower(get_class($sender) . self::PUBLIC_METHOD_DELIMITER . $method),
+					...$params,
+				]);
 		}
 		user_error("get_public_method_url: requested method '$method' of '" . get_class($sender) . "' is private.");
 		return null;
diff --git a/include/controls.php b/include/controls.php
index 5c6174e3d..8932dd048 100755
--- a/include/controls.php
+++ b/include/controls.php
@@ -56,21 +56,21 @@
 	 * @param array<string, mixed> $attributes
 	 */
    function number_spinner_tag(string $name, string $value, array $attributes = [], string $id = ""): string {
-      return input_tag($name, $value, "text", array_merge(["dojoType" => "dijit.form.NumberSpinner"], $attributes), $id);
+      return input_tag($name, $value, 'text', ['dojoType' => 'dijit.form.NumberSpinner', ...$attributes], $id);
    }
 
 	/**
 	 * @param array<string, mixed> $attributes
 	 */
    function submit_tag(string $value, array $attributes = []): string {
-      return button_tag($value, "submit", array_merge(["class" => "alt-primary"], $attributes));
+      return button_tag($value, 'submit', ['class' => 'alt-primary', ...$attributes]);
    }
 
 	/**
 	 * @param array<string, mixed> $attributes
 	 */
    function cancel_dialog_tag(string $value, array $attributes = []): string {
-      return button_tag($value, "", array_merge(["onclick" => "App.dialogOf(this).hide()"], $attributes));
+      return button_tag($value, '', ['onclick' => 'App.dialogOf(this).hide()', ...$attributes]);
    }
 
 	/**
diff --git a/include/controls_compat.php b/include/controls_compat.php
index 5a2a9f2ba..d22f7fc3c 100644
--- a/include/controls_compat.php
+++ b/include/controls_compat.php
@@ -5,15 +5,13 @@
  */
 function stylesheet_tag(string $filename, array $attributes = []): string {
 
-	$attributes_str = \Controls\attributes_to_string(
-		array_merge(
-			[
-				"href" => "$filename?" . filemtime($filename),
-				"rel" => "stylesheet",
-				"type" => "text/css",
-				"data-orig-href" => $filename
-			],
-			$attributes));
+	$attributes_str = \Controls\attributes_to_string([
+		'href' => "$filename?" . filemtime($filename),
+		'rel' => 'stylesheet',
+		'type' => 'text/css',
+		'data-orig-href' => $filename,
+		...$attributes,
+	]);
 
 	return "<link $attributes_str/>\n";
 }
@@ -22,14 +20,12 @@ function stylesheet_tag(string $filename, array $attributes = []): string {
  * @param array<string, mixed> $attributes
  */
 function javascript_tag(string $filename, array $attributes = []): string {
-	$attributes_str = \Controls\attributes_to_string(
-		array_merge(
-			[
-				"src" => "$filename?" . filemtime($filename),
-				"type" => "text/javascript",
-				"charset" => "utf-8"
-			],
-			$attributes));
+	$attributes_str = \Controls\attributes_to_string([
+		'src' => "$filename?" . filemtime($filename),
+		'type' => 'text/javascript',
+		'charset' => 'utf-8',
+		...$attributes,
+	]);
 
 	return "<script $attributes_str></script>\n";
 }