Title: Fatal error: Cannot redeclare has_shortcode() Last modified: August 21, 2016 --- # Fatal error: Cannot redeclare has_shortcode() * [Kurthohberger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kurthohberger/) * (@kurthohberger) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/) * Hey everyone, * This morning I decided to update to version 3.6 and now my website is giving me a fatal error. * [http://www.bmxunion.com/blog/](http://www.bmxunion.com/blog/) * Fatal error: Cannot redeclare has_shortcode() (previously declared in /home/content/ 43/4355443/html/blog/wp-includes/shortcodes.php:153) in /home/content/43/4355443/ html/blog/wp-content/themes/bmxunion-2013/functions.php on line 359 * I’ve tried to re-install 3.6 manually through FTP following their steps, but it didn’t help. * Any chance anyone knows what’s going on? * Thanks! Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 19 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/page/2/?output_format=md) * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997221) * There is a problem with your current theme. [FTP](http://codex.wordpress.org/FTP_Clients) into your site (or whatever file management application your host provides) & rename the wp-content/themes/bmxunion-2013 to wp-content/themes/bmxunion-2013- old. This will automatically activate the default theme and allow you back into your site again. * Thread Starter [Kurthohberger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kurthohberger/) * (@kurthohberger) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997222) * I deactivated my theme and it allowed me to get into re-update 3.6 automatically and it was successful. I then re-actived it and it stopped working again. * Thread Starter [Kurthohberger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kurthohberger/) * (@kurthohberger) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997223) * Esmi, do you have any ideas of what needs to be changed to make it work? * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997224) * Your theme is not compatible with WordPress 3.6. Where did you download it from? * Thread Starter [Kurthohberger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kurthohberger/) * (@kurthohberger) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997225) * I just had it custom designed last week. Trying to get ahold of the guy right now to see if he knows what’s going on. * Thread Starter [Kurthohberger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kurthohberger/) * (@kurthohberger) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997229) * Would re-installing the previous version of WordPress resolve this? Anyone know where I can find that? * [wprock](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wprock/) * (@wprock) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997231) * can you upload the code of functions.php at pastebin.com and share the pastebin link? we can check the code and give the idea. * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997236) * > Would re-installing the previous version of WordPress resolve this? * We do not recommend rolling back to older version of WordPress for security reasons. See [http://blog.sucuri.net/2012/03/wordpress-understanding-its-true-vulnerability.html](http://blog.sucuri.net/2012/03/wordpress-understanding-its-true-vulnerability.html) * Did you carry out a pre-upgrade database backup? * Thread Starter [Kurthohberger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kurthohberger/) * (@kurthohberger) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997247) * I’ve gone in and re-installed WP 3.5.2 and the site is back up. I’ll wait until my designer can go in and fix what needs to be changed to be compatible with 3.6. * Thread Starter [Kurthohberger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kurthohberger/) * (@kurthohberger) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997274) * I did a full back up, but I need my site to be running so that’s the option. * [elaine128](https://wordpress.org/support/users/elaine128/) * (@elaine128) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997414) * Hi I didn’t even do any upload or touch anything and just today I get this error. * Fatal error: Cannot redeclare has_shortcode() (previously declared in /home/elainehyde/ myfirstneighbor.dreamhosters.com/wp-includes/shortcodes.php:153) in /home/elainehyde/ myfirstneighbor.dreamhosters.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-user-frontend/wpuf-functions. php on line 449 * Is this the same theme problem referenced above? What’s going on? Thanks! * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997415) * **[@elaine128](https://wordpress.org/support/users/elaine128/)**: It is impolite to interrupt another poster’s ongoing thread with a question of your own. It causes significant problems for the forum’s volunteers and prevents us from being able to track issues by topic. Please [post your own topic](http://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting#postform). * Thread Starter [Kurthohberger](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kurthohberger/) * (@kurthohberger) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997433) * It sounds like a similar issue. My web design guy said he went back into the code and pulled out the short code line since he saw something about it being a conflict. We haven’t updated to 3.6 yet though, so I’m not 100% if it’s the solution. * [maros336](https://wordpress.org/support/users/maros336/) * (@maros336) * [12 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997570) * Just comment or remove function has_shortcode in every theme file which is written in error. It works for me. * [Morgan Estes](https://wordpress.org/support/users/morganestes/) * (@morganestes) * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/#post-3997593) * Had a similar situation come up for me this morning. I had a custom function in my theme called `has_shortcode()` that only took one argument. I wrote it so that if WordPress ever included a function with the same name it would fall back to the native implementation. * The problem was that my function takes one argument – `the shortcode` – while WP’s takes two – `$content` and `the shortcode`. That little difference made all my calls to the function fail. * If you didn’t create the theme yourself, my advice is to not remove the function or any calls to it until you know for sure how/where it’s being used. Once you know that, you should be able to keep the calls in place and just make sure you’re passing the right arguments to the function. * See [http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/has_shortcode](http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/has_shortcode) for an example of how the function is used within a theme or plugin. Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 19 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/page/2/?output_format=md) The topic ‘Fatal error: Cannot redeclare has_shortcode()’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [shortcode](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/shortcode/) * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 19 replies * 9 participants * Last reply from: [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * Last activity: [12 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-cannot-redeclare-has_shortcode/page/2/#post-3997649) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics