diff --git a/lib/nuget-provider.js b/lib/nuget-provider.js
index f4db7e00b28ab..8137f10ae08d6 100644
--- a/lib/nuget-provider.js
+++ b/lib/nuget-provider.js
@@ -139,7 +139,8 @@ function mapNugetFeed({ camp, cache }, pattern, offset, getInfo) {
 
   function getNugetData(apiUrl, id, request, done) {
     // get service index document
-    regularUpdate(apiUrl + '/index.json',
+    regularUpdate({
+      url: apiUrl + '/index.json',
       // The endpoint changes once per year (ie, a period of n = 1 year).
       // We minimize the users' waiting time for information.
       // With l = latency to fetch the endpoint and x = endpoint update period
@@ -148,17 +149,9 @@ function mapNugetFeed({ camp, cache }, pattern, offset, getInfo) {
       // right endpoint.
       // So the waiting time within n years is n*l/x + x years, for which a
       // derivation yields an optimum at x = sqrt(n*l), roughly 42 minutes.
-      (42 * 60 * 1000),
-      function(buffer) {
-        const data = JSON.parse(buffer);
-
-        const searchQueryResources = data.resources.filter(function(resource) {
-          return resource['@type'] === 'SearchQueryService';
-        });
-
-        return searchQueryResources;
-      },
-      function(err, searchQueryResources) {
+      intervalMillis: 42 * 60 * 1000,
+      scraper: json => json.resources.filter(resource => resource['@type'] === 'SearchQueryService'),
+    }, (err, searchQueryResources) => {
         if (err != null) { done(err); return; }
 
         // query autocomplete service
@@ -167,7 +160,7 @@ function mapNugetFeed({ camp, cache }, pattern, offset, getInfo) {
           + '?q=packageid:' + encodeURIComponent(id.toLowerCase()) // NuGet package id (lowercase)
           + '&prerelease=true';                                    // Include prerelease versions?
 
-        request(reqUrl, function(err, res, buffer) {
+        request(reqUrl, (err, res, buffer) => {
           if (err != null) {
             done(err);
             return;
diff --git a/lib/php-version.js b/lib/php-version.js
index 261a7fab14838..9dade95d750cf 100644
--- a/lib/php-version.js
+++ b/lib/php-version.js
@@ -5,78 +5,11 @@
  */
 'use strict';
 
-const {listCompare} = require('./version.js');
-const {omitv} = require('./text-formatters.js');
+const request = require('request');
 const uniq = require('lodash.uniq');
-
-// Return a negative value if v1 < v2,
-// zero if v1 = v2,
-// a positive value otherwise.
-//
-// See https://getcomposer.org/doc/04-schema.md#version
-// and https://github.com/badges/shields/issues/319#issuecomment-74411045
-function compare(v1, v2) {
-  // Omit the starting `v`.
-  const rawv1 = omitv(v1);
-  const rawv2 = omitv(v2);
-  let v1data, v2data;
-  try {
-    v1data = numberedVersionData(rawv1);
-    v2data = numberedVersionData(rawv2);
-  } catch(e) {
-    return asciiVersionCompare(rawv1, rawv2);
-  }
-
-  // Compare the numbered part (eg, 1.0.0 < 2.0.0).
-  const numbersCompare = listCompare(v1data.numbers, v2data.numbers);
-  if (numbersCompare !== 0) {
-    return numbersCompare;
-  }
-
-  // Compare the modifiers (eg, alpha < beta).
-  if (v1data.modifier < v2data.modifier) {
-    return -1;
-  } else if (v1data.modifier > v2data.modifier) {
-    return 1;
-  }
-
-  // Compare the modifier counts (eg, alpha1 < alpha3).
-  if (v1data.modifierCount < v2data.modifierCount) {
-    return -1;
-  } else if (v1data.modifierCount > v2data.modifierCount) {
-    return 1;
-  }
-
-  return 0;
-}
-exports.compare = compare;
-
-function latest(versions) {
-  let latest = versions[0];
-  for (let i = 1; i < versions.length; i++) {
-    if (compare(latest, versions[i]) < 0) {
-      latest = versions[i];
-    }
-  }
-  return latest;
-}
-exports.latest = latest;
-
-// Whether a version is stable.
-function isStable(version) {
-  const rawVersion = omitv(version);
-  let versionData;
-  try {
-    versionData = numberedVersionData(rawVersion);
-  } catch(e) {
-    return false;
-  }
-  // normal or patch
-  return (versionData.modifier === 3) || (versionData.modifier === 4);
-}
-exports.isStable = isStable;
-
-// === Private helper functions ===
+const {listCompare} = require('./version');
+const {omitv} = require('./text-formatters');
+const { regularUpdate } = require('./regular-update');
 
 // Return a negative value if v1 < v2,
 // zero if v1 = v2, a positive value otherwise.
@@ -175,6 +108,69 @@ function numberedVersionData(version) {
   };
 }
 
+// Return a negative value if v1 < v2,
+// zero if v1 = v2,
+// a positive value otherwise.
+//
+// See https://getcomposer.org/doc/04-schema.md#version
+// and https://github.com/badges/shields/issues/319#issuecomment-74411045
+function compare(v1, v2) {
+  // Omit the starting `v`.
+  const rawv1 = omitv(v1);
+  const rawv2 = omitv(v2);
+  let v1data, v2data;
+  try {
+    v1data = numberedVersionData(rawv1);
+    v2data = numberedVersionData(rawv2);
+  } catch(e) {
+    return asciiVersionCompare(rawv1, rawv2);
+  }
+
+  // Compare the numbered part (eg, 1.0.0 < 2.0.0).
+  const numbersCompare = listCompare(v1data.numbers, v2data.numbers);
+  if (numbersCompare !== 0) {
+    return numbersCompare;
+  }
+
+  // Compare the modifiers (eg, alpha < beta).
+  if (v1data.modifier < v2data.modifier) {
+    return -1;
+  } else if (v1data.modifier > v2data.modifier) {
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+  // Compare the modifier counts (eg, alpha1 < alpha3).
+  if (v1data.modifierCount < v2data.modifierCount) {
+    return -1;
+  } else if (v1data.modifierCount > v2data.modifierCount) {
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+function latest(versions) {
+  let latest = versions[0];
+  for (let i = 1; i < versions.length; i++) {
+    if (compare(latest, versions[i]) < 0) {
+      latest = versions[i];
+    }
+  }
+  return latest;
+}
+
+function isStable(version) {
+  const rawVersion = omitv(version);
+  let versionData;
+  try {
+    versionData = numberedVersionData(rawVersion);
+  } catch(e) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  // normal or patch
+  return (versionData.modifier === 3) || (versionData.modifier === 4);
+}
+
 function minorVersion(version) {
   const result = version.match(/^(\d+)(?:\.(\d+))?(?:\.(\d+))?/);
 
@@ -184,7 +180,6 @@ function minorVersion(version) {
 
   return result[1] + '.' + (result[2] ? result[2] : '0');
 }
-exports.minorVersion = minorVersion;
 
 function versionReduction(versions, phpReleases) {
   if (!versions.length) {
@@ -213,4 +208,26 @@ function versionReduction(versions, phpReleases) {
 
   return versions.join(', ');
 }
-exports.versionReduction = versionReduction;
+
+function getPhpReleases(githubRequest, cb) {
+  regularUpdate({
+    url: 'https://api.github.com/repos/php/php-src/git/refs/tags',
+    intervalMillis: 24 * 3600 * 1000, // 1 day
+    scraper: tags => uniq(
+      tags
+        // only releases
+        .filter(tag => tag.ref.match(/^refs\/tags\/php-\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/) != null)
+        // get minor version of release
+        .map(tag => tag.ref.match(/^refs\/tags\/php-(\d+\.\d+)\.\d+$/)[1])),
+    request: (url, options, cb) => githubRequest(request, url, {}, cb),
+  }, cb);
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  compare,
+  latest,
+  isStable,
+  minorVersion,
+  versionReduction,
+  getPhpReleases,
+};
diff --git a/lib/regular-update.js b/lib/regular-update.js
index c3ebbf634faab..3a79b0b965f74 100644
--- a/lib/regular-update.js
+++ b/lib/regular-update.js
@@ -1,33 +1,44 @@
 'use strict';
 
-const request = require('request');
-
-// Map from URL to { timestamp: last fetch time, interval: in milliseconds,
-// data: data }.
+// Map from URL to { timestamp: last fetch time, data: data }.
 let regularUpdateCache = Object.create(null);
 
 // url: a string, scraper: a function that takes string data at that URL.
 // interval: number in milliseconds.
 // cb: a callback function that takes an error and data returned by the scraper.
-function regularUpdate(url, interval, scraper, cb, options) {
+function regularUpdate({
+  url,
+  intervalMillis,
+  json = true,
+  scraper = buffer => buffer,
+  options = {},
+  request = require('request'),
+}, cb) {
   const timestamp = Date.now();
-  const cache = regularUpdateCache[url];
-  if (cache != null &&
-      (timestamp - cache.timestamp) < interval) {
-    cb(null, regularUpdateCache[url].data);
+  const cached = regularUpdateCache[url];
+  if (cached != null &&
+      (timestamp - cached.timestamp) < intervalMillis) {
+    cb(null, cached.data);
     return;
   }
-  request(url, options || {}, function(err, res, buffer) {
+  request(url, options, (err, res, buffer) => {
     if (err != null) { cb(err); return; }
-    if (regularUpdateCache[url] == null) {
-      regularUpdateCache[url] = { timestamp: 0, data: 0 };
+
+    let reqData;
+    if (json) {
+      try {
+        reqData = JSON.parse(buffer);
+      } catch(e) { cb(e); return; }
+    } else {
+      reqData = buffer;
     }
+
     let data;
     try {
-      data = scraper(buffer);
+      data = scraper(reqData);
     } catch(e) { cb(e); return; }
-    regularUpdateCache[url].timestamp = timestamp;
-    regularUpdateCache[url].data = data;
+
+    regularUpdateCache[url] = { timestamp, data };
     cb(null, data);
   });
 }
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index 0ca212456a46b..aefea68db0e93 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ const prettyBytes = require('pretty-bytes');
 const queryString = require('query-string');
 const semver = require('semver');
 const xml2js = require('xml2js');
-const uniq = require('lodash.uniq');
 
 const analytics = require('./lib/analytics');
 const config = require('./lib/server-config');
@@ -26,6 +25,7 @@ const {
   isStable: phpStableVersion,
   minorVersion: phpMinorVersion,
   versionReduction: phpVersionReduction,
+  getPhpReleases,
 } = require('./lib/php-version');
 const {
   parseVersion: luarocksParseVersion,
@@ -314,80 +314,57 @@ cache(function(data, match, sendBadge, request) {
     uri: 'https://api.travis-ci.org/repos/' + userRepo + '/branches/' + version,
   };
   const badgeData = getBadgeData('PHP', data);
-  // Custom user-agent and accept headers are required
-  // http://developer.github.com/v3/#user-agent-required
-  // https://developer.github.com/v3/licenses/
-  const customHeaders = {
-      'User-Agent': 'Shields.io'
-  };
-  // require PHP releases
-  regularUpdate(
-    'https://api.github.com/repos/php/php-src/git/refs/tags',
-    (24 * 3600 * 1000), // 1 day
-    tags => {
-      return uniq(
-        JSON.parse(tags).
-        // only releases
-        filter((tag) => tag.ref.match(/^refs\/tags\/php-\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/) != null).
-        // get minor version of release
-        map((tag) => tag.ref.match(/^refs\/tags\/php-(\d+\.\d+)\.\d+$/)[1])
-      );
-    },
-    (err, phpReleases) => {
-      if (err != null) {
+  getPhpReleases(githubAuth.request, (err, phpReleases) => {
+    if (err != null) {
+      badgeData.text[1] = 'invalid';
+      sendBadge(format, badgeData);
+      return;
+    }
+    request(options, (err, res, buffer) => {
+      if (err !== null) {
+        log.error('Travis CI error: ' + err.stack);
+        if (res) {
+          log.error('' + res);
+        }
         badgeData.text[1] = 'invalid';
         sendBadge(format, badgeData);
         return;
       }
-      request(options, function(err, res, buffer) {
-        if (err !== null) {
-          log.error('Travis CI error: ' + err.stack);
-          if (res) {
-            log.error('' + res);
-          }
-          badgeData.text[1] = 'invalid';
-          sendBadge(format, badgeData);
-          return;
-        }
 
-        try {
-          const data = JSON.parse(buffer);
-          let travisVersions = [];
+      try {
+        const data = JSON.parse(buffer);
+        let travisVersions = [];
 
-          // from php
-          if (typeof data.branch.config.php !== 'undefined') {
-            travisVersions = travisVersions.concat(data.branch.config.php.map((v) => v.toString()));
-          }
-          // from matrix
-          if (typeof data.branch.config.matrix.include !== 'undefined') {
-            travisVersions = travisVersions.concat(data.branch.config.matrix.include.map((v) => v.php.toString()));
-          }
+        // from php
+        if (typeof data.branch.config.php !== 'undefined') {
+          travisVersions = travisVersions.concat(data.branch.config.php.map((v) => v.toString()));
+        }
+        // from matrix
+        if (typeof data.branch.config.matrix.include !== 'undefined') {
+          travisVersions = travisVersions.concat(data.branch.config.matrix.include.map((v) => v.php.toString()));
+        }
 
-          const hasHhvm = travisVersions.find((v) => v.startsWith('hhvm'));
-          const versions = travisVersions.map((v) => phpMinorVersion(v)).filter((v) => v.indexOf('.') !== -1);
-          let reduction = phpVersionReduction(versions, phpReleases);
+        const hasHhvm = travisVersions.find((v) => v.startsWith('hhvm'));
+        const versions = travisVersions.map((v) => phpMinorVersion(v)).filter((v) => v.indexOf('.') !== -1);
+        let reduction = phpVersionReduction(versions, phpReleases);
 
-          if (hasHhvm) {
-            reduction += reduction ? ', ' : '';
-            reduction += 'HHVM';
-          }
+        if (hasHhvm) {
+          reduction += reduction ? ', ' : '';
+          reduction += 'HHVM';
+        }
 
-          if (reduction) {
-            badgeData.colorscheme = 'blue';
-            badgeData.text[1] = reduction;
-          } else {
-            badgeData.text[1] = 'invalid';
-          }
-        } catch(e) {
+        if (reduction) {
+          badgeData.colorscheme = 'blue';
+          badgeData.text[1] = reduction;
+        } else {
           badgeData.text[1] = 'invalid';
         }
-        sendBadge(format, badgeData);
-      });
-    },
-    {
-      headers: customHeaders
-    }
-  );
+      } catch(e) {
+        badgeData.text[1] = 'invalid';
+      }
+      sendBadge(format, badgeData);
+    });
+  });
 }));
 
 // Travis integration
@@ -1925,16 +1902,19 @@ cache({
           return;
         }
         badgeData.text[1] = versionRange;
-        regularUpdate('http://nodejs.org/dist/latest/SHASUMS256.txt',
-          (24 * 3600 * 1000),
-          shasums => {
+        regularUpdate({
+          url: 'http://nodejs.org/dist/latest/SHASUMS256.txt',
+          intervalMillis: 24 * 3600 * 1000,
+          json: false,
+          scraper: shasums => {
             // tarball index start, tarball index end
             const taris = shasums.indexOf('node-v');
             const tarie = shasums.indexOf('\n', taris);
             const tarball = shasums.slice(taris, tarie);
             const version = tarball.split('-')[1];
             return version;
-          }, (err, version) => {
+          },
+        }, (err, version) => {
             if (err != null) {
               badgeData.text[1] = 'invalid';
               sendBadge(format, badgeData);
@@ -4917,15 +4897,14 @@ cache(function(data, match, sendBadge, request) {
   var pluginId = match[1];  // e.g. blueocean
   var format = match[2];
   var badgeData = getBadgeData('plugin', data);
-  regularUpdate('https://updates.jenkins-ci.org/current/update-center.actual.json',
-    (4 * 3600 * 1000),
-    function(json) {
-      json = JSON.parse(json);
-      return Object.keys(json.plugins).reduce(function(previous, current) {
-        previous[current] = json.plugins[current].version;
-        return previous;
-      }, {});
-    }, function(err, versions) {
+  regularUpdate({
+    url: 'https://updates.jenkins-ci.org/current/update-center.actual.json',
+    intervalMillis: 4 * 3600 * 1000,
+    scraper: json => Object.keys(json.plugins).reduce((previous, current) => {
+      previous[current] = json.plugins[current].version;
+      return previous;
+    }, {}),
+  }, (err, versions) => {
       if (err != null) {
         badgeData.text[1] = 'inaccessible';
         sendBadge(format, badgeData);
@@ -4943,7 +4922,7 @@ cache(function(data, match, sendBadge, request) {
         badgeData.text[1] = 'not found';
         sendBadge(format, badgeData);
       }
-  });
+    });
 }));
 
 // Ansible integration
@@ -7813,86 +7792,63 @@ cache(function(data, match, sendBadge, request) {
     uri: 'https://php-eye.com/api/v1/package/' + userRepo + '.json',
   };
   const badgeData = getBadgeData('PHP tested', data);
-  // Custom user-agent and accept headers are required
-  // http://developer.github.com/v3/#user-agent-required
-  // https://developer.github.com/v3/licenses/
-  const customHeaders = {
-      'User-Agent': 'Shields.io'
-  };
-  // require PHP releases
-  regularUpdate(
-    'https://api.github.com/repos/php/php-src/git/refs/tags',
-    (24 * 3600 * 1000), // 1 day
-    tags => {
-      return uniq(
-        JSON.parse(tags).
-        // only releases
-        filter((tag) => tag.ref.match(/^refs\/tags\/php-\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/) != null).
-        // get minor version of release
-        map((tag) => tag.ref.match(/^refs\/tags\/php-(\d+\.\d+)\.\d+$/)[1])
-      );
-    },
-    (err, phpReleases) => {
-      if (err != null) {
+  getPhpReleases(githubAuth.request, (err, phpReleases) => {
+    if (err != null) {
+      badgeData.text[1] = 'invalid';
+      sendBadge(format, badgeData);
+      return;
+    }
+    request(options, function(err, res, buffer) {
+      if (err !== null) {
+        log.error('PHP-Eye error: ' + err.stack);
+        if (res) {
+          log.error('' + res);
+        }
         badgeData.text[1] = 'invalid';
         sendBadge(format, badgeData);
         return;
       }
-      request(options, function(err, res, buffer) {
-        if (err !== null) {
-          log.error('PHP-Eye error: ' + err.stack);
-          if (res) {
-            log.error('' + res);
-          }
-          badgeData.text[1] = 'invalid';
+
+      try {
+        const data = JSON.parse(buffer);
+        const travis = data.versions.filter((release) => release.name === version)[0].travis;
+
+        if (!travis.config_exists) {
+          badgeData.colorscheme = 'red';
+          badgeData.text[1] = 'not tested';
           sendBadge(format, badgeData);
           return;
         }
 
-        try {
-          const data = JSON.parse(buffer);
-          const travis = data.versions.filter((release) => release.name === version)[0].travis;
-
-          if (!travis.config_exists) {
-            badgeData.colorscheme = 'red';
-            badgeData.text[1] = 'not tested';
-            sendBadge(format, badgeData);
-            return;
-          }
-
-          let versions = [];
-          for (const index in travis.runtime_status) {
-            if (travis.runtime_status[index] === 3 && index.match(/^php\d\d$/) !== null) {
-              versions.push(index.replace(/^php(\d)(\d)$/, '$1.$2'));
-            }
+        let versions = [];
+        for (const index in travis.runtime_status) {
+          if (travis.runtime_status[index] === 3 && index.match(/^php\d\d$/) !== null) {
+            versions.push(index.replace(/^php(\d)(\d)$/, '$1.$2'));
           }
+        }
 
-          let reduction = phpVersionReduction(versions, phpReleases);
+        let reduction = phpVersionReduction(versions, phpReleases);
 
-          if (travis.runtime_status.hhvm === 3) {
-            reduction += reduction ? ', ' : '';
-            reduction += 'HHVM';
-          }
+        if (travis.runtime_status.hhvm === 3) {
+          reduction += reduction ? ', ' : '';
+          reduction += 'HHVM';
+        }
 
-          if (reduction) {
-            badgeData.colorscheme = 'brightgreen';
-            badgeData.text[1] = reduction;
-          } else if (!versions.length) {
-            badgeData.colorscheme = 'red';
-            badgeData.text[1] = 'not tested';
-          } else {
-            badgeData.text[1] = 'invalid';
-          }
-        } catch(e) {
+        if (reduction) {
+          badgeData.colorscheme = 'brightgreen';
+          badgeData.text[1] = reduction;
+        } else if (!versions.length) {
+          badgeData.colorscheme = 'red';
+          badgeData.text[1] = 'not tested';
+        } else {
           badgeData.text[1] = 'invalid';
         }
-        sendBadge(format, badgeData);
-      });
-    },
-    {
-      headers: customHeaders
-    }
-  );
+      } catch(e) {
+        badgeData.text[1] = 'invalid';
+      }
+      sendBadge(format, badgeData);
+    });
+  });
 }));
 
 // Any badge.