diff --git a/pisi/api.py b/pisi/api.py
index bbadadf3..27ecae12 100644
--- a/pisi/api.py
+++ b/pisi/api.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import pisi.db.installdb
 import pisi.db.filesdb
 import pisi.db.componentdb
 import pisi.db.sourcedb
-import pisi.db.lockeddbshelve
+import pisi.db.lockeddbshelve as shelve
 import pisi.index
 import pisi.config
 import pisi.metadata
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import pisi.build
 import pisi.atomicoperations
 import pisi.delta
 import pisi.comariface
+import pisi.signalhandler
 
 class Error(pisi.Error):
     pass
@@ -91,6 +92,8 @@ def init(database = True, write = True,
     if stderr:
         ctx.stderr = stderr
 
+    # FIXME: something is wrong here... see __init__.py also. Why do we import pisi.api in __init__.py
+    import pisi.config
     ctx.config = pisi.config.Config(options)
 
     if signal_handling:
@@ -104,7 +107,7 @@ def init(database = True, write = True,
     # initialize repository databases
     ctx.database = database
     if database:
-        pisi.db.lockeddbshelve.init_dbenv(write=write)
+        shelve.init_dbenv(write=write)
         ctx.repodb = pisi.db.repodb.RepoDB()
         ctx.installdb = pisi.db.installdb.InstallDB()
         ctx.filesdb = pisi.db.filesdb.FilesDB()
@@ -509,12 +512,12 @@ def rebuild_db(files=False):
 
     # check db schema versions
     try:
-        pisi.lockeddbshelve.check_dbversion('filesdbversion', pisi.__filesdbversion__, write=False)
+        shelve.check_dbversion('filesdbversion', pisi.__filesdbversion__, write=False)
     except KeyboardInterrupt:
         raise
     except Exception, e: #FIXME: what exception could we catch here, replace with that.
         files = True # exception means the files db version was wrong
-    pisi.lockeddbshelve.init_dbenv(write=True, writeversion=True)
+    shelve.init_dbenv(write=True, writeversion=True)
     destroy(files) # bye bye
 
     # save parameters and shutdown pisi