diff --git a/pisi/api.py b/pisi/api.py
index 1f5dda4f..195ba9c8 100644
--- a/pisi/api.py
+++ b/pisi/api.py
@@ -40,13 +40,13 @@ class Error(pisi.Error):
     pass
 
 
-def init(database = True, options = None, ui = None ):
+def init(database = True, options = None, ui = None, comar = True):
     """Initialize PiSi subsystem"""
 
     import pisi.config
     ctx.config = pisi.config.Config(options)
 
-    if not ctx.config.get_option('ignore_comar'):
+    if comar and not ctx.config.get_option('ignore_comar'):
         # FIXME: just try for others (that don't use comar)
         try:
             import comar
diff --git a/pisi/cli/commands.py b/pisi/cli/commands.py
index 3534249e..c0f221bf 100644
--- a/pisi/cli/commands.py
+++ b/pisi/cli/commands.py
@@ -52,12 +52,12 @@ class Command(object):
     def __init__(self):
         # now for the real parser
         import pisi
+        self.comar = False
         self.parser = OptionParser(usage=getattr(self, "__doc__"),
                                    version="%prog " + pisi.__version__)
         self.options()
         self.commonopts()
         (self.options, self.args) = self.parser.parse_args()
-        self.override_options()
         self.args.pop(0)                # exclude command arg
         
         self.check_auth_info()
@@ -87,12 +87,6 @@ class Command(object):
         options function it will be called"""
         pass
 
-    def override_options(self):
-        # if ignore_comar is not defined, it is True, where it is defined 
-        # its default is False. Confused? Don't get confused, it's correct :)
-        if not hasattr(self.options, 'ignore_comar'):
-            self.options.ignore_comar = True
-
     def check_auth_info(self):
         username = self.options.username
         password = self.options.password
@@ -121,7 +115,8 @@ class Command(object):
         
         # NB: command imports here or in the command class run fxns
         import pisi.api
-        pisi.api.init(database, self.options)
+        pisi.api.init(database = database, options = self.options,
+                      comar = self.comar)
 
     def finalize(self):
         """do cleanup work for PiSi components"""
@@ -281,6 +276,7 @@ class PackageOp(Command):
     """Abstract package operation command"""
     def __init__(self):
         super(PackageOp, self).__init__()
+        self.comar = True
 
     def options(self):
         p = self.parser
diff --git a/tests/archivetests.py b/tests/archivetests.py
index 7acbbd2f..3e147d48 100644
--- a/tests/archivetests.py
+++ b/tests/archivetests.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ from pisi import uri
 
 class ArchiveFileTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
-        pisi.api.init()
+        pisi.api.init(comar = False)
 
     def testUnpackTar(self):
         bctx = BuildContext("tests/popt/pspec.xml")
diff --git a/tests/fetchertests.py b/tests/fetchertests.py
index 2cf232f1..d791b236 100644
--- a/tests/fetchertests.py
+++ b/tests/fetchertests.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from pisi import uri
 
 class FetcherTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
-        pisi.api.init()
+        pisi.api.init(database = False, comar = False)
 
         self.spec = SpecFile()
         self.spec.read("tests/popt/pspec.xml")
diff --git a/tests/installdbtests.py b/tests/installdbtests.py
index 9a0c4b6e..93622b94 100644
--- a/tests/installdbtests.py
+++ b/tests/installdbtests.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from pisi import util
 class InstallDBTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
-        pisi.api.init()
+        pisi.api.init(database = True, comar = False)
         self.installdb = ctx.installdb
 
     def testRemoveDummy(self):
diff --git a/tests/packagedbtests.py b/tests/packagedbtests.py
index 50ba0375..5b72f561 100644
--- a/tests/packagedbtests.py
+++ b/tests/packagedbtests.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class PackageDBTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
         # setUp will be called for each test individually
-        pisi.api.init()
+        pisi.api.init(comar = False)
 
         self.spec = SpecFile()
         self.spec.read('tests/popt/pspec.xml')
diff --git a/tests/sourcedbtests.py b/tests/sourcedbtests.py
index 02edee3e..0a836c69 100644
--- a/tests/sourcedbtests.py
+++ b/tests/sourcedbtests.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from pisi.specfile import SpecFile
 class SourceDBTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
-        pisi.api.init()
+        pisi.api.init(comar = False)
 
         self.sourcedb = pisi.sourcedb.init()
         self.spec = SpecFile()
diff --git a/tests/xmlfiletests.py b/tests/xmlfiletests.py
index 1af3e57f..f465398d 100644
--- a/tests/xmlfiletests.py
+++ b/tests/xmlfiletests.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ from pisi.xmlext import *
 class XmlFileTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
-        pisi.api.init(False)
+        pisi.api.init(database = False, comar = False)
     
     def testMetaClass(self):