diff --git a/pisi/cli/commands.py b/pisi/cli/commands.py
index 45e2cf10..1c69cc0d 100644
--- a/pisi/cli/commands.py
+++ b/pisi/cli/commands.py
@@ -137,12 +137,12 @@ class Command(object):
         else:
             self.authInfo = None
 
-    def init(self, database = True):
+    def init(self, database = True, write = True):
         """initialize PiSi components"""
         
         # NB: command imports here or in the command class run fxns
         import pisi.api
-        pisi.api.init(database = database, options = self.options,
+        pisi.api.init(database = database, write = write, options = self.options,
                       comar = self.comar)
 
     def finalize(self):
diff --git a/pisi/lockeddbshelve.py b/pisi/lockeddbshelve.py
index 6025fc77..fe149568 100644
--- a/pisi/lockeddbshelve.py
+++ b/pisi/lockeddbshelve.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def init_dbenv(write=False, writeversion=False):
         check_dbversion('filesdbversion', pisi.__filesdbversion__, write=write, update=writeversion)
     else:
         raise Error(_('Cannot attain read access to database environment'))
-    if os.access(pisi.context.config.db_dir(), os.W_OK):
+    if write and os.access(pisi.context.config.db_dir(), os.W_OK):
         ctx.dbenv = dbobj.DBEnv()
         flags =  (db.DB_INIT_MPOOL |      # cache
                   db.DB_INIT_TXN |        # transaction subsystem
@@ -87,7 +87,9 @@ def init_dbenv(write=False, writeversion=False):
         ctx.dbenv.open(pisi.context.config.db_dir(), flags)
         ctx.dbenv.set_flags(db.DB_LOG_AUTOREMOVE, 1) # clear inactive logs automatically
     else:
-        ctx.ui.warning(_("Opening PISI database in read-only mode. Operations that require write access will fail."))
+        # Warn if not on purpose
+        if write:
+            ctx.ui.warning(_("Opening PISI database in read-only mode. Operations that require write access will fail."))
         ctx.dbenv = None
 
 #def open(filename, flags='r', mode = 0644, filetype = db.DB_BTREE):
@@ -113,10 +115,8 @@ class LockedDBShelf(shelve.DBShelf):
             dbenv = ctx.dbenv
         shelve.DBShelf.__init__(self, dbenv)
         filename = join_path(pisi.context.config.db_dir(), dbname + '.bdb')
-        if os.access(os.path.dirname(filename), os.W_OK):
+        if dbenv and os.access(os.path.dirname(filename), os.W_OK):
             flags = 'w'
-            if not self.dbenv:
-                raise Error(_('Database writes not allowed without transactions'))
         elif os.access(filename, os.R_OK):
             flags = 'r'
         else: