diff --git a/lib/libalpm/alpm.c b/lib/libalpm/alpm.c
index 9b9719d1..b0bbbe8c 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/alpm.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/alpm.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ pmhandle_t SYMEXPORT *alpm_initialize(const char *root, const char *dbpath,
 	snprintf(myhandle->lockfile, lockfilelen, "%s%s", myhandle->dbpath, lf);
 
 	if(_alpm_db_register_local(myhandle) == NULL) {
-		myerr = PM_ERR_DB_CREATE;
+		myerr = myhandle->pm_errno;
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/be_local.c b/lib/libalpm/be_local.c
index 4b2a3017..0ff51deb 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/be_local.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/be_local.c
@@ -314,6 +314,56 @@ static int is_dir(const char *path, struct dirent *entry)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int local_db_validate(pmdb_t *db)
+{
+	struct dirent *ent = NULL;
+	const char *dbpath;
+	DIR *dbdir;
+	int ret = -1;
+
+	dbpath = _alpm_db_path(db);
+	if(dbpath == NULL) {
+		RET_ERR(db->handle, PM_ERR_DB_OPEN, -1);
+	}
+	dbdir = opendir(dbpath);
+	if(dbdir == NULL) {
+		if(errno == ENOENT) {
+			/* database dir doesn't exist yet */
+			return 0;
+		} else {
+			RET_ERR(db->handle, PM_ERR_DB_OPEN, -1);
+		}
+	}
+
+	while((ent = readdir(dbdir)) != NULL) {
+		const char *name = ent->d_name;
+		char path[PATH_MAX];
+
+		if(strcmp(name, ".") == 0 || strcmp(name, "..") == 0) {
+			continue;
+		}
+		if(!is_dir(dbpath, ent)) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		snprintf(path, PATH_MAX, "%s%s/depends", dbpath, name);
+		if(access(path, F_OK) == 0) {
+			/* we found a depends file- bail */
+			db->handle->pm_errno = PM_ERR_DB_VERSION;
+			goto done;
+		}
+	}
+	/* we found no depends file after full scan */
+	ret = 0;
+
+done:
+	if(dbdir) {
+		closedir(dbdir);
+	}
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static int local_db_populate(pmdb_t *db)
 {
 	size_t est_count;
@@ -328,6 +378,7 @@ static int local_db_populate(pmdb_t *db)
 		/* pm_errno set in _alpm_db_path() */
 		return -1;
 	}
+
 	dbdir = opendir(dbpath);
 	if(dbdir == NULL) {
 		if(errno == ENOENT) {
@@ -867,62 +918,9 @@ int _alpm_local_db_remove(pmdb_t *db, pmpkg_t *info)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int local_db_version(pmdb_t *db)
-{
-	struct dirent *ent = NULL;
-	const char *dbpath;
-	DIR *dbdir;
-	int version;
-
-	dbpath = _alpm_db_path(db);
-	if(dbpath == NULL) {
-		RET_ERR(db->handle, PM_ERR_DB_OPEN, -1);
-	}
-	dbdir = opendir(dbpath);
-	if(dbdir == NULL) {
-		if(errno == ENOENT) {
-			/* database dir doesn't exist yet */
-			version = 2;
-			goto done;
-		} else {
-			RET_ERR(db->handle, PM_ERR_DB_OPEN, -1);
-		}
-	}
-
-	while((ent = readdir(dbdir)) != NULL) {
-		const char *name = ent->d_name;
-		char path[PATH_MAX];
-
-		if(strcmp(name, ".") == 0 || strcmp(name, "..") == 0) {
-			continue;
-		}
-		if(!is_dir(dbpath, ent)) {
-			continue;
-		}
-
-		snprintf(path, PATH_MAX, "%s%s/depends", dbpath, name);
-		if(access(path, F_OK) == 0) {
-			/* we found a depends file- bail */
-			version = 1;
-			goto done;
-		}
-	}
-	/* we found no depends file after full scan */
-	version = 2;
-
-done:
-	if(dbdir) {
-		closedir(dbdir);
-	}
-
-	_alpm_log(db->handle, PM_LOG_DEBUG, "local database version %d\n", version);
-	return version;
-}
-
 struct db_operations local_db_ops = {
 	.populate         = local_db_populate,
 	.unregister       = _alpm_db_unregister,
-	.version          = local_db_version,
 };
 
 pmdb_t *_alpm_db_register_local(pmhandle_t *handle)
@@ -933,11 +931,18 @@ pmdb_t *_alpm_db_register_local(pmhandle_t *handle)
 
 	db = _alpm_db_new("local", 1);
 	if(db == NULL) {
+		handle->pm_errno = PM_ERR_DB_CREATE;
 		return NULL;
 	}
 	db->ops = &local_db_ops;
 	db->handle = handle;
 
+	if(local_db_validate(db)) {
+		/* pm_errno set in local_db_validate() */
+		_alpm_db_free(db);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
 	handle->db_local = db;
 	return db;
 }
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c b/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
index 2cf90544..1a434f24 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
@@ -559,15 +559,9 @@ error:
 	return -1;
 }
 
-static int sync_db_version(pmdb_t UNUSED *db)
-{
-	return 2;
-}
-
 struct db_operations sync_db_ops = {
 	.populate         = sync_db_populate,
 	.unregister       = _alpm_db_unregister,
-	.version          = sync_db_version,
 };
 
 pmdb_t *_alpm_db_register_sync(pmhandle_t *handle, const char *treename,
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/db.c b/lib/libalpm/db.c
index 2b50c064..820261a1 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/db.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/db.c
@@ -370,14 +370,6 @@ const char *_alpm_db_path(pmdb_t *db)
 	return db->_path;
 }
 
-int _alpm_db_version(pmdb_t *db)
-{
-	if(!db) {
-		return -1;
-	}
-	return db->ops->version(db);
-}
-
 char *_alpm_db_sig_path(pmdb_t *db)
 {
 	char *sigpath;
@@ -522,11 +514,6 @@ pmpkghash_t *_alpm_db_get_pkgcache_hash(pmdb_t *db)
 		_alpm_db_load_pkgcache(db);
 	}
 
-	/* hmmm, still NULL ?*/
-	if(!db->pkgcache) {
-		_alpm_log(db->handle, PM_LOG_DEBUG, "warning: pkgcache is NULL for db '%s'\n", db->treename);
-	}
-
 	return db->pkgcache;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/db.h b/lib/libalpm/db.h
index c5fcd5f0..4541c258 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/db.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/db.h
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ typedef enum _pmdbinfrq_t {
 struct db_operations {
 	int (*populate) (pmdb_t *);
 	void (*unregister) (pmdb_t *);
-	int (*version) (pmdb_t *);
 };
 
 /* Database */
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/trans.c b/lib/libalpm/trans.c
index f0744937..b4bdccfb 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/trans.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/trans.c
@@ -101,8 +101,6 @@ int SYMEXPORT alpm_trans_init(pmhandle_t *handle, pmtransflag_t flags,
 		alpm_trans_cb_progress progress)
 {
 	pmtrans_t *trans;
-	const int required_db_version = 2;
-	int db_version;
 
 	/* Sanity checks */
 	CHECK_HANDLE(handle, return -1);
@@ -122,16 +120,6 @@ int SYMEXPORT alpm_trans_init(pmhandle_t *handle, pmtransflag_t flags,
 	trans->cb_progress = progress;
 	trans->state = STATE_INITIALIZED;
 
-	/* check database version */
-	db_version = _alpm_db_version(handle->db_local);
-	if(db_version < required_db_version) {
-		_alpm_log(handle, PM_LOG_ERROR,
-				_("%s database version is too old\n"), handle->db_local->treename);
-		remove_lock(handle);
-		_alpm_trans_free(trans);
-		RET_ERR(handle, PM_ERR_DB_VERSION, -1);
-	}
-
 	handle->trans = trans;
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/src/pacman/conf.c b/src/pacman/conf.c
index 5c2a11d3..c5f78d40 100644
--- a/src/pacman/conf.c
+++ b/src/pacman/conf.c
@@ -449,6 +449,9 @@ static int setup_libalpm(void)
 	if(!handle) {
 		pm_printf(PM_LOG_ERROR, _("failed to initialize alpm library (%s)\n"),
 		        alpm_strerror(err));
+		if(err == PM_ERR_DB_VERSION) {
+			fprintf(stderr, _("  try running pacman-db-upgrade\n"));
+		}
 		return -1;
 	}
 	config->handle = handle;
diff --git a/src/pacman/util.c b/src/pacman/util.c
index 66f127c6..77a7e56c 100644
--- a/src/pacman/util.c
+++ b/src/pacman/util.c
@@ -68,9 +68,6 @@ int trans_init(pmtransflag_t flags)
 						"  running, you can remove %s\n"),
 					alpm_option_get_lockfile(config->handle));
 		}
-		else if(err == PM_ERR_DB_VERSION) {
-			fprintf(stderr, _("  try running pacman-db-upgrade\n"));
-		}
 
 		return -1;
 	}