diff --git a/lib/libalpm/alpm.c b/lib/libalpm/alpm.c
index 6b79d4c8..145996fe 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/alpm.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/alpm.c
@@ -202,6 +202,18 @@ int alpm_db_unregister(PM_DB *db)
 	return(0);
 }
 
+int alpm_db_update(char *treename, char *archive)
+{
+	/* Sanity checks */
+	ASSERT(handle != NULL, return(-1));
+	ASSERT(treename != NULL && strlen(treename) != 0, PM_RET_ERR(PM_ERR_WRONG_ARGS, -1));
+
+	/* ORE
+	stat(archive); */
+
+	return(db_update(handle->root, handle->dbpath, treename, archive));
+}
+
 PM_PKG *alpm_db_readpkg(PM_DB *db, char *name)
 {
 	/* Sanity checks */
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/alpm.h b/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
index 4551b3f9..dbc42275 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ int alpm_get_option(unsigned char parm, long *data);
 int alpm_db_register(char *treename, PM_DB **db);
 int alpm_db_unregister(PM_DB *db);
 
+int alpm_db_update(char *treename, char *archive);
+
 PM_PKG *alpm_db_readpkg(PM_DB *db, char *name);
 PM_LIST *alpm_db_getpkgcache(PM_DB *db);
 
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/db.c b/lib/libalpm/db.c
index 3fad4bb6..ddf06a89 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/db.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/db.c
@@ -97,6 +97,38 @@ int db_create(char *root, char *dbpath, char *treename)
 	return(0);
 }
 
+int db_update(char *root, char *dbpath, char *treename, char *archive)
+{
+	char ldir[PATH_MAX];
+
+	snprintf(ldir, PATH_MAX, "%s%s/%s", root, dbpath, treename);
+	/* remove the old dir */
+	/* ORE - do we want to include alpm.h and use the log mechanism from db.c?
+	_alpm_log(PM_LOG_FLOW2, "removing %s (if it exists)\n", ldir);*/
+	/* ORE 
+	We should only rmrf the database content, and not the top directory, in case
+	a (DIR *) structure is associated with it (i.e a call to db_open). */
+	_alpm_rmrf(ldir);
+
+	/* make the new dir */
+	if(db_create(root, dbpath, treename) != 0) {
+		return(-1);
+	}
+
+	/* uncompress the sync database */
+	/* ORE
+	_alpm_log(PM_LOG_FLOW2, "Unpacking %s...\n", archive);*/
+	if(_alpm_unpack(archive, ldir, NULL)) {
+		return(-1);
+	}
+
+	/* ORE
+	Should we let the the library manage updates only if needed?
+	Create a .lastupdate file in ldir? Ask for a timestamp as db_update argument? */
+
+	return(0);
+}
+
 void db_rewind(pmdb_t *db)
 {
 	if(db == NULL || db->dir == NULL) {
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/db.h b/lib/libalpm/db.h
index b4161871..fc56f410 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/db.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/db.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ typedef struct __pmdb_t {
 pmdb_t *db_open(char *root, char *dbpath, char *treename);
 void db_close(pmdb_t *db);
 int db_create(char *root, char *dbpath, char *treename);
+int db_update(char *root, char *dbpath, char *treename, char *archive)
 
 void db_rewind(pmdb_t *db);
 pmpkg_t *db_scan(pmdb_t *db, char *target, unsigned int inforeq);