diff --git a/lib/libalpm/alpm.c b/lib/libalpm/alpm.c
index 2a9f4605..7c3bfc26 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/alpm.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/alpm.c
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ int SYMEXPORT alpm_initialize(void)
 	if(handle == NULL) {
 		RET_ERR(PM_ERR_MEMORY, -1);
 	}
+	if(_alpm_db_register_local() == NULL) {
+		/* error code should be set */
+		return(-1);
+	}
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_NLS
 	bindtextdomain("libalpm", LOCALEDIR);
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/alpm.h b/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
index a540bc4f..95482f07 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
@@ -174,8 +174,6 @@ typedef enum _pmpkgreason_t {
  * Databases
  */
 
-/* Preferred interfaces db_register_local and db_register_sync */
-pmdb_t *alpm_db_register_local(void);
 pmdb_t *alpm_db_register_sync(const char *treename);
 int alpm_db_unregister(pmdb_t *db);
 int alpm_db_unregister_all(void);
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/be_local.c b/lib/libalpm/be_local.c
index ea59ceca..9602c825 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/be_local.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/be_local.c
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ static int local_db_populate(pmdb_t *db)
 		pkg = _alpm_pkg_new();
 		if(pkg == NULL) {
 			closedir(dbdir);
-			return(-1);
+			RET_ERR(PM_ERR_MEMORY, -1);
 		}
 		/* split the db entry name */
 		if(_alpm_splitname(name, pkg) != 0) {
@@ -900,11 +900,6 @@ pmdb_t *_alpm_db_register_local(void)
 
 	ALPM_LOG_FUNC;
 
-	if(handle->db_local != NULL) {
-		_alpm_log(PM_LOG_WARNING, _("attempt to re-register the 'local' DB\n"));
-		RET_ERR(PM_ERR_DB_NOT_NULL, NULL);
-	}
-
 	_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "registering local database\n");
 
 	db = _alpm_db_new("local", 1);
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/db.c b/lib/libalpm/db.c
index bf9a70d4..c80dcbb8 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/db.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/db.c
@@ -64,21 +64,6 @@ pmdb_t SYMEXPORT *alpm_db_register_sync(const char *treename)
 	return(_alpm_db_register_sync(treename));
 }
 
-/** Register the local package database.
- * @return a pmdb_t* representing the local database, or NULL on error
- */
-pmdb_t SYMEXPORT *alpm_db_register_local(void)
-{
-	ALPM_LOG_FUNC;
-
-	/* Sanity checks */
-	ASSERT(handle != NULL, RET_ERR(PM_ERR_HANDLE_NULL, NULL));
-	/* Do not register a database if a transaction is on-going */
-	ASSERT(handle->trans == NULL, RET_ERR(PM_ERR_TRANS_NOT_NULL, NULL));
-
-	return(_alpm_db_register_local());
-}
-
 /* Helper function for alpm_db_unregister{_all} */
 void _alpm_db_unregister(pmdb_t *db)
 {
diff --git a/src/pacman/database.c b/src/pacman/database.c
index 5fd33ea5..36433f33 100644
--- a/src/pacman/database.c
+++ b/src/pacman/database.c
@@ -31,8 +31,6 @@
 #include "conf.h"
 #include "util.h"
 
-extern pmdb_t *db_local;
-
 /**
  * @brief Modify the 'local' package database.
  *
@@ -43,6 +41,7 @@ extern pmdb_t *db_local;
 int pacman_database(alpm_list_t *targets)
 {
 	alpm_list_t *i;
+	pmdb_t *db_local;
 	int retval = 0;
 	pmpkgreason_t reason;
 
@@ -65,6 +64,7 @@ int pacman_database(alpm_list_t *targets)
 		return(1);
 	}
 
+	db_local = alpm_option_get_localdb();
 	for(i = targets; i; i = alpm_list_next(i)) {
 		char *pkgname = i->data;
 		if(alpm_db_set_pkgreason(db_local, pkgname, reason) == -1) {
diff --git a/src/pacman/pacman.c b/src/pacman/pacman.c
index c2670604..45500cfb 100644
--- a/src/pacman/pacman.c
+++ b/src/pacman/pacman.c
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@
 #include "conf.h"
 #include "package.h"
 
-pmdb_t *db_local;
 /* list of targets specified on command line */
 static alpm_list_t *pm_targets;
 
@@ -1433,14 +1432,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		list_display("Targets   :", pm_targets);
 	}
 
-	/* Opening local database */
-	db_local = alpm_db_register_local();
-	if(db_local == NULL) {
-		pm_printf(PM_LOG_ERROR, _("could not register 'local' database (%s)\n"),
-		        alpm_strerrorlast());
-		cleanup(EXIT_FAILURE);
-	}
-
 	/* Log commandline */
 	if(needs_root()) {
 		cl_to_log(argc, argv);
diff --git a/src/pacman/query.c b/src/pacman/query.c
index fc6a2a56..c79133d1 100644
--- a/src/pacman/query.c
+++ b/src/pacman/query.c
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@
 #include "conf.h"
 #include "util.h"
 
-extern pmdb_t *db_local;
-
 static char *resolve_path(const char *file)
 {
 	char *str = NULL;
@@ -102,6 +100,7 @@ static int query_fileowner(alpm_list_t *targets)
 	char *append;
 	size_t max_length;
 	alpm_list_t *t;
+	pmdb_t *db_local;
 
 	/* This code is here for safety only */
 	if(targets == NULL) {
@@ -117,6 +116,8 @@ static int query_fileowner(alpm_list_t *targets)
 	append = path + strlen(path);
 	max_length = PATH_MAX - (append - path) - 1;
 
+	db_local = alpm_option_get_localdb();
+
 	for(t = targets; t; t = alpm_list_next(t)) {
 		char *filename, *dname, *rpath;
 		const char *bname;
@@ -220,6 +221,7 @@ static int query_search(alpm_list_t *targets)
 {
 	alpm_list_t *i, *searchlist;
 	int freelist;
+	pmdb_t *db_local = alpm_option_get_localdb();
 
 	/* if we have a targets list, search for packages matching it */
 	if(targets) {
@@ -286,6 +288,8 @@ static int query_group(alpm_list_t *targets)
 	alpm_list_t *i, *j;
 	char *grpname = NULL;
 	int ret = 0;
+	pmdb_t *db_local = alpm_option_get_localdb();
+
 	if(targets == NULL) {
 		for(j = alpm_db_get_grpcache(db_local); j; j = alpm_list_next(j)) {
 			pmgrp_t *grp = alpm_list_getdata(j);
@@ -471,6 +475,7 @@ int pacman_query(alpm_list_t *targets)
 	int match = 0;
 	alpm_list_t *i;
 	pmpkg_t *pkg = NULL;
+	pmdb_t *db_local;
 
 	/* First: operations that do not require targets */
 
@@ -495,6 +500,8 @@ int pacman_query(alpm_list_t *targets)
 		}
 	}
 
+	db_local = alpm_option_get_localdb();
+
 	/* operations on all packages in the local DB
 	 * valid: no-op (plain -Q), list, info, check
 	 * invalid: isfile, owns */
diff --git a/src/pacman/remove.c b/src/pacman/remove.c
index 52f92ec0..82d1c384 100644
--- a/src/pacman/remove.c
+++ b/src/pacman/remove.c
@@ -31,8 +31,6 @@
 #include "util.h"
 #include "conf.h"
 
-extern pmdb_t *db_local;
-
 /**
  * @brief Remove a specified list of packages.
  *
diff --git a/src/pacman/sync.c b/src/pacman/sync.c
index 278f15e5..7353f7ee 100644
--- a/src/pacman/sync.c
+++ b/src/pacman/sync.c
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@
 #include "package.h"
 #include "conf.h"
 
-extern pmdb_t *db_local;
-
 /* if keep_used != 0, then the db files which match an used syncdb
  * will be kept  */
 static int sync_cleandb(const char *dbpath, int keep_used) {
@@ -144,6 +142,7 @@ static int sync_cleancache(int level)
 {
 	alpm_list_t *i;
 	alpm_list_t *sync_dbs = alpm_option_get_syncdbs();
+	pmdb_t *db_local = alpm_option_get_localdb();
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	for(i = alpm_option_get_cachedirs(); i; i = alpm_list_next(i)) {
@@ -295,7 +294,7 @@ static int sync_synctree(int level, alpm_list_t *syncs)
 	return(success > 0);
 }
 
-static void print_installed(pmpkg_t *pkg)
+static void print_installed(pmdb_t *db_local, pmpkg_t *pkg)
 {
 	const char *pkgname = alpm_pkg_get_name(pkg);
 	const char *pkgver = alpm_pkg_get_version(pkg);
@@ -316,6 +315,7 @@ static int sync_search(alpm_list_t *syncs, alpm_list_t *targets)
 	alpm_list_t *i, *j, *ret;
 	int freelist;
 	int found = 0;
+	pmdb_t *db_local = alpm_option_get_localdb();
 
 	for(i = syncs; i; i = alpm_list_next(i)) {
 		pmdb_t *db = alpm_list_getdata(i);
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ static int sync_search(alpm_list_t *syncs, alpm_list_t *targets)
 					printf(")");
 				}
 
-				print_installed(pkg);
+				print_installed(db_local, pkg);
 
 				/* we need a newline and initial indent first */
 				printf("\n    ");
@@ -519,6 +519,7 @@ static int sync_info(alpm_list_t *syncs, alpm_list_t *targets)
 static int sync_list(alpm_list_t *syncs, alpm_list_t *targets)
 {
 	alpm_list_t *i, *j, *ls = NULL;
+	pmdb_t *db_local = alpm_option_get_localdb();
 
 	if(targets) {
 		for(i = targets; i; i = alpm_list_next(i)) {
@@ -556,7 +557,7 @@ static int sync_list(alpm_list_t *syncs, alpm_list_t *targets)
 			if (!config->quiet) {
 				printf("%s %s %s", alpm_db_get_name(db), alpm_pkg_get_name(pkg),
 						alpm_pkg_get_version(pkg));
-				print_installed(pkg);
+				print_installed(db_local, pkg);
 				printf("\n");
 			} else {
 				printf("%s\n", alpm_pkg_get_name(pkg));
diff --git a/src/util/pactree.c b/src/util/pactree.c
index 0ac3f246..6a10006f 100644
--- a/src/util/pactree.c
+++ b/src/util/pactree.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ static int alpm_local_init(void)
 		return(ret);
 	}
 
-	db_local = alpm_db_register_local();
+	db_local = alpm_option_get_localdb();
 	if(!db_local) {
 		return(1);
 	}
diff --git a/src/util/testdb.c b/src/util/testdb.c
index 96a123a6..461cf23a 100644
--- a/src/util/testdb.c
+++ b/src/util/testdb.c
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ static int check_localdb(void) {
 		return(ret);
 	}
 
-	db = alpm_db_register_local();
+	db = alpm_option_get_localdb();
 	if(db == NULL) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "error: could not register 'local' database (%s)\n",
 				alpm_strerrorlast());