diff --git a/kallithea/bin/kallithea_cli_db.py b/kallithea/bin/kallithea_cli_db.py
--- a/kallithea/bin/kallithea_cli_db.py
+++ b/kallithea/bin/kallithea_cli_db.py
@@ -15,11 +15,15 @@ import click
 
 import kallithea
 import kallithea.bin.kallithea_cli_base as cli_base
+import kallithea.lib.utils
+import kallithea.model.scm
 from kallithea.lib.db_manage import DbManage
-from kallithea.model.meta import Session
+from kallithea.model import meta
 
 
-@cli_base.register_command(config_file=True)
+@cli_base.register_command(needs_config_file=True, config_file_initialize_app=True)
+@click.option('--reuse/--no-reuse', default=False,
+        help='Reuse and clean existing database instead of dropping and creating (default: no reuse)')
 @click.option('--user', help='Username of administrator account.')
 @click.option('--password', help='Password for administrator account.')
 @click.option('--email', help='Email address of administrator account.')
@@ -28,7 +32,7 @@ from kallithea.model.meta import Session
 @click.option('--force-no', is_flag=True, help='Answer no to every question.')
 @click.option('--public-access/--no-public-access', default=True,
         help='Enable/disable public access on this installation (default: enable)')
-def db_create(user, password, email, repos, force_yes, force_no, public_access):
+def db_create(user, password, email, repos, force_yes, force_no, public_access, reuse, config=None):
     """Initialize the database.
 
     Create all required tables in the database specified in the configuration
@@ -37,44 +41,43 @@ def db_create(user, password, email, rep
 
     You can pass the answers to all questions as options to this command.
     """
-    dbconf = kallithea.CONFIG['sqlalchemy.url']
+    if config is not None:  # first called with config, before app initialization
+        dbconf = config['sqlalchemy.url']
 
-    # force_ask should be True (yes), False (no), or None (ask)
-    if force_yes:
-        force_ask = True
-    elif force_no:
-        force_ask = False
-    else:
-        force_ask = None
+        # force_ask should be True (yes), False (no), or None (ask)
+        if force_yes:
+            force_ask = True
+        elif force_no:
+            force_ask = False
+        else:
+            force_ask = None
 
-    cli_args = dict(
-            username=user,
-            password=password,
-            email=email,
-            repos_location=repos,
-            force_ask=force_ask,
-            public_access=public_access,
-    )
-    dbmanage = DbManage(dbconf=dbconf, root=kallithea.CONFIG['here'],
-                        tests=False, cli_args=cli_args)
-    dbmanage.create_tables(override=True)
-    repo_root_path = dbmanage.prompt_repo_root_path(None)
-    dbmanage.create_settings(repo_root_path)
-    dbmanage.create_default_user()
-    dbmanage.admin_prompt()
-    dbmanage.create_permissions()
-    dbmanage.populate_default_permissions()
-    Session().commit()
+        cli_args = dict(
+                username=user,
+                password=password,
+                email=email,
+                repos_location=repos,
+                force_ask=force_ask,
+                public_access=public_access,
+        )
+        dbmanage = DbManage(dbconf=dbconf, root=config['here'],
+                            cli_args=cli_args)
+        dbmanage.create_tables(reuse_database=reuse)
+        repo_root_path = dbmanage.prompt_repo_root_path(None)
+        dbmanage.create_settings(repo_root_path)
+        dbmanage.create_default_user()
+        dbmanage.create_admin_user()
+        dbmanage.create_permissions()
+        dbmanage.populate_default_permissions()
+        meta.Session().commit()
 
-    # initial repository scan
-    kallithea.config.middleware.make_app(
-            kallithea.CONFIG.global_conf, **kallithea.CONFIG.local_conf)
-    added, _ = kallithea.lib.utils.repo2db_mapper(kallithea.model.scm.ScmModel().repo_scan())
-    if added:
-        click.echo('Initial repository scan: added following repositories:')
-        click.echo('\t%s' % '\n\t'.join(added))
-    else:
-        click.echo('Initial repository scan: no repositories found.')
+    else:  # then called again after app initialization
+        added, _ = kallithea.lib.utils.repo2db_mapper(kallithea.model.scm.ScmModel().repo_scan())
+        if added:
+            click.echo('Initial repository scan: added following repositories:')
+            click.echo('\t%s' % '\n\t'.join(added))
+        else:
+            click.echo('Initial repository scan: no repositories found.')
 
-    click.echo('Database set up successfully.')
-    click.echo("Don't forget to build the front-end using 'kallithea-cli front-end-build'.")
+        click.echo('Database set up successfully.')
+        click.echo("Don't forget to build the front-end using 'kallithea-cli front-end-build'.")