@@ -402,21 +402,22 @@
   (with-output-to-port
       (current-error-port)
     (lambda ()
       (apply print params))))
 
-(define (dbfile:cautious-open-database fname init-proc sync-mode journal-mode #!optional (tries-left 500))
+(define (dbfile:cautious-open-database fname init-proc sync-mode journal-mode
+				       #!key (tries-left 500)(force-init #f))
   (let* ((busy-file  (conc fname "-journal"))
 	 (delay-time (* (- 51 tries-left) 1.1))
       	 (write-access (file-write-access? fname))
          (dir-access (file-write-access? (pathname-directory fname)))
          (retry      (lambda ()
 		       (thread-sleep! delay-time)
 		       (if (> tries-left 0)
 			   (dbfile:cautious-open-database fname init-proc
 							  sync-mode journal-mode
-							  (- tries-left 1))))))
+							  tries-left: (- tries-left 1))))))
     (assert (>= tries-left 0) (conc "FATAL: too many attempts in dbfile:cautious-open-database of "fname", giving up."))
     
     (if (and (file-write-access? fname)
 	     (file-exists? busy-file))
 	(begin
@@ -426,11 +427,11 @@
 	  (thread-sleep! 1)
 	  (if (eq? tries-left 2)
 	      (begin
 	  	(dbfile:print-err "INFO: forcing journal rollup "busy-file)
 	  	(dbfile:brute-force-salvage-db fname)))
-	  (dbfile:cautious-open-database fname init-proc sync-mode journal-mode (- tries-left 1)))
+	  (dbfile:cautious-open-database fname init-proc sync-mode journal-mode tries-left: (- tries-left 1)))
 	
 	(let* ((result (condition-case
 		        (if dir-access
 			    (dbfile:with-simple-file-lock
 			     (conc fname ".lock")
@@ -440,11 +441,12 @@
                                  (sqlite3:set-busy-handler! db (sqlite3:make-busy-timeout 30000))
 				 (if sync-mode
 				     (sqlite3:execute db (conc "PRAGMA synchronous = "sync-mode";")))
 				 (if journal-mode
 				     (sqlite3:execute db (conc "PRAGMA journal_mode = "journal-mode";")))
-				 (if (and init-proc (not db-exists))
+				 (if (and init-proc (or force-init
+							(not db-exists)))
 				     (init-proc db))
 				 db)))
                             (begin
 			      (if (file-exists? fname )
                                   (let ((db (sqlite3:open-database fname)))
@@ -522,12 +524,12 @@
                                  reason TEXT DEFAULT 'none',
                                    CONSTRAINT no_sync_processes UNIQUE (host,pid));"
 			    ))))))
 	 (on-tmp      (equal? (car (string-split dbpath "/")) "tmp"))
 	 (db        (if on-tmp
-			(dbfile:cautious-open-database dbname init-proc 0 "WAL")
-			(dbfile:cautious-open-database dbname init-proc 0 #f)
+			(dbfile:cautious-open-database dbname init-proc 0 "WAL" force-init: #t)
+			(dbfile:cautious-open-database dbname init-proc 0 #f    force-init: #t)
 			;; (sqlite3:open-database dbname)
 			)))
     (if on-tmp	      ;; done in cautious-open-database
 	(begin
 	  (sqlite3:execute db "PRAGMA synchronous = 0;")