diff --git a/src/apk_database.h b/src/apk_database.h
index 19bafcd55773..2a7cb3b1599d 100644
--- a/src/apk_database.h
+++ b/src/apk_database.h
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ struct apk_database {
 	unsigned int pending_triggers;
 	int performing_self_upgrade : 1;
 	int permanent : 1;
-	int open_write : 1;
+	int autoupdate : 1;
 	int open_complete : 1;
 	int compat_newfeatures : 1;
 	int compat_notinstallable : 1;
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ struct apk_db_file *apk_db_file_query(struct apk_database *db,
 #define APK_OPENF_NO_SYS_REPOS		0x0100
 #define APK_OPENF_NO_INSTALLED_REPO	0x0200
 #define APK_OPENF_CACHE_WRITE		0x0400
+#define APK_OPENF_NO_AUTOUPDATE		0x0800
 
 #define APK_OPENF_NO_REPOS	(APK_OPENF_NO_SYS_REPOS |	\
 				 APK_OPENF_NO_INSTALLED_REPO)
diff --git a/src/database.c b/src/database.c
index db34ed3d117e..70a1053044d1 100644
--- a/src/database.c
+++ b/src/database.c
@@ -1519,7 +1519,9 @@ int apk_db_open(struct apk_database *db, struct apk_db_options *dbopts)
 		r = -1;
 		goto ret_r;
 	}
-	if (dbopts->open_flags & APK_OPENF_WRITE) db->open_write = 1;
+	if ((dbopts->open_flags & APK_OPENF_WRITE) &&
+	    !(dbopts->open_flags & APK_OPENF_NO_AUTOUPDATE))
+		db->autoupdate = 1;
 	if (!dbopts->cache_dir) dbopts->cache_dir = "etc/apk/cache";
 
 	apk_db_setup_repositories(db, dbopts->cache_dir);
@@ -2266,7 +2268,7 @@ int apk_db_add_repository(apk_database_t _db, apk_blob_t _repository)
 			r = apk_repo_format_real_url(db, repo, NULL, buf, sizeof(buf));
 			if (r == 0) apk_message("fetch %s", buf);
 		} else {
-			if (db->open_write) apk_repository_update(db, repo);
+			if (db->autoupdate) apk_repository_update(db, repo);
 			r = apk_repo_format_cache_index(APK_BLOB_BUF(buf), repo);
 		}
 	} else {
diff --git a/src/del.c b/src/del.c
index d1a6015dc282..8e149ab59802 100644
--- a/src/del.c
+++ b/src/del.c
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ static struct apk_applet apk_del = {
 	.name = "del",
 	.help = "Remove PACKAGEs from 'world' and uninstall them",
 	.arguments = "PACKAGE...",
-	.open_flags = APK_OPENF_WRITE,
+	.open_flags = APK_OPENF_WRITE | APK_OPENF_NO_AUTOUPDATE,
 	.command_groups = APK_COMMAND_GROUP_INSTALL,
 	.context_size = sizeof(struct del_ctx),
 	.optgroups = { &optgroup_global, &optgroup_commit, &optgroup_applet },