diff --git a/py/Boinc/setup_project.py b/py/Boinc/setup_project.py
index 58ebcb4fe5..14beb025d5 100644
--- a/py/Boinc/setup_project.py
+++ b/py/Boinc/setup_project.py
@@ -455,12 +455,14 @@ class Project:
                  master_url=None,
                  db_name=None,
                  web_only=False,
+                 no_db=False,
                  production=False
                  ):
         init()
 
         self.production     = production
         self.web_only       = web_only
+        self.no_db          = no_db
         self.short_name     = short_name
         self.long_name      = long_name or 'Project ' + self.short_name.replace('_',' ').capitalize()
 
@@ -578,12 +580,15 @@ class Project:
         print >>f, "<link rel=\"boinc_scheduler\" href=\"" + self.scheduler_url.strip()+ "\">"
         f.close()
 
-        verbose_echo(1, "Setting up database")
-        database.create_database(
-            srcdir = options.srcdir,
-            config = self.config.config,
-            drop_first = options.drop_db_first
-            )
+        if self.no_db:
+            verbose_echo(1, "Not setting up database (--no_db was specified)")
+        else:
+            verbose_echo(1, "Setting up database")
+            database.create_database(
+                srcdir = options.srcdir,
+                config = self.config.config,
+                drop_first = options.drop_db_first
+                )
 
         verbose_echo(1, "Writing config files")
 
diff --git a/tools/make_project b/tools/make_project
index 09a2ef5651..59aa8ff65a 100755
--- a/tools/make_project
+++ b/tools/make_project
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ Misc options:
    --drop_db_first      drop database first (from prev installation)
    --test_app           install example application
    --web_only           install web files, no executables (for Bossa, Bolt)
+   --no_db              don't create the database
    --srcdir             where to find the source files (default: current directory)
 
 Dir-options:
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ try:
             'no_query',
             'test_app',
             'web_only',
+            'no_db',
             'srcdir=',
             'user_name=',
             'drop_db_first',
@@ -99,6 +101,7 @@ options.url_base = None
 options.no_query = False
 options.test_app = False
 options.web_only = False
+options.no_db = False
 options.delete_prev_inst = False
 options.srcdir = None
 
@@ -109,6 +112,7 @@ for o,a in opts:
     elif o == '--no_query':      options.no_query       = True
     elif o == '--test_app':      options.test_app       = True
     elif o == '--web_only':      options.web_only       = True
+    elif o == '--no_db':         options.no_db          = True
     elif o == '--srcdir':        options.srcdir         = a
     elif o == '--user_name':     options.user_name      = a
     elif o == '--drop_db_first': options.drop_db_first  = True
@@ -215,6 +219,7 @@ project = Project(
     key_dir = options.key_dir,
     db_name = options.db_name,
     web_only = options.web_only,
+    no_db = options.no_db,
     production = True
     )
 
@@ -288,10 +293,11 @@ t.disabled = 0
 
 project.config.write()
 
-try:
-    os.system('cd '+proot+'/html/ops; ./db_schemaversion.php > '+proot+'/db_revision')
-except:
-    print '''Couldn't set db schema version number'''
+if not options.no_db:
+    try:
+        os.system('cd '+proot+'/html/ops; ./db_schemaversion.php > '+proot+'/db_revision')
+    except:
+        print '''Couldn't set db schema version number'''
 
 try:
     os.system('cd '+proot+'/html/ops; ./update_translations.php -d 1')