diff --git a/common/branch-mgr.c b/common/branch-mgr.c
index cbd3318..2afe385 100644
--- a/common/branch-mgr.c
+++ b/common/branch-mgr.c
@@ -127,6 +127,8 @@ seaf_branch_manager_init (SeafBranchManager *mgr)
 static int
 open_db (SeafBranchManager *mgr)
 {
+    if (!mgr->seaf->create_tables)
+        return 0;
 #ifndef SEAFILE_SERVER
 
     char *db_path;
diff --git a/common/seaf-utils.c b/common/seaf-utils.c
index e59176e..b581cea 100644
--- a/common/seaf-utils.c
+++ b/common/seaf-utils.c
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ mysql_db_start (SeafileSession *session)
     char *host, *user, *passwd, *db, *unix_socket, *charset;
     int port;
     gboolean use_ssl = FALSE;
+    gboolean create_tables = TRUE;
     int max_connections = 0;
     GError *error = NULL;
 
@@ -99,6 +100,12 @@ mysql_db_start (SeafileSession *session)
     use_ssl = g_key_file_get_boolean (session->config,
                                       "database", "use_ssl", NULL);
 
+    if (g_key_file_has_key (session->config, "database", "create_tables", NULL)) {
+        create_tables = g_key_file_get_boolean (session->config,
+                                                "database", "create_tables", NULL);
+    }
+    session->create_tables = create_tables;
+
     charset = seaf_key_file_get_string (session->config,
                                      "database", "connection_charset", NULL);
 
diff --git a/fuse/seafile-session.h b/fuse/seafile-session.h
index 3cfb6e9..30f6802 100644
--- a/fuse/seafile-session.h
+++ b/fuse/seafile-session.h
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ struct _SeafileSession {
     SeafBranchManager   *branch_mgr;
     SeafCommitManager   *commit_mgr;
     SeafRepoManager     *repo_mgr;
+
+    gboolean create_tables;
 };
 
 extern SeafileSession *seaf;
diff --git a/server/gc/seafile-session.h b/server/gc/seafile-session.h
index 59cf883..f154387 100644
--- a/server/gc/seafile-session.h
+++ b/server/gc/seafile-session.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ struct _SeafileSession {
     SeafRepoManager     *repo_mgr;
     SeafCfgManager      *cfg_mgr;
 
+    gboolean create_tables;
 };
 
 extern SeafileSession *seaf;
diff --git a/server/quota-mgr.c b/server/quota-mgr.c
index 45030c1..c6fce0e 100644
--- a/server/quota-mgr.c
+++ b/server/quota-mgr.c
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ seaf_quota_manager_new (struct _SeafileSession *session)
 int
 seaf_quota_manager_init (SeafQuotaManager *mgr)
 {
+
+    if (!mgr->session->create_tables)
+        return 0;
+
     SeafDB *db = mgr->session->db;
     const char *sql;
 
diff --git a/server/repo-mgr.c b/server/repo-mgr.c
index d23841f..6fe6ae7 100644
--- a/server/repo-mgr.c
+++ b/server/repo-mgr.c
@@ -1356,6 +1356,9 @@ create_tables_pgsql (SeafRepoManager *mgr)
 static int
 create_db_tables_if_not_exist (SeafRepoManager *mgr)
 {
+    if (!mgr->seaf->create_tables)
+        return 0;
+
     SeafDB *db = mgr->seaf->db;
     int db_type = seaf_db_type (db);
 
diff --git a/server/seafile-session.c b/server/seafile-session.c
index 2a1fc0c..d96bd49 100644
--- a/server/seafile-session.c
+++ b/server/seafile-session.c
@@ -192,17 +192,25 @@ seafile_session_init (SeafileSession *session)
     if (seaf_fs_manager_init (session->fs_mgr) < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    if (seaf_branch_manager_init (session->branch_mgr) < 0)
+    if (seaf_branch_manager_init (session->branch_mgr) < 0) {
+        seaf_warning ("Failed to init branch manager.\n");
         return -1;
+    }
 
-    if (seaf_repo_manager_init (session->repo_mgr) < 0)
+    if (seaf_repo_manager_init (session->repo_mgr) < 0) {
+        seaf_warning ("Failed to init repo manager.\n");
         return -1;
+    }
 
-    if (seaf_quota_manager_init (session->quota_mgr) < 0)
+    if (seaf_quota_manager_init (session->quota_mgr) < 0) {
+        seaf_warning ("Failed to init quota manager.\n");
         return -1;
+    }
 
-    if (seaf_cfg_manager_init (session->cfg_mgr) < 0)
+    if (session->create_tables && seaf_cfg_manager_init (session->cfg_mgr) < 0) {
+        seaf_warning ("Failed to init config manager.\n");
         return -1;
+    }
 
     seaf_mq_manager_init (session->mq_mgr);
 
@@ -435,7 +443,7 @@ schedule_create_system_default_repo (SeafileSession *session)
         sql = "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS SystemInfo( "
         "info_key VARCHAR(256), info_value VARCHAR(1024))";
 
-    if (seaf_db_query (session->db, sql) < 0)
+    if (session->create_tables && seaf_db_query (session->db, sql) < 0)
         return;
 
     ccnet_job_manager_schedule_job (session->job_mgr,
diff --git a/server/seafile-session.h b/server/seafile-session.h
index 2652fa4..59b3c77 100644
--- a/server/seafile-session.h
+++ b/server/seafile-session.h
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ struct _SeafileSession {
     HttpServerStruct    *http_server;
     ZipDownloadMgr      *zip_download_mgr;
     IndexBlksMgr        *index_blocks_mgr;
+
+    gboolean create_tables;
 };
 
 extern SeafileSession *seaf;
diff --git a/server/share-mgr.c b/server/share-mgr.c
index dd69d35..5ca755b 100644
--- a/server/share-mgr.c
+++ b/server/share-mgr.c
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ seaf_share_manager_new (SeafileSession *seaf)
 int
 seaf_share_manager_start (SeafShareManager *mgr)
 {
+    if (!mgr->seaf->create_tables)
+        return 0;
+
     SeafDB *db = mgr->seaf->db;
     const char *sql;