diff --git a/src/include/ssp.h b/src/include/ssp.h
index 75e9ec2..5b96226 100644
--- a/src/include/ssp.h
+++ b/src/include/ssp.h
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ int rebuild_cdb(cdbmaker_sa *mkr, const char *oldkey, const char *newkey,
                 const struct otp *otp, struct ssp *ctx);
 int write_db(char *data, size_t dlen, struct ssp *ctx);
 void rebuild_db(const char *oldkey, const char *newkey, const struct otp *otp, struct ssp *ctx);
-int open_db(struct ssp *ctx);
+int open_db(struct ssp *ctx, int is_needed);
 void close_db(struct ssp *ctx);
 
 #define db_file(ctx)        (ctx)->sa.s
diff --git a/src/ssp/add.c b/src/ssp/add.c
index b2ee8fc..14bd7dc 100644
--- a/src/ssp/add.c
+++ b/src/ssp/add.c
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ add_main(int argc, const char *argv[], const char *env[], const char usage[], vo
     else
         p->data[l] = 0;
 
-    if (open_db(ssp) < 0)
+    if (open_db(ssp, 0) < 0)
         diefu(exitcode_from_errno(errno), "open database");
 
     const char *entry = ctx.sa.s + ctx.entoff;
diff --git a/src/ssp/database.c b/src/ssp/database.c
index a3ecbdd..04ce283 100644
--- a/src/ssp/database.c
+++ b/src/ssp/database.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ get_pwd(const char *prompt, struct ssp *ctx)
 }
 
 int
-open_db(struct ssp *ctx)
+open_db(struct ssp *ctx, int is_needed)
 {
     dbg("opening database");
 
@@ -43,6 +43,16 @@ open_db(struct ssp *ctx)
         return -1;
     }
 
+    if (access(db_file(ctx), R_OK) < 0) {
+        if (errno != ENOENT || is_needed) {
+            warnusys("open ", ESC, db_file(ctx), ESC);
+            return -1;
+        }
+        ctx->cdb = cdb_zero;
+        ctx->cdboff = ctx->sa.len;
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     size_t off  = ctx->sa.len;
     ssize_t plen;
 
@@ -55,11 +65,6 @@ open_db(struct ssp *ctx)
     u32 magic = SSP_MAGIC;
     u64 ver;
     if (!shldata_read(&magic, &ver, &ctx->sa, AT_FDCWD, db_file(ctx), ctx->pwd, plen)) {
-        if (errno == ENOENT) {
-            ctx->cdb = cdb_zero;
-            ctx->cdboff = off;
-            return 0;
-        }
         if (errno == EINVAL && magic != SSP_MAGIC)
             warnu("open database ", ESC, db_file(ctx), ESC, ": ", "not an SSP database");
         else if (errno == EBADMSG)
diff --git a/src/ssp/edit.c b/src/ssp/edit.c
index 8da75a7..209650a 100644
--- a/src/ssp/edit.c
+++ b/src/ssp/edit.c
@@ -129,11 +129,9 @@ edit_main(int argc, const char *argv[], const char *env[], const char usage[], v
 
     const char *entry = ctx.sa.s + ctx.entoff;
 
-    int r = open_db(ssp);
+    int r = open_db(ssp, 1);
     if (r < 0)
         diefu(exitcode_from_errno(errno), "open database");
-    if (!r)
-        dief(EX_NOINPUT, "no database");
 
     r = db_find(entry, ssp);
     if (r < 0)
diff --git a/src/ssp/get.c b/src/ssp/get.c
index db1897c..454d9db 100644
--- a/src/ssp/get.c
+++ b/src/ssp/get.c
@@ -106,11 +106,9 @@ parse_cmdline(int argc, const char *argv[], const char usage[], struct get *ctx)
                     /* re-align cdb in case of a re-alloc */
                     ctx->ssp->cdb.map = ctx->ssp->sa.s + ctx->ssp->cdboff;
                 } else {
-                    r = open_db(ctx->ssp);
+                    r = open_db(ctx->ssp, 1);
                     if (r < 0)
                         diefu(exitcode_from_errno(errno), "open database");
-                    if (!r)
-                        dief(EX_NOINPUT, "no database");
                     /* re-align */
                     entry = ctx->ssp->sa.s + LO_OFF(&lo);
                 }
diff --git a/src/ssp/import.c b/src/ssp/import.c
index 9c31d8f..6a834fa 100644
--- a/src/ssp/import.c
+++ b/src/ssp/import.c
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ import_main(int argc, const char *argv[], const char *env[], const char usage[],
                 }
 
                 /* open db if we haven't already */
-                if (!ssp->cdb.map && open_db(ssp) < 0)
+                if (!ssp->cdb.map && open_db(ssp, 0) < 0)
                     diefu(exitcode_from_errno(errno), "open database");
 
                 char key[nlen + 1];
diff --git a/src/ssp/list.c b/src/ssp/list.c
index 7588ab3..047536c 100644
--- a/src/ssp/list.c
+++ b/src/ssp/list.c
@@ -90,11 +90,9 @@ list_main(int argc, const char *argv[], const char *env[], const char usage[], v
     (void) env;
     parse_cmdline(argc, argv, usage, &ctx);
 
-    int r = open_db(ssp);
+    int r = open_db(ssp, 1);
     if (r < 0)
         diefu(exitcode_from_errno(errno), "open database");
-    if (!r)
-        dief(EX_NOINPUT, "no database");
 
     const char *ptrn = NULL;
     if (ctx.ptrnoff != (size_t) -1)
diff --git a/src/ssp/remove.c b/src/ssp/remove.c
index 3d430df..0d8fc67 100644
--- a/src/ssp/remove.c
+++ b/src/ssp/remove.c
@@ -54,11 +54,9 @@ remove_main(int argc, const char *argv[], const char *env[], const char usage[],
     (void) env;
     parse_cmdline(argc, argv, usage, &ctx);
 
-    int r = open_db(ssp);
+    int r = open_db(ssp, 1);
     if (r < 0)
         diefu(exitcode_from_errno(errno), "open database");
-    if (!r)
-        dief(EX_NOINPUT, "no database");
 
     const char *entry = ssp->sa.s + ctx.entoff;
 
diff --git a/src/ssp/rename.c b/src/ssp/rename.c
index 19840d0..0bff5ac 100644
--- a/src/ssp/rename.c
+++ b/src/ssp/rename.c
@@ -67,12 +67,9 @@ rename_main(int argc, const char *argv[], const char *env[], const char usage[],
     if (!strcmp(entry, newname))
         diefu(EX_DATA_ERR, "rename entry ", ESC, entry, ESC, ": new name is the same");
 
-    int r = open_db(ssp);
+    int r = open_db(ssp, 1);
     if (r < 0)
         diefu(exitcode_from_errno(errno), "open database");
-    if (!r)
-        dief(EX_NOINPUT, "no database");
-
 
     r = db_find(entry, ssp);
     if (r < 0)
diff --git a/src/ssp/show.c b/src/ssp/show.c
index ab088e4..0ee9221 100644
--- a/src/ssp/show.c
+++ b/src/ssp/show.c
@@ -130,11 +130,9 @@ show_main(int argc, const char *argv[], const char *env[], const char usage[], v
     (void) env;
     parse_cmdline(argc, argv, usage, &ctx);
 
-    int r = open_db(ssp);
+    int r = open_db(ssp, 1);
     if (r < 0)
         diefu(exitcode_from_errno(errno), "open database");
-    if (!r)
-        dief(EX_NOINPUT, "no database");
 
     const char *entry = ssp->sa.s + ctx.entoff;
     r = db_find(entry, ssp);
diff --git a/src/ssp/ssp.c b/src/ssp/ssp.c
index c19575c..3047bba 100644
--- a/src/ssp/ssp.c
+++ b/src/ssp/ssp.c
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ exitcode_from_errno(int e)
         case ENOMSG:
         case EBADE:
                      return EX_DATA_ERR;
+        case ENOENT:
+                     return EX_NOINPUT;
         default:
                      return EX_IOERR;
     }