diff --git a/gramps/cli/arghandler.py b/gramps/cli/arghandler.py
index c7a5f5a4a..47e9b8da6 100644
--- a/gramps/cli/arghandler.py
+++ b/gramps/cli/arghandler.py
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ import sys
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 from gramps.gen.recentfiles import recent_files
 from gramps.gen.utils.file import rm_tempdir, get_empty_tempdir
-from gramps.gen.db import make_database
 from .clidbman import CLIDbManager, NAME_FILE, find_locker_name
 
 from gramps.gen.plug import BasePluginManager
@@ -492,7 +491,7 @@ class ArgHandler(object):
                 else:
                     self.imp_db_path = get_empty_tempdir("import_dbdir")
 
-                    newdb = make_database("bsddb", self.dbstate)
+                    newdb = self.dbstate.make_database("bsddb")
                     newdb.write_version(self.imp_db_path)
                 
                 try:
diff --git a/gramps/cli/clidbman.py b/gramps/cli/clidbman.py
index 6ca96ec0d..c83034e7a 100644
--- a/gramps/cli/clidbman.py
+++ b/gramps/cli/clidbman.py
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ _LOG = logging.getLogger(DBLOGNAME)
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
 _ = glocale.translation.gettext
-from gramps.gen.db import make_database
 from gramps.gen.plug import BasePluginManager
 from gramps.gen.config import config
 from gramps.gen.constfunc import win, conv_to_unicode
@@ -295,7 +294,7 @@ class CLIDbManager(object):
         if create_db:
             # write the version number into metadata
             
-            newdb = make_database("bsddb", self.dbstate)
+            newdb = self.dbstate.make_database("bsddb")
             newdb.write_version(new_path)
 
         (tval, last) = time_val(new_path)
@@ -362,7 +361,7 @@ class CLIDbManager(object):
                 # Create a new database
                 self.__start_cursor(_("Importing data..."))
 
-                dbase = make_database("bsddb", self.dbstate)
+                dbase = self.dbstate.make_database("bsddb")
                 dbase.load(new_path, user.callback)
     
                 import_function = plugin.get_import_function()
diff --git a/gramps/cli/grampscli.py b/gramps/cli/grampscli.py
index 00b66d352..d1d3cfc07 100644
--- a/gramps/cli/grampscli.py
+++ b/gramps/cli/grampscli.py
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ from gramps.gen.config import config
 from gramps.gen.const import PLUGINS_DIR, USER_PLUGINS
 from gramps.gen.errors import DbError
 from gramps.gen.dbstate import DbState
-from gramps.gen.db import make_database
 from gramps.gen.db.exceptions import (DbUpgradeRequiredError, 
                                       BsddbDowngradeError, 
                                       DbVersionError, 
@@ -152,7 +151,7 @@ class CLIDbLoader(object):
         else:
             mode = 'w'
 
-        db = make_database("bsddb", self.dbstate)
+        db = self.dbstate.make_database("bsddb")
         
         self.dbstate.change_database(db)
         self.dbstate.db.disable_signals()
diff --git a/gramps/gen/db/__init__.py b/gramps/gen/db/__init__.py
index b977887b7..4ddaf5386 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/db/__init__.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/db/__init__.py
@@ -94,18 +94,3 @@ from .txn import *
 from .exceptions import *
 #from .write import *
 #from .backup import backup, restore
-
-def make_database(id, dbstate):
-    from gramps.cli.grampscli import CLIManager
-    from gramps.gen.plug import BasePluginManager
-    from gramps.cli.user import User
-
-    climanager = CLIManager(dbstate, setloader=False, user=User()) # do not load db_loader
-    climanager.do_reg_plugins(dbstate, None)
-    pmgr = BasePluginManager.get_instance()
-    pdata = pmgr.get_plugin(id)
-
-    mod = pmgr.load_plugin(pdata)
-    database = getattr(mod, pdata.databaseclass)
-    return database()
-
diff --git a/gramps/gen/dbstate.py b/gramps/gen/dbstate.py
index 12ee68ea9..04a8e683d 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/dbstate.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/dbstate.py
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ Provide the database state class
 """
 
 from .db import DbReadBase
-from .db import make_database
 from .proxy.proxybase import ProxyDbBase
 from .utils.callback import Callback
 from .config import config
@@ -45,7 +44,7 @@ class DbState(Callback):
         just a place holder until a real DB is assigned.
         """
         Callback.__init__(self)
-        self.db      = make_database("bsddb", self)
+        self.db      = self.make_database("bsddb")
         self.open    = False
         self.stack = []
 
@@ -88,7 +87,7 @@ class DbState(Callback):
         """
         self.emit('no-database', ())
         self.db.close()
-        self.db = make_database("bsddb", self)
+        self.db = self.make_database("bsddb")
         self.db.db_is_open = False
         self.open = False
         self.emit('database-changed', (self.db, ))
@@ -122,3 +121,24 @@ class DbState(Callback):
         """
         self.db = self.stack.pop()
         self.emit('database-changed', (self.db, ))
+
+    def make_database(self, id):
+        """
+        Make a database, given a plugin id.
+        """
+        from .plug import BasePluginManager
+        from .const import PLUGINS_DIR, USER_PLUGINS
+
+        pmgr = BasePluginManager.get_instance()
+        pdata = pmgr.get_plugin(id)
+        
+        if not pdata:
+            # This might happen if using gramps from outside, and
+            # we haven't loaded plugins yet
+            pmgr.reg_plugins(PLUGINS_DIR, self, None)
+            pmgr.reg_plugins(USER_PLUGINS, self, None, load_on_reg=True)
+            pdata = pmgr.get_plugin(id)
+
+        mod = pmgr.load_plugin(pdata)
+        database = getattr(mod, pdata.databaseclass)
+        return database()
diff --git a/gramps/gui/dbloader.py b/gramps/gui/dbloader.py
index a0e180f90..a0105d9a3 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/dbloader.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/dbloader.py
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
 _ = glocale.translation.gettext
 from gramps.cli.grampscli import CLIDbLoader
 from gramps.gen.config import config
-from gramps.gen.db import make_database
 from gramps.gen.db.exceptions import (DbUpgradeRequiredError, 
                                       BsddbDowngradeError, 
                                       DbVersionError, 
@@ -305,7 +304,7 @@ class DbLoader(CLIDbLoader):
         else:
             mode = 'w'
 
-        db = make_database("bsddb", self.dbstate)
+        db = self.dbstate.make_database("bsddb")
         db.disable_signals()
         self.dbstate.no_database()
 
diff --git a/gramps/gui/dbman.py b/gramps/gui/dbman.py
index cfc2d4a68..a9ece2272 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/dbman.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/dbman.py
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ _ = glocale.translation.gettext
 from gramps.gen.const import URL_WIKISTRING
 from .user import User
 from .dialog import ErrorDialog, QuestionDialog, QuestionDialog2
-from gramps.gen.db import make_database
 from .pluginmanager import GuiPluginManager
 from gramps.cli.clidbman import CLIDbManager, NAME_FILE, time_val
 from .ddtargets import DdTargets
@@ -536,7 +535,7 @@ class DbManager(CLIDbManager):
         
         self.__start_cursor(_("Extracting archive..."))
 
-        dbase = make_database("bsddb", self.dbstate)
+        dbase = self.dbstate.make_database("bsddb")
         dbase.load(new_path, None)
         
         self.__start_cursor(_("Importing archive..."))
@@ -723,10 +722,10 @@ class DbManager(CLIDbManager):
                 fname = os.path.join(dirname, filename)
                 os.unlink(fname)
 
-        newdb = make_database("bsddb", self.dbstate)
+        newdb = self.dbstate.make_database("bsddb")
         newdb.write_version(dirname)
 
-        dbase = make_database("bsddb", self.dbstate)
+        dbase = self.dbstate.make_database("bsddb")
         dbase.set_save_path(dirname)
         dbase.load(dirname, None)