diff --git a/libpkg/algo/search.cpp b/libpkg/algo/search.cpp
index 145dd41..8688482 100644
--- a/libpkg/algo/search.cpp
+++ b/libpkg/algo/search.cpp
@@ -51,11 +51,11 @@ Database *Config::createDatabase(std::string &&name)
  * \brief Returns the database with the specified \a name and \a architecture or creates a new one if it doesn't exist.
  * \remarks Resets the database's configuration. You'll end up with a blank database in any case.
  */
-Database *Config::findOrCreateDatabase(std::string &&name, std::string_view architecture)
+Database *Config::findOrCreateDatabase(std::string &&name, std::string_view architecture, bool keepLocalPaths)
 {
     auto *db = findDatabase(name, architecture);
     if (db) {
-        db->resetConfiguration();
+        db->resetConfiguration(keepLocalPaths);
     } else {
         db = createDatabase(std::move(name));
     }
@@ -69,11 +69,11 @@ Database *Config::findOrCreateDatabase(std::string &&name, std::string_view arch
  * \brief Returns the database with the specified \a name and \a architecture or creates a new one if it doesn't exist.
  * \remarks Resets the database's configuration. You'll end up with a blank database in any case.
  */
-Database *Config::findOrCreateDatabase(std::string_view name, std::string_view architecture)
+Database *Config::findOrCreateDatabase(std::string_view name, std::string_view architecture, bool keepLocalPaths)
 {
     auto *db = findDatabase(name, architecture);
     if (db) {
-        db->resetConfiguration();
+        db->resetConfiguration(keepLocalPaths);
     } else {
         db = createDatabase(std::string(name));
     }
@@ -88,10 +88,10 @@ Database *Config::findOrCreateDatabase(std::string_view name, std::string_view a
  * \remarks Resets the database's configuration. You'll end up with a blank database in any case.
  * \sa parseDatabaseDenotation() for the format of \a databaseDenotation
  */
-Database *Config::findOrCreateDatabaseFromDenotation(std::string_view databaseDenotation)
+Database *Config::findOrCreateDatabaseFromDenotation(std::string_view databaseDenotation, bool keepLocalPaths)
 {
     const auto dbInfo = parseDatabaseDenotation(databaseDenotation);
-    return findOrCreateDatabase(dbInfo.first, dbInfo.second);
+    return findOrCreateDatabase(dbInfo.first, dbInfo.second, keepLocalPaths);
 }
 
 /*!
diff --git a/libpkg/data/config.h b/libpkg/data/config.h
index fe057ec..ba10c9e 100644
--- a/libpkg/data/config.h
+++ b/libpkg/data/config.h
@@ -136,9 +136,9 @@ struct LIBPKG_EXPORT Config : public Lockable, public ReflectiveRapidJSON::Binar
     static std::pair<std::string_view, std::string_view> parseDatabaseDenotation(std::string_view databaseDenotation);
     Database *findDatabase(std::string_view name, std::string_view architecture);
     Database *findDatabaseFromDenotation(std::string_view databaseDenotation);
-    Database *findOrCreateDatabase(std::string &&name, std::string_view architecture);
-    Database *findOrCreateDatabase(std::string_view name, std::string_view architecture);
-    Database *findOrCreateDatabaseFromDenotation(std::string_view databaseDenotation);
+    Database *findOrCreateDatabase(std::string &&name, std::string_view architecture, bool keepLocalPaths = false);
+    Database *findOrCreateDatabase(std::string_view name, std::string_view architecture, bool keepLocalPaths = false);
+    Database *findOrCreateDatabaseFromDenotation(std::string_view databaseDenotation, bool keepLocalPaths = false);
     static std::tuple<std::string_view, std::string_view, std::string_view> parsePackageDenotation(std::string_view packageDenotation);
     std::vector<PackageSearchResult> findPackages(std::string_view packageDenotation, std::size_t limit = std::numeric_limits<std::size_t>::max());
     std::vector<PackageSearchResult> findPackages(
diff --git a/libpkg/data/database.cpp b/libpkg/data/database.cpp
index f5d5257..9d6d16c 100644
--- a/libpkg/data/database.cpp
+++ b/libpkg/data/database.cpp
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ void LibPkg::Database::deducePathsFromLocalDirs()
     }
 }
 
-void Database::resetConfiguration()
+void Database::resetConfiguration(bool keepLocalPaths)
 {
     path.clear();
     filesPath.clear();
@@ -90,8 +90,10 @@ void Database::resetConfiguration()
     signatureLevel = SignatureLevel::Default;
     arch = "x86_64";
     dependencies.clear();
-    localPkgDir.clear();
-    localDbDir.clear();
+    if (!keepLocalPaths) {
+        localPkgDir.clear();
+        localDbDir.clear();
+    }
     syncFromMirror = false;
 }
 
diff --git a/libpkg/data/database.h b/libpkg/data/database.h
index f6f0f8e..e92264a 100644
--- a/libpkg/data/database.h
+++ b/libpkg/data/database.h
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ struct LIBPKG_EXPORT Database : public ReflectiveRapidJSON::JsonSerializable<Dat
 
     void initStorage(StorageDistribution &storage);
     void deducePathsFromLocalDirs();
-    void resetConfiguration();
+    void resetConfiguration(bool keepLocalPaths = false);
     void clearPackages();
     void loadPackagesFromConfiguredPaths(bool withFiles = false, bool force = false);
     void loadPackages(const std::string &databaseData, CppUtilities::DateTime lastModified);
diff --git a/librepomgr/serversetup.cpp b/librepomgr/serversetup.cpp
index 55a24ef..6ac8806 100644
--- a/librepomgr/serversetup.cpp
+++ b/librepomgr/serversetup.cpp
@@ -521,6 +521,9 @@ void ServiceSetup::loadConfigFiles(bool doFirstTimeSetup)
         config.setPackageCacheLimit(packageCacheLimit);
     }
 
+    // avoid stale values
+    config.packageCacheDirs.clear();
+
     // read pacman config
     try {
         config.loadPacmanConfig(pacmanConfigFilePath.data());
@@ -545,7 +548,7 @@ void ServiceSetup::loadConfigFiles(bool doFirstTimeSetup)
             continue;
         }
         // find existing database or create a new one; clear mirrors and other data from existing DBs
-        auto *const db = config.findOrCreateDatabaseFromDenotation(std::string_view(iniSection.data() + 9, iniSection.size() - 9));
+        auto *const db = config.findOrCreateDatabaseFromDenotation(std::string_view(iniSection.data() + 9, iniSection.size() - 9), true);
         db->toBeDiscarded = false;
         dbDefinitions.clear();
         dbDefinitions["$repo"] = db->name;
@@ -595,6 +598,10 @@ void ServiceSetup::loadConfigFiles(bool doFirstTimeSetup)
 
     // log the most important config values
     cerr << Phrases::InfoMessage << "Working directory: " << workingDirectory << Phrases::End;
+    cerr << Phrases::InfoMessage << "Package cache dirs:" << Phrases::End;
+    for (const auto &dir : config.packageCacheDirs) {
+        cerr << Phrases::SubMessage << dir << Phrases::End;
+    }
     cerr << Phrases::InfoMessage << "Build configuration:" << Phrases::End;
     cerr << Phrases::SubMessage << "Package cache directory: " << building.packageCacheDir << Phrases::End;
     cerr << Phrases::SubMessage << "Package download limit: " << dataSizeToString(building.packageDownloadSizeLimit) << Phrases::End;