diff --git a/src/apk.c b/src/apk.c
index 6e21072..93be9df 100644
--- a/src/apk.c
+++ b/src/apk.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ static struct apk_option generic_options[] = {
 	{ 'v', "verbose",	"Print more information" },
 	{ 'V', "version",	"Print program version and exit" },
 	{ 'f', "force",		"Do what was asked even if it looks dangerous" },
+	{ 'U', "update-cache",	"Update the repository cache" },
 	{ 0x101, "progress",	"Show a progress bar" },
 	{ 0x102, "clean-protected", "Do not create .apk-new files to "
 				"configuration dirs" },
@@ -324,6 +325,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		case 'f':
 			apk_flags |= APK_FORCE;
 			break;
+		case 'U':
+			apk_flags |= APK_UPDATE_CACHE;
+			break;
 		case 0x101:
 			apk_flags |= APK_PROGRESS;
 			break;
diff --git a/src/apk_defines.h b/src/apk_defines.h
index 09d2a80..755d971 100644
--- a/src/apk_defines.h
+++ b/src/apk_defines.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ extern unsigned int apk_flags;
 #define APK_UPGRADE		0x0010
 #define APK_RECURSIVE		0x0020
 #define APK_PREFER_AVAILABLE	0x0040
+#define APK_UPDATE_CACHE	0x0080
 
 #define apk_error(args...)	apk_log("ERROR: ", args);
 #define apk_warning(args...)	if (apk_verbosity > 0) { apk_log("WARNING: ", args); }
diff --git a/src/cache.c b/src/cache.c
index 2e9dda7..6efbfe1 100644
--- a/src/cache.c
+++ b/src/cache.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 #include <dirent.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 
 #include "apk_defines.h"
 #include "apk_applet.h"
diff --git a/src/database.c b/src/database.c
index 729d604..2b20c8f 100644
--- a/src/database.c
+++ b/src/database.c
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@ int apk_db_add_repository(apk_database_t _db, apk_blob_t repository)
 	struct apk_istream *is = NULL;
 	struct apk_bstream *bs = NULL;
 	struct apk_repository *repo;
-	int r, n;
+	int r, n = 1;
 
 	if (repository.ptr == NULL || *repository.ptr == '\0'
 			|| *repository.ptr == '#')
@@ -1045,9 +1045,13 @@ int apk_db_add_repository(apk_database_t _db, apk_blob_t repository)
 	if (apk_url_local_file(repo->url) == NULL) {
 		csum_blob(repository, repo->url_csum);
 
+		if (apk_flags & APK_UPDATE_CACHE)
+			n = apk_repository_update(db, repo);
+
 		bs = apk_db_cache_open(db, repo->url_csum, apk_index_gz);
 		if (bs == NULL) {
-			n = apk_repository_update(db, repo);
+			if (n == 1)
+				n = apk_repository_update(db, repo);
 			if (n < 0)
 				return n;
 			bs = apk_db_cache_open(db, repo->url_csum,