diff --git a/src/apk.c b/src/apk.c
index 80123ca..266886f 100644
--- a/src/apk.c
+++ b/src/apk.c
@@ -133,27 +133,27 @@ static int option_parse_global(void *ctx, struct apk_db_options *dbopts, int opt
 		version();
 		return -ESHUTDOWN;
 	case OPT_GLOBAL_force:
-		apk_force |= APK_FORCE_OVERWRITE | APK_FORCE_OLD_APK
-			  |  APK_FORCE_BROKEN_WORLD | APK_FORCE_NON_REPOSITORY
-			  |  APK_FORCE_BINARY_STDOUT;
+		dbopts->force |= APK_FORCE_OVERWRITE | APK_FORCE_OLD_APK
+			| APK_FORCE_BROKEN_WORLD | APK_FORCE_NON_REPOSITORY
+			| APK_FORCE_BINARY_STDOUT;
 		break;
 	case OPT_GLOBAL_force_overwrite:
-		apk_force |= APK_FORCE_OVERWRITE;
+		dbopts->force |= APK_FORCE_OVERWRITE;
 		break;
 	case OPT_GLOBAL_force_old_apk:
-		apk_force |= APK_FORCE_OLD_APK;
+		dbopts->force |= APK_FORCE_OLD_APK;
 		break;
 	case OPT_GLOBAL_force_broken_world:
-		apk_force |= APK_FORCE_BROKEN_WORLD;
+		dbopts->force |= APK_FORCE_BROKEN_WORLD;
 		break;
 	case OPT_GLOBAL_force_refresh:
-		apk_force |= APK_FORCE_REFRESH;
+		dbopts->force |= APK_FORCE_REFRESH;
 		break;
 	case OPT_GLOBAL_force_non_repository:
-		apk_force |= APK_FORCE_NON_REPOSITORY;
+		dbopts->force |= APK_FORCE_NON_REPOSITORY;
 		break;
 	case OPT_GLOBAL_force_binary_stdout:
-		apk_force |= APK_FORCE_BINARY_STDOUT;
+		dbopts->force |= APK_FORCE_BINARY_STDOUT;
 		break;
 	case OPT_GLOBAL_interactive:
 		apk_flags |= APK_INTERACTIVE;
@@ -252,8 +252,8 @@ static int option_parse_commit(void *ctx, struct apk_db_options *dbopts, int opt
 	case OPT_COMMIT_initramfs_diskless_boot:
 		dbopts->open_flags |= APK_OPENF_CREATE;
 		apk_flags |= APK_NO_COMMIT_HOOKS;
-		apk_force |= APK_FORCE_OVERWRITE | APK_FORCE_OLD_APK
-			  |  APK_FORCE_BROKEN_WORLD | APK_FORCE_NON_REPOSITORY;
+		dbopts->force |= APK_FORCE_OVERWRITE | APK_FORCE_OLD_APK
+			|  APK_FORCE_BROKEN_WORLD | APK_FORCE_NON_REPOSITORY;
 		break;
 	default:
 		return -ENOTSUP;
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			ctx = calloc(1, applet->context_size);
 		dbopts.open_flags = applet->open_flags;
 		apk_flags |= applet->forced_flags;
-		apk_force |= applet->forced_force;
+		dbopts.force |= applet->forced_force;
 	}
 
 	init_openssl();
diff --git a/src/apk_database.h b/src/apk_database.h
index 83388ec..b69e3b5 100644
--- a/src/apk_database.h
+++ b/src/apk_database.h
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@
 
 #include "adb.h"
 
+#define APK_FORCE_OVERWRITE		BIT(0)
+#define APK_FORCE_OLD_APK		BIT(1)
+#define APK_FORCE_BROKEN_WORLD		BIT(2)
+#define APK_FORCE_REFRESH		BIT(3)
+#define APK_FORCE_NON_REPOSITORY	BIT(4)
+#define APK_FORCE_BINARY_STDOUT		BIT(5)
+
 struct apk_name;
 APK_ARRAY(apk_name_array, struct apk_name *);
 
@@ -118,7 +125,7 @@ struct apk_repository {
 };
 
 struct apk_db_options {
-	int lock_wait;
+	unsigned int force, lock_wait;
 	unsigned int cache_max_age;
 	unsigned long open_flags;
 	const char *root;
@@ -142,6 +149,7 @@ struct apk_repository_tag {
 };
 
 struct apk_database {
+	unsigned int force;
 	char *root;
 	int root_fd, lock_fd, cache_fd, keys_fd;
 	unsigned num_repos, num_repo_tags;
@@ -230,6 +238,9 @@ int apk_db_check_world(struct apk_database *db, struct apk_dependency_array *wor
 int apk_db_fire_triggers(struct apk_database *db);
 int apk_db_run_script(struct apk_database *db, char *fn, char **argv);
 void apk_db_update_directory_permissions(struct apk_database *db);
+static inline time_t apk_db_url_since(struct apk_database *db, time_t since) {
+	return (db->force & APK_FORCE_REFRESH) ? APK_ISTREAM_FORCE_REFRESH : since;
+}
 
 struct apk_package *apk_db_pkg_add(struct apk_database *db, struct apk_package *pkg);
 struct apk_package *apk_db_get_pkg(struct apk_database *db, struct apk_checksum *csum);
diff --git a/src/apk_defines.h b/src/apk_defines.h
index dc38a0e..187b455 100644
--- a/src/apk_defines.h
+++ b/src/apk_defines.h
@@ -69,8 +69,7 @@ static inline int IS_ERR_OR_NULL(const void *ptr) { return IS_ERR(ptr) || !ptr;
 #define ROUND_UP(x,a)		(((x)+(a)-1) & ~((a)-1))
 
 extern int apk_verbosity;
-extern unsigned int apk_flags, apk_force;
-extern const char *apk_arch;
+extern unsigned int apk_flags;
 extern char **apk_argv;
 
 #define APK_SIMULATE		0x0002
@@ -86,13 +85,6 @@ extern char **apk_argv;
 #define APK_NO_CACHE		0x8000
 #define APK_NO_COMMIT_HOOKS	0x00010000
 
-#define APK_FORCE_OVERWRITE		BIT(0)
-#define APK_FORCE_OLD_APK		BIT(1)
-#define APK_FORCE_BROKEN_WORLD		BIT(2)
-#define APK_FORCE_REFRESH		BIT(3)
-#define APK_FORCE_NON_REPOSITORY	BIT(4)
-#define APK_FORCE_BINARY_STDOUT		BIT(5)
-
 /* default architecture for APK packages. */
 #if defined(__x86_64__)
 #define APK_DEFAULT_ARCH        "x86_64"
diff --git a/src/apk_io.h b/src/apk_io.h
index 02edf1d..2e70b53 100644
--- a/src/apk_io.h
+++ b/src/apk_io.h
@@ -75,11 +75,12 @@ struct apk_istream {
 
 #define APK_IO_ALL ((size_t)-1)
 
+#define APK_ISTREAM_FORCE_REFRESH		((time_t) -1)
+
 struct apk_istream *apk_istream_from_file(int atfd, const char *file);
 struct apk_istream *apk_istream_from_file_gz(int atfd, const char *file);
 struct apk_istream *apk_istream_from_fd(int fd);
 struct apk_istream *apk_istream_from_fd_url_if_modified(int atfd, const char *url, time_t since);
-struct apk_istream *apk_istream_from_url_gz(const char *url);
 ssize_t apk_istream_read(struct apk_istream *is, void *ptr, size_t size);
 apk_blob_t apk_istream_get(struct apk_istream *is, size_t len);
 apk_blob_t apk_istream_get_max(struct apk_istream *is, size_t size);
@@ -90,18 +91,14 @@ ssize_t apk_istream_splice(struct apk_istream *is, int fd, size_t size,
 ssize_t apk_stream_copy(struct apk_istream *is, struct apk_ostream *os, size_t size,
 			apk_progress_cb cb, void *cb_ctx, EVP_MD_CTX *mdctx);
 
-static inline struct apk_istream *apk_istream_from_url(const char *url)
-{
-	return apk_istream_from_fd_url_if_modified(AT_FDCWD, url, 0);
-}
-static inline struct apk_istream *apk_istream_from_fd_url(int atfd, const char *url)
-{
-	return apk_istream_from_fd_url_if_modified(atfd, url, 0);
-}
-static inline struct apk_istream *apk_istream_from_url_if_modified(const char *url, time_t since)
+static inline struct apk_istream *apk_istream_from_url(const char *url, time_t since)
 {
 	return apk_istream_from_fd_url_if_modified(AT_FDCWD, url, since);
 }
+static inline struct apk_istream *apk_istream_from_fd_url(int atfd, const char *url, time_t since)
+{
+	return apk_istream_from_fd_url_if_modified(atfd, url, since);
+}
 static inline void apk_istream_get_meta(struct apk_istream *is, struct apk_file_meta *meta)
 {
 	is->ops->get_meta(is, meta);
diff --git a/src/app_add.c b/src/app_add.c
index f4acd22..4f2a9a6 100644
--- a/src/app_add.c
+++ b/src/app_add.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ static const struct apk_option_group optgroup_applet = {
 
 static int non_repository_check(struct apk_database *db)
 {
-	if (apk_force & APK_FORCE_NON_REPOSITORY)
+	if (db->force & APK_FORCE_NON_REPOSITORY)
 		return 0;
 	if (apk_db_cache_active(db))
 		return 0;
diff --git a/src/app_convdb.c b/src/app_convdb.c
index f77bbf8..fb89402 100644
--- a/src/app_convdb.c
+++ b/src/app_convdb.c
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ static int conv_main(void *pctx, struct apk_database *db, struct apk_string_arra
 
 	read_triggers(ctx, apk_istream_from_file(db->root_fd, "lib/apk/db/triggers"));
 
-	convert_idb(ctx, apk_istream_from_fd_url(db->root_fd, "lib/apk/db/installed"));
+	convert_idb(ctx, apk_istream_from_file(db->root_fd, "lib/apk/db/installed"));
 
 	adb_wo_obj(&idb, ADBI_IDB_PACKAGES, &ctx->pkgs);
 	adb_w_rootobj(&idb);
diff --git a/src/app_convndx.c b/src/app_convndx.c
index a19b322..e20f673 100644
--- a/src/app_convndx.c
+++ b/src/app_convndx.c
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ static int conv_main(void *pctx, struct apk_database *db, struct apk_string_arra
 	adb_wo_alloca(&ctx->pkgs, &schema_pkginfo_array, &ctx->dbi);
 
 	foreach_array_item(arg, args) {
-		r = load_index(ctx, apk_istream_from_url(*arg));
+		r = load_index(ctx, apk_istream_from_url(*arg, apk_db_url_since(db, 0)));
 		if (r) goto err;
 		fprintf(stderr, "%s: %u packages\n", *arg, adb_ra_num(&ctx->pkgs));
 	}
diff --git a/src/app_fetch.c b/src/app_fetch.c
index 4704b0b..7b32ab4 100644
--- a/src/app_fetch.c
+++ b/src/app_fetch.c
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ static int fetch_package(apk_hash_item item, void *pctx)
 		}
 	}
 
-	is = apk_istream_from_fd_url(urlfd, url);
+	is = apk_istream_from_fd_url(urlfd, url, apk_db_url_since(db, 0));
 	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(is)) {
 		r = PTR_ERR(is) ?: -EIO;
 		goto err;
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ static int fetch_main(void *pctx, struct apk_database *db, struct apk_string_arr
 		ctx->outdir_fd = AT_FDCWD;
 
 	if ((args->num == 1) && (strcmp(args->item[0], "coffee") == 0)) {
-		if (apk_force) return cup();
+		if (db->force) return cup();
 		apk_message("Go and fetch your own coffee.");
 		return 0;
 	}
diff --git a/src/app_index.c b/src/app_index.c
index 25ca3b4..b8c3461 100644
--- a/src/app_index.c
+++ b/src/app_index.c
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ static int index_main(void *ctx, struct apk_database *db, struct apk_string_arra
 	apk_blob_t *rewrite_arch = NULL;
 
 	if (isatty(STDOUT_FILENO) && ictx->output == NULL &&
-	    !(apk_force & APK_FORCE_BINARY_STDOUT)) {
+	    !(db->force & APK_FORCE_BINARY_STDOUT)) {
 		apk_error("Will not write binary index to console. "
 			  "Use --force-binary-stdout to override.");
 		return -1;
diff --git a/src/database.c b/src/database.c
index 806f873..045d6c7 100644
--- a/src/database.c
+++ b/src/database.c
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ enum {
 };
 
 int apk_verbosity = 1;
-unsigned int apk_flags = 0, apk_force = 0;
+unsigned int apk_flags = 0;
 
 static apk_blob_t tmpprefix = { .len=8, .ptr = ".apknew." };
 
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ int apk_cache_download(struct apk_database *db, struct apk_repository *repo,
 	r = apk_repo_format_real_url(db->arch, repo, pkg, url, sizeof(url), &urlp);
 	if (r < 0) return r;
 
-	if (autoupdate && !(apk_force & APK_FORCE_REFRESH)) {
+	if (autoupdate && !(db->force & APK_FORCE_REFRESH)) {
 		if (fstatat(db->cache_fd, cacheitem, &st, 0) == 0 &&
 		    now - st.st_mtime <= db->cache_max_age)
 			return -EALREADY;
@@ -642,13 +642,13 @@ int apk_cache_download(struct apk_database *db, struct apk_repository *repo,
 
 	if (verify != APK_SIGN_NONE) {
 		apk_sign_ctx_init(&sctx, APK_SIGN_VERIFY, NULL, db->keys_fd);
-		is = apk_istream_from_url_if_modified(url, st.st_mtime);
+		is = apk_istream_from_url(url, apk_db_url_since(db, st.st_mtime));
 		is = apk_istream_tee(is, db->cache_fd, tmpcacheitem, !autoupdate, cb, cb_ctx);
 		is = apk_istream_gunzip_mpart(is, apk_sign_ctx_mpart_cb, &sctx);
 		r = apk_tar_parse(is, apk_sign_ctx_verify_tar, &sctx, &db->id_cache);
 		apk_sign_ctx_free(&sctx);
 	} else {
-		is = apk_istream_from_url_if_modified(url, st.st_mtime);
+		is = apk_istream_from_url(url, apk_db_url_since(db, st.st_mtime));
 		if (!IS_ERR_OR_NULL(is)) {
 			fd = openat(db->cache_fd, tmpcacheitem, O_RDWR | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC | O_CLOEXEC, 0644);
 			if (fd < 0) r = -errno;
@@ -871,13 +871,13 @@ int apk_db_index_read(struct apk_database *db, struct apk_istream *is, int repo)
 				case 's': ipkg->broken_script = 1; break;
 				case 'x': ipkg->broken_xattr = 1; break;
 				default:
-					if (!(apk_force & APK_FORCE_OLD_APK))
+					if (!(db->force & APK_FORCE_OLD_APK))
 						goto old_apk_tools;
 				}
 			}
 			break;
 		default:
-			if (r != 0 && !(apk_force & APK_FORCE_OLD_APK))
+			if (r != 0 && !(db->force & APK_FORCE_OLD_APK))
 				goto old_apk_tools;
 			/* Installed. So mark the package as installable. */
 			pkg->filename = NULL;
@@ -1527,6 +1527,7 @@ int apk_db_open(struct apk_database *db, struct apk_db_options *dbopts)
 		r = -1;
 		goto ret_r;
 	}
+	db->force = dbopts->force;
 	if ((dbopts->open_flags & APK_OPENF_WRITE) &&
 	    !(dbopts->open_flags & APK_OPENF_NO_AUTOUPDATE) &&
 	    !(apk_flags & APK_NO_NETWORK))
@@ -2054,7 +2055,7 @@ int apk_db_check_world(struct apk_database *db, struct apk_dependency_array *wor
 	struct apk_dependency *dep;
 	int bad = 0, tag;
 
-	if (apk_force & APK_FORCE_BROKEN_WORLD)
+	if (db->force & APK_FORCE_BROKEN_WORLD)
 		return 0;
 
 	foreach_array_item(dep, world) {
@@ -2276,7 +2277,7 @@ int apk_db_add_repository(apk_database_t _db, apk_blob_t _repository)
 		r = apk_repo_format_real_url(db->arch, repo, NULL, buf, sizeof(buf), &urlp);
 	}
 	if (r == 0) {
-		r = load_index(db, apk_istream_from_fd_url(db->cache_fd, buf), targz, repo_num);
+		r = load_index(db, apk_istream_from_fd_url(db->cache_fd, buf, apk_db_url_since(db, 0)), targz, repo_num);
 	}
 
 	if (r != 0) {
@@ -2538,7 +2539,7 @@ static int apk_db_install_archive_entry(void *_ctx,
 				if (pkg_prio >= 0)
 					break;
 
-				if (!(apk_force & APK_FORCE_OVERWRITE)) {
+				if (!(db->force & APK_FORCE_OVERWRITE)) {
 					apk_error(PKG_VER_FMT": trying to overwrite %s owned by "PKG_VER_FMT".",
 						  PKG_VER_PRINTF(pkg), ae->name, PKG_VER_PRINTF(opkg));
 					ipkg->broken_files = 1;
@@ -2791,7 +2792,7 @@ static int apk_db_unpack_pkg(struct apk_database *db,
 	if (!apk_db_cache_active(db))
 		need_copy = FALSE;
 
-	is = apk_istream_from_fd_url(filefd, file);
+	is = apk_istream_from_fd_url(filefd, file, apk_db_url_since(db, 0));
 	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(is)) {
 		r = PTR_ERR(is);
 		if (r == -ENOENT && pkg->filename == NULL)
diff --git a/src/io_url.c b/src/io_url.c
index 93728aa..d61dd52 100644
--- a/src/io_url.c
+++ b/src/io_url.c
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ static struct apk_istream *apk_istream_fetch(const char *url, time_t since)
 {
 	struct apk_fetch_istream *fis = NULL;
 	struct url *u;
+	char *flags = "Ci";
 	fetchIO *io = NULL;
 	int rc = -EIO;
 
@@ -117,8 +118,12 @@ static struct apk_istream *apk_istream_fetch(const char *url, time_t since)
 		goto err;
 	}
 
-	u->last_modified = since;
-	io = fetchXGet(u, &fis->urlstat, (apk_force & APK_FORCE_REFRESH) ? "Ci" : "i");
+	if (since != APK_ISTREAM_FORCE_REFRESH) {
+		u->last_modified = since;
+		flags = "i";
+	}
+
+	io = fetchXGet(u, &fis->urlstat, flags);
 	if (!io) {
 		rc = fetch_maperror(fetchLastErrCode);
 		goto err;
@@ -147,8 +152,3 @@ struct apk_istream *apk_istream_from_fd_url_if_modified(int atfd, const char *ur
 		return apk_istream_from_file(atfd, apk_url_local_file(url));
 	return apk_istream_fetch(url, since);
 }
-
-struct apk_istream *apk_istream_from_url_gz(const char *file)
-{
-	return apk_istream_gunzip(apk_istream_from_url(file));
-}
diff --git a/src/solver.c b/src/solver.c
index df63060..be9240a 100644
--- a/src/solver.c
+++ b/src/solver.c
@@ -1097,7 +1097,7 @@ restart:
 
 	generate_changeset(ss, world);
 
-	if (ss->errors && (apk_force & APK_FORCE_BROKEN_WORLD)) {
+	if (ss->errors && (db->force & APK_FORCE_BROKEN_WORLD)) {
 		foreach_array_item(d, world) {
 			name = d->name;
 			pkg = name->ss.chosen.pkg;