diff --git a/apps/tagcache.c b/apps/tagcache.c
index 1f11f9e49f..7034cacab4 100644
--- a/apps/tagcache.c
+++ b/apps/tagcache.c
@@ -822,6 +822,8 @@ static long find_tag(int tag, int idx_id, const struct index_entry *idx)
             return result;
         }
     }
+#else
+    (void)idx_id;
 #endif
 
     return idx->tag_seek[tag];
@@ -3110,7 +3112,10 @@ static bool commit(void)
     return true;
 }
 
+#ifndef __PCTOOL__
 static int tempbuf_handle;
+#endif
+
 static void allocate_tempbuf(void)
 {
     /* Yeah, malloc would be really nice now :) */
@@ -4483,8 +4488,11 @@ void tagcache_screensync_enable(bool state)
     tc_stat.syncscreen = state;
 }
 
-
-static void do_tagcache_build(const char *path[])
+#ifndef __PCTOOL__
+/* this is called by the database tool to not pull in global_settings */
+static
+#endif
+void do_tagcache_build(const char *path[])
 {
     struct tagcache_header header;
     bool ret;
@@ -4595,6 +4603,7 @@ static void do_tagcache_build(const char *path[])
     cpu_boost(false);
 }
 
+#ifndef __PCTOOL__
 void tagcache_build(void)
 {
     char *vect[MAX_STATIC_ROOTS + 1]; /* +1 to ensure NULL sentinel */
@@ -4606,6 +4615,7 @@ void tagcache_build(void)
 
     do_tagcache_build((const char**)vect);
 }
+#endif
 
 #ifdef HAVE_TC_RAMCACHE
 static void load_ramcache(void)
diff --git a/apps/tagcache.h b/apps/tagcache.h
index c1d0df9bcd..dbe1c92d39 100644
--- a/apps/tagcache.h
+++ b/apps/tagcache.h
@@ -203,13 +203,13 @@ struct tagcache_search {
 
 #ifdef __PCTOOL__
 void tagcache_reverse_scan(void);
+/* call this directly instead of tagcache_build in order to not pull
+ * on global_settings */
+void do_tagcache_build(const char *path[]);
 #endif
 
 const char* tagcache_tag_to_str(int tag);
 
-#ifdef CPU_SH
-bool tagcache_is_numeric_tag(int type);
-#endif
 bool tagcache_find_index(struct tagcache_search *tcs, const char *filename);
 bool tagcache_check_clauses(struct tagcache_search *tcs,
                             struct tagcache_search_clause **clause, int count);
diff --git a/firmware/common/filefuncs.c b/firmware/common/filefuncs.c
index fd33f3c6f9..f969a011b7 100644
--- a/firmware/common/filefuncs.c
+++ b/firmware/common/filefuncs.c
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ int strip_volume(const char* name, char* namecopy)
 }
 #endif /* #ifdef HAVE_MULTIVOLUME */
 
+#endif /* __PCTOOL__ */
 /* Test file existence, using dircache of possible */
 bool file_exists(const char *file)
 {
@@ -89,7 +90,6 @@ bool dir_exists(const char *path)
     return true;
 }
 
-#endif /* __PCTOOL__ */
 
 #if (CONFIG_PLATFORM & (PLATFORM_NATIVE|PLATFORM_SDL|PLATFORM_MAEMO|PLATFORM_PANDORA))
 struct dirinfo dir_get_info(DIR* parent, struct dirent *entry)
diff --git a/firmware/export/filefuncs.h b/firmware/export/filefuncs.h
index 3d4e73ad9f..92e97f65b0 100644
--- a/firmware/export/filefuncs.h
+++ b/firmware/export/filefuncs.h
@@ -31,10 +31,9 @@
 int strip_volume(const char* name, char* namecopy);
 #endif
 
-#ifndef __PCTOOL__
 bool file_exists(const char *file);
 bool dir_exists(const char *path);
-#endif
+
 extern struct dirinfo dir_get_info(DIR* parent, struct dirent *entry);
 
 #endif /* __INCLUDE_FILEFUNCS_H_ */
diff --git a/firmware/export/rbpaths.h b/firmware/export/rbpaths.h
index c60ebdf2af..d50f66d72d 100644
--- a/firmware/export/rbpaths.h
+++ b/firmware/export/rbpaths.h
@@ -30,11 +30,7 @@
 /* name of directory where configuration, fonts and other data
  * files are stored */
 #ifdef __PCTOOL__
-#undef ROCKBOX_DIR
-#undef ROCKBOX_DIR_LEN
 #undef WPS_DIR
-#define ROCKBOX_DIR "."
-#define ROCKBOX_DIR_LEN 1
 #else
 
 /* ROCKBOX_DIR is now defined in autoconf.h for flexible build types */
diff --git a/firmware/include/file.h b/firmware/include/file.h
index 0ff94a8168..4ba9c503b4 100644
--- a/firmware/include/file.h
+++ b/firmware/include/file.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ extern int app_rename(const char* path, const char* newname);
 #   define write(x,y,z) sim_write(x,y,z)
 #   define close(x) sim_close(x)
 #   endif
-#elif defined(SIMULATOR)
+#elif defined(SIMULATOR) || defined(DBTOOL)
 #   define open(x, ...) sim_open(x, __VA_ARGS__)
 #   define creat(x,m) sim_creat(x,m)
 #   define remove(x) sim_remove(x)
diff --git a/tools/configure b/tools/configure
index b01d505c9a..aa787d3708 100755
--- a/tools/configure
+++ b/tools/configure
@@ -3530,6 +3530,7 @@ fi
       toolset='';
       t_cpu='';
       GCCOPTS='';
+      rbdir='.'
       extradefines="$extradefines  -DDEBUG"
       appsdir='$(ROOTDIR)/tools/checkwps';
       output='checkwps.'${modelname};
@@ -3538,10 +3539,8 @@ fi
       ;;
     [Dd])
       uname=`uname`
-      simcc "database"
+      simcc "database-sdl"
       toolset='';
-      t_cpu='';
-      GCCOPTS='';
       appsdir='$(ROOTDIR)/tools/database';
       archosrom='';
 
@@ -3553,7 +3552,10 @@ fi
               output='database.'${modelname};
               ;;
       esac
-
+      # architecture, manufacturer and model for the target-tree build
+      t_cpu="hosted"
+      t_manufacturer="sdl"
+      t_model="database"
       echo "Database tool build selected"
       ;;
     [Ww])
diff --git a/tools/database/database.c b/tools/database/database.c
index 0f9304eb0a..30f1c39626 100644
--- a/tools/database/database.c
+++ b/tools/database/database.c
@@ -2,26 +2,37 @@
 
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
+
+#include "config.h"
 #include "tagcache.h"
+#include "dir.h"
+
+/* This is meant to be run on the root of the dap. it'll put the db files into
+ * a .rockbox subdir */
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
+    (void)argc;
+    (void)argv;
+
+    errno = 0;
+    if (mkdir(ROCKBOX_DIR) == -1 && errno != EEXIST)
+        return 1;
+
+    /* / is actually ., will get translated in io.c
+     * (with the help of sim_root_dir below */
+    const char *paths[] = { "/", NULL };
     tagcache_init();
-    tagcache_build(".");
+    do_tagcache_build(paths);
     tagcache_reverse_scan();
     
     return 0;
 }
 
-/* stub to avoid including all of apps/misc.c */
-bool file_exists(const char *file)
-{
-    struct stat s;
-    if (!stat(file, &s))
-        return true;
-    return false;
-}
+/* needed for io.c */
+const char *sim_root_dir = ".";
 
 /* stubs to avoid including thread-sdl.c */
 #include "kernel.h"
diff --git a/tools/database/database.make b/tools/database/database.make
index 49ad2ff9bc..89a4aa7d85 100644
--- a/tools/database/database.make
+++ b/tools/database/database.make
@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@
 # $Id: checkwps.make 22680 2009-09-11 17:58:17Z gevaerts $
 #
 
-DBDEFINES=-g -DDEBUG -D__PCTOOL__
-CFLAGS+=$(DBDEFINES)
+GCCOPTS += -g -DDEBUG -D__PCTOOL__ -DDBTOOL
 
 createsrc = $(shell cat $(1) > $(3); echo "\#if CONFIG_CODEC == SWCODEC" >> $(3); \
                                      echo $(2) | sed 's/ /\n/g' >> $(3); \
@@ -21,44 +20,25 @@ SRCFILE := $(call createsrc, $(TOOLSDIR)/database/SOURCES, \
                              $(METADATAS), \
                              $(TOOLSDIR)/database/SOURCES.build)
 
-SRC= $(call preprocess, $(SRCFILE))
+DATABASE_SRC = $(call preprocess, $(SRCFILE))
+DATABASE_OBJ = $(call c2obj,$(DATABASE_SRC))
 
-INCLUDES = -I$(ROOTDIR)/apps/gui \
-           -I$(ROOTDIR)/firmware/export \
-           -I$(ROOTDIR)/firmware/include \
-           -I$(ROOTDIR)/apps \
-           -I$(ROOTDIR)/apps/recorder \
-           -I$(ROOTDIR)/lib/rbcodec \
-           -I$(ROOTDIR)/lib/rbcodec/metadata \
-           -I$(ROOTDIR)/lib/rbcodec/dsp \
-           -I$(APPSDIR) \
-           -I$(BUILDDIR) \
+OTHER_SRC += $(DATABASE_SRC)
 
-SIMINCLUDES += -I$(FIRMDIR)/target/hosted/sdl -I$(FIRMDIR)/target/hosted \
-	-I$(ROOTDIR)/uisimulator/common -I$(FIRMDIR)/export -I$(BUILDDIR) -I$(APPSDIR)
+INCLUDES += -I$(ROOTDIR)/apps/gui \
+            -I$(ROOTDIR)/firmware/export \
+            -I$(ROOTDIR)/firmware/include \
+            -I$(ROOTDIR)/apps \
+            -I$(ROOTDIR)/apps/recorder \
+            -I$(ROOTDIR)/lib/rbcodec \
+            -I$(ROOTDIR)/lib/rbcodec/metadata \
+            -I$(ROOTDIR)/lib/rbcodec/dsp \
+            -I$(APPSDIR) \
+            -I$(BUILDDIR)
 
-# Makes mkdepfile happy
-GCCOPTS+=`$(SDLCONFIG) --cflags`
-OLDGCCOPTS:=$(GCCOPTS)
-GCCOPTS+=-D__PCTOOL__ -fno-builtin $(INCLUDES) $(SIMINCLUDES)
-
-LIBS=`$(SDLCONFIG) --libs` -lc
-ifneq ($(findstring MINGW,$(shell uname)),MINGW)
-LIBS += -ldl
-endif
 
 .SECONDEXPANSION: # $$(OBJ) is not populated until after this
 
-SIMFLAGS += $(SIMINCLUDES) $(DBDEFINES) -DHAVE_CONFIG_H $(OLDGCCOPTS) $(INCLUDES)
-
-$(BUILDDIR)/$(BINARY): $$(OBJ)
-	@echo LD $(BINARY)
-	$(SILENT)$(HOSTCC) $(SIMFLAGS) $(LIBS) -o $@ $+
-
-$(BUILDDIR)/tools/database/../../uisimulator/%.o: $(ROOTDIR)/uisimulator/%.c
-	$(SILENT)mkdir -p $(dir $@)
-	$(call PRINTS,CC $(subst $(ROOTDIR)/,,$<))$(CC) $(SIMFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
-
-$(BUILDDIR)/tools/database/database.o: $(APPSDIR)/database.c
-	$(SILENT)mkdir -p $(dir $@)
-	$(call PRINTS,CC $(subst $(ROOTDIR)/,,$<))$(CC) $(SIMFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+$(BUILDDIR)/$(BINARY): $$(DATABASE_OBJ)
+	$(call PRINTS,LD $(BINARY))
+	$(SILENT)$(HOSTCC) -o $@ $+
diff --git a/uisimulator/common/io.c b/uisimulator/common/io.c
index bca5c27a17..7538788bd6 100644
--- a/uisimulator/common/io.c
+++ b/uisimulator/common/io.c
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ static ssize_t io_trigger_and_wait(enum io_dir cmd)
     return result;
 }
 
-#if !defined(__PCTOOL__) && !defined(APPLICATION)
+#if !defined(APPLICATION)
 static const char *get_sim_pathname(const char *name)
 {
     static char buffer[MAX_PATH]; /* sufficiently big */