diff --git a/server/db/JembaConnManager.js b/server/db/JembaConnManager.js
index 5b32142a..d3a2dd57 100644
--- a/server/db/JembaConnManager.js
+++ b/server/db/JembaConnManager.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class JembaConnManager {
         return instance;
     }
 
-    async init(config, migs = jembaMigrations, undoLastMigration = false) {
+    async init(config, forceAutoRepair = false, migs = jembaMigrations, undoLastMigration = false) {
         if (this.inited)
             throw new Error('JembaConnManager initialized already');
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class JembaConnManager {
                 try {
                     await dbConn.openAll();
                 } catch(e) {
-                    if (dbConfig.autoRepair && 
+                    if ((forceAutoRepair || dbConfig.autoRepair) && 
                         (
                             e.message.indexOf('corrupted') >= 0 
                             || e.message.indexOf('Unexpected token') >= 0
diff --git a/server/index.js b/server/index.js
index 72577c11..884c147f 100644
--- a/server/index.js
+++ b/server/index.js
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ async function init() {
     await connManager.init(config);
 
     const jembaConnManager = new (require('./db/JembaConnManager'))();//singleton
-    await jembaConnManager.init(config);
+    await jembaConnManager.init(config, argv['auto-repair']);
 
     //converter SQLITE => JembaDb
     const converter = new  (require('./db/Converter'))();