diff --git a/db/db_update.php b/db/db_update.php
index 35c6b01..36996b6 100644
--- a/db/db_update.php
+++ b/db/db_update.php
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ if(!function_exists("system")) {
 
 //include the config.inc.php
 //so we have the db connection info
-require("../data/config.inc.php");
+require_once('../data/config.inc.php');
 echo "<pre>\n";
 if(file_exists("db.code.version.txt")) {
 	$dbcodeversion_file=file("db.code.version.txt");
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ else {
 	exit;
 }
 
+$skip_dbversion_update = array_key_exists('skip_dbversion_update', $_GET);
+
 mysql_connect($DBHOST,$DBUSER,$DBPASS);
 mysql_select_db($DBNAME);
 @mysql_query("SET NAMES utf8");
@@ -98,8 +100,13 @@ if($dbcodeversion && $dbdbversion) {
 			config_update_variables();
 		}
 
-		echo "\nAll done - updating new DB version to $dbcodeversion\n";
-		mysql_query("UPDATE config SET val='$dbcodeversion' WHERE var='DBVERSION' AND conferences_id='0'");
+
+		if($skip_dbversion_update) {
+			echo "\nAll done - skip_dbversion_update specified, NOT updating to DB version to $dbcodeversion\n";
+		} else {
+			echo "\nAll done - updating new DB version to $dbcodeversion\n";
+			mysql_query("UPDATE config SET val='$dbcodeversion' WHERE var='DBVERSION' AND conferences_id='0'");
+		}
 	}
 }
 else {