diff --git a/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c b/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
index d7e14ba3..daed01f9 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/be_sync.c
@@ -600,6 +600,14 @@ alpm_db_t *_alpm_db_register_sync(alpm_handle_t *handle, const char *treename,
 
 	_alpm_log(handle, ALPM_LOG_DEBUG, "registering sync database '%s'\n", treename);
 
+	_alpm_log(handle, ALPM_LOG_DEBUG, "spot 3\n");
+#ifndef HAVE_LIBGPGME
+	_alpm_log(handle, ALPM_LOG_DEBUG, "spot 2\n");
+	if(level != 0 && level != ALPM_SIG_USE_DEFAULT) {
+		RET_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_WRONG_ARGS, NULL);
+	}
+#endif
+
 	db = _alpm_db_new(treename, 0);
 	if(db == NULL) {
 		RET_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_DB_CREATE, NULL);
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/db.c b/lib/libalpm/db.c
index 0c2b26aa..746293ff 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/db.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/db.c
@@ -327,7 +327,6 @@ alpm_db_t *_alpm_db_new(const char *treename, int is_local)
 	CALLOC(db, 1, sizeof(alpm_db_t), return NULL);
 	STRDUP(db->treename, treename, return NULL);
 	db->is_local = is_local;
-	db->siglevel = 0;
 
 	return db;
 }
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/handle.c b/lib/libalpm/handle.c
index 9bffd4fd..266b4bc8 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/handle.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/handle.c
@@ -45,8 +45,10 @@ alpm_handle_t *_alpm_handle_new()
 
 	CALLOC(handle, 1, sizeof(alpm_handle_t), return NULL);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBGPGME
 	handle->siglevel = ALPM_SIG_PACKAGE | ALPM_SIG_PACKAGE_OPTIONAL |
 		ALPM_SIG_DATABASE | ALPM_SIG_DATABASE_OPTIONAL;
+#endif
 
 	return handle;
 }
@@ -579,7 +581,13 @@ int SYMEXPORT alpm_option_set_default_siglevel(alpm_handle_t *handle,
 		alpm_siglevel_t level)
 {
 	CHECK_HANDLE(handle, return -1);
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBGPGME
 	handle->siglevel = level;
+#else
+	if(level != 0 && level != ALPM_SIG_USE_DEFAULT) {
+		RET_ERR(handle, ALPM_ERR_WRONG_ARGS, -1);
+	}
+#endif
 	return 0;
 }