diff --git a/kdc/main.c b/kdc/main.c
index a6506932a..7933dd1ea 100644
--- a/kdc/main.c
+++ b/kdc/main.c
@@ -59,9 +59,24 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
     configure(argc, argv);
 
-    ret = hdb_create(context, &db, database);
-    if(ret)
-	krb5_err(context, 1, ret, "hdb_create %s", database);
+    if(databases == NULL) {
+	db = malloc(sizeof(*db));
+	num_db = 1;
+	ret = hdb_create(context, &db[0], NULL);
+	if(ret)
+	    krb5_err(context, 1, ret, "hdb_create %s", HDB_DEFAULT_DB);
+    } else {
+	char **d;
+	int i;
+	/* count databases */
+	for(d = databases, i = 0; *d; d++, i++);
+	db = malloc(i * sizeof(*db));
+	for(d = databases, num_db = 0; *d; d++) {
+	    ret = hdb_create(context, &db[num_db++], *d);
+	    if(ret)
+		krb5_err(context, 1, ret, "hdb_create %s", *d);
+	}
+    }
     ret = hdb_set_master_keyfile(context, db, keyfile);
     if (ret)
 	krb5_err(context, 1, ret, "hdb_set_master_keyfile");
diff --git a/kdc/misc.c b/kdc/misc.c
index 09290aaab..287c18957 100644
--- a/kdc/misc.c
+++ b/kdc/misc.c
@@ -47,20 +47,22 @@ db_fetch(krb5_principal principal)
 {
     hdb_entry *ent;
     krb5_error_code ret;
-
-    ret = db->open(context, db, O_RDONLY, 0);
-    if (ret) {
-	kdc_log(0, "Failed to open database: %s", 
-		krb5_get_err_text(context, ret));
-	return NULL;
-    }
+    int i;
     ALLOC(ent);
     ent->principal = principal;
-    ret = db->fetch(context, db, HDB_F_DECRYPT, ent);
-    db->close(context, db);
-    if(ret){
-	free(ent);
-	return NULL;
+
+    for(i = 0; i < num_db; i++) {
+	ret = db[i]->open(context, db[i], O_RDONLY, 0);
+	if (ret) {
+	    kdc_log(0, "Failed to open database: %s", 
+		    krb5_get_err_text(context, ret));
+	    continue;
+	}
+	ret = db[i]->fetch(context, db[i], HDB_F_DECRYPT, ent);
+	db[i]->close(context, db[i]);
+	if(ret == 0)
+	    return ent;
     }
-    return ent;
+    free(ent);
+    return NULL;
 }