diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 19bedcb..5d20433 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -90,21 +90,42 @@ endif(NOT ZLIB_LIBRARY OR NOT ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR)
 find_package(PkgConfig)
 include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
 
-# Find libsqlite3
-find_library(SQLITE3_LIBRARY sqlite3)
-find_path(SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR zlib.h)
-message (STATUS "sqlite3 library: ${SQLITE3_LIBRARY}")
-message (STATUS "sqlite3 headers: ${SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR}")
-if(NOT SQLITE3_LIBRARY OR NOT SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR)
-	message(FATAL_ERROR "sqlite3 not found!")
-endif(NOT SQLITE3_LIBRARY OR NOT SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR)
+# Find database(s)
+set(USE_SQLITE3 0)
+set(USE_LEVELDB 0)
+set(USE_REDIS 0)
+
+OPTION(ENABLE_ANY_DATABASE "Enable any available database backends")
+OPTION(ENABLE_SQLITE3 "Enable sqlite3 backend" True)
+OPTION(ENABLE_LEVELDB "Enable LevelDB backend")
+OPTION(ENABLE_REDIS "Enable redis backend")
+
+MACRO(backend_message IS_FATAL text)
+	if(S_FATAL)
+		message(FATAL_ERROR text)
+	else(IS_FATAL)
+		message(STATUS text)
+	endif(IS_FATAL)
+ENDMACRO(backend_message)
+
+# Find sqlite3
+if(ENABLE_SQLITE3 OR ENABLE_ANY_DATABASE)
+	find_library(SQLITE3_LIBRARY sqlite3)
+	find_path(SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR zlib.h)
+	message (STATUS "sqlite3 library: ${SQLITE3_LIBRARY}")
+	message (STATUS "sqlite3 headers: ${SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+	if(SQLITE3_LIBRARY AND SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR)
+		set(USE_SQLITE3 1)
+		message(STATUS "sqlite3 backend enabled")
+		include_directories(${SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR})
+	else(SQLITE3_LIBRARY AND SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR)
+		set(USE_SQLITE3 0)
+		backend_message((NOT ENABLE_ANY_DATABASE) "sqlite3 backend requested but sqlite3 libraries not found!")
+	endif(SQLITE3_LIBRARY AND SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR)
+endif(ENABLE_SQLITE3 OR ENABLE_ANY_DATABASE)
 
 # Find leveldb
-set(USE_LEVELDB 0)
-
-OPTION(ENABLE_LEVELDB "Enable LevelDB backend")
-
-if(ENABLE_LEVELDB)
+if(ENABLE_LEVELDB OR ENABLE_ANY_DATABASE)
 	find_library(LEVELDB_LIBRARY leveldb)
 	find_path(LEVELDB_INCLUDE_DIR db.h PATH_SUFFIXES leveldb)
 	message (STATUS "LevelDB library: ${LEVELDB_LIBRARY}")
@@ -115,16 +136,12 @@ if(ENABLE_LEVELDB)
 		include_directories(${LEVELDB_INCLUDE_DIR})
 	else(LEVELDB_LIBRARY AND LEVELDB_INCLUDE_DIR)
 		set(USE_LEVELDB 0)
-		message(STATUS "LevelDB not found!")
+		backend_message((NOT ENABLE_ANY_DATABASE) "LevelDB backend requested but LevelDB libraries not found!")
 	endif(LEVELDB_LIBRARY AND LEVELDB_INCLUDE_DIR)
-endif(ENABLE_LEVELDB)
+endif(ENABLE_LEVELDB OR ENABLE_ANY_DATABASE)
 
 # Find redis
-set(USE_REDIS 0)
-
-OPTION(ENABLE_REDIS "Enable redis backend")
-
-if(ENABLE_REDIS)
+if(ENABLE_REDIS OR ENABLE_ANY_DATABASE)
 	find_library(REDIS_LIBRARY hiredis)
 	find_path(REDIS_INCLUDE_DIR hiredis.h PATH_SUFFIXES hiredis)
 	message (STATUS "redis library: ${REDIS_LIBRARY}")
@@ -135,15 +152,18 @@ if(ENABLE_REDIS)
 		include_directories(${REDIS_INCLUDE_DIR})
 	else(REDIS_LIBRARY AND REDIS_INCLUDE_DIR)
 		set(USE_REDIS 0)
-		message(STATUS "redis not found!")
+		backend_message((NOT ENABLE_ANY_DATABASE) "redis backend requested but redis libraries not found!")
 	endif(REDIS_LIBRARY AND REDIS_INCLUDE_DIR)
-endif(ENABLE_REDIS)
+endif(ENABLE_REDIS OR ENABLE_ANY_DATABASE)
+
+if(NOT ENABLE_SQLITE3 AND NOT ENABLE_LEVELDB AND NOT ENABLE_REDIS)
+	message(FATAL_ERROR "No database backends are configured, or none could be found")
+endif(NOT ENABLE_SQLITE3 AND NOT ENABLE_LEVELDB AND NOT ENABLE_REDIS)
 
 include_directories(
 	"${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}"
 	"${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}"
 	"${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}"
-	${SQLITE3_INCLUDE_DIR}
 	${LIBGD_INCLUDE_DIR}
 	${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIR}
 )
@@ -161,9 +181,12 @@ set(mapper_SRCS
 	ZlibDecompressor.cpp
 	Color.cpp
 	mapper.cpp
-	db-sqlite3.cpp
 )
 
+if(USE_SQLITE3)
+	set(mapper_SRCS ${mapper_SRCS} db-sqlite3.cpp)
+endif(USE_SQLITE3)
+
 if(USE_LEVELDB)
 	set(mapper_SRCS ${mapper_SRCS} db-leveldb.cpp)
 endif(USE_LEVELDB)
diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 598cff7..fc4532a 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Requirements
 ------------
 
 * libgd
-* sqlite3
+* sqlite3 (enabled by default, set ENABLE_SQLITE3=0 in CMake to disable)
 * leveldb (optional, set ENABLE_LEVELDB=1 in CMake to enable leveldb support)
 * hiredis (optional, set ENABLE_REDIS=1 in CMake to enable redis support)
 
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ Release version:
     cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE:STRING=Release .
     make
 
-
 Usage
 -----
 
diff --git a/TileGenerator.cpp b/TileGenerator.cpp
index 707f2a8..1ad3182 100644
--- a/TileGenerator.cpp
+++ b/TileGenerator.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@
 #include "PlayerAttributes.h"
 #include "TileGenerator.h"
 #include "ZlibDecompressor.h"
+#if USE_SQLITE3
 #include "db-sqlite3.h"
+#endif
 #if USE_LEVELDB
 #include "db-leveldb.h"
 #endif
@@ -93,7 +95,7 @@ TileGenerator::TileGenerator():
 	m_drawAlpha(false),
 	m_shading(true),
 	m_border(0),
-	m_backend("sqlite3"),
+	m_backend(DEFAULT_BACKEND),
 	m_shrinkGeometry(true),
 	m_blockGeometry(false),
 	m_sqliteCacheWorldRow(false),
@@ -378,11 +380,15 @@ void TileGenerator::parseColorsStream(std::istream &in, const std::string &filen
 
 void TileGenerator::openDb(const std::string &input)
 {
-	if(m_backend == "sqlite3") {
+	if (false) {
+	}
+#if USE_SQLITE3
+	else if(m_backend == "sqlite3") {
 		DBSQLite3 *db;
 		m_db = db = new DBSQLite3(input);
 		db->cacheWorldRow = m_sqliteCacheWorldRow;
 	}
+#endif
 #if USE_LEVELDB
 	else if(m_backend == "leveldb")
 		m_db = new DBLevelDB(input);
diff --git a/cmake_config.h.in b/cmake_config.h.in
index fbe6387..b32f649 100644
--- a/cmake_config.h.in
+++ b/cmake_config.h.in
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #ifndef CMAKE_CONFIG_H
 #define CMAKE_CONFIG_H
 
+#define USE_SQLITE3 @USE_SQLITE3@
 #define USE_LEVELDB @USE_LEVELDB@
 #define USE_REDIS @USE_REDIS@
 
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 2fa35e4..d7f7132 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -23,3 +23,43 @@
 #else
 #define USE_LEVELDB 0
 #endif
+
+// List of possible database names (for usage message)
+#if USE_SQLITE3
+#define USAGE_NAME_SQLITE "sqlite3"
+#else
+#define USAGE_NAME_SQLITE
+#endif
+#if USE_SQLITE3 && USE_LEVELDB
+#define USAGE_SEP_SQLITE_LEVELDB "/"
+#else
+#define USAGE_SEP_SQLITE_LEVELDB
+#endif
+#if USE_LEVELDB
+#define USAGE_NAME_LEVELDB "leveldb"
+#else
+#define USAGE_NAME_LEVELDB
+#endif
+#if USE_LEVELDB && USE_REDIS
+#define USAGE_SEP_LEVELDB_REDIS "/"
+#else
+#define USAGE_SEP_LEVELDB_REDIS
+#endif
+#if USE_REDIS
+#define USAGE_NAME_REDIS "redis"
+#else
+#define USAGE_NAME_REDIS
+#endif
+#define USAGE_DATABASES USAGE_NAME_SQLITE USAGE_SEP_SQLITE_LEVELDB USAGE_NAME_LEVELDB USAGE_SEP_LEVELDB_REDIS USAGE_NAME_REDIS
+
+// default database to use
+#if USE_SQLITE3
+#define DEFAULT_BACKEND "sqlite3"
+#elif USE_LEVELDB
+#define DEFAULT_BACKEND "leveldb"
+#elif USE_REDIS
+#define DEFAULT_BACKEND "redis"
+#else
+#error No database backends configured !
+#endif
+
diff --git a/mapper.cpp b/mapper.cpp
index 76b7269..05b1873 100644
--- a/mapper.cpp
+++ b/mapper.cpp
@@ -44,12 +44,14 @@ void usage()
 			"  --noshading\n"
 			"  --min-y <y>\n"
 			"  --max-y <y>\n"
-			"  --backend <sqlite3/leveldb/redis>\n"
+			"  --backend <" USAGE_DATABASES ">\n"
 			"  --geometry <geometry>\n"
 			"  --cornergeometry <geometry>\n"
 			"  --centergeometry <geometry>\n"
 			"  --geometrymode pixel,block,fixed,shrink\n"
+#if USE_SQLITE3
 			"  --sqlite-cacheworldrow\n"
+#endif
 			"  --tiles <tilesize>[+<border>]\n"
 			"  --tileorigin <x>,<y>|center-world|center-map\n"
 			"  --verbose[=n]\n"