diff --git a/docker/common/designate/designate-central/start.sh b/docker/common/designate/designate-central/start.sh
index fef7e23532..44cf89130b 100755
--- a/docker/common/designate/designate-central/start.sh
+++ b/docker/common/designate/designate-central/start.sh
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@ set -e
 . /opt/kolla/config-designate.sh
 
 check_required_vars MARIADB_SERVICE_HOST DB_ROOT_PASSWORD DESIGNATE_DB_NAME \
-                    DESIGNATE_DB_USER DESIGNATE_DB_PASSWORD DESIGNATE_INITDB
+                    DESIGNATE_DB_USER DESIGNATE_DB_PASSWORD INIT_DESIGNATE_DB
 
 fail_unless_db
 
 CONF=/etc/designate/designate.conf
 
-if [ "${DESIGNATE_INITDB}" == "true" ]; then
+if [ "${INIT_DESIGNATE_DB}" == "true" ]; then
     echo "Configuring database"
     mysql -h ${MARIADB_SERVICE_HOST} -u root -p"${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD}" mysql <<EOF
 CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS ${DESIGNATE_DB_NAME};
diff --git a/docker/common/glance/glance-registry/start.sh b/docker/common/glance/glance-registry/start.sh
index 5f590fb1cc..6b12d8fee9 100755
--- a/docker/common/glance/glance-registry/start.sh
+++ b/docker/common/glance/glance-registry/start.sh
@@ -5,17 +5,20 @@ set -e
 . /opt/kolla/kolla-common.sh
 . /opt/kolla/config-glance.sh
 
-check_required_vars GLANCE_DB_NAME GLANCE_DB_USER GLANCE_DB_PASSWORD
+check_required_vars GLANCE_DB_NAME GLANCE_DB_USER GLANCE_DB_PASSWORD \
+                    INIT_GLANCE_DB
 # lets wait for the DB to be available
 wait_for 25 1 check_for_db
 
-mysql -h ${MARIADB_SERVICE_HOST} -u root -p${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD} mysql <<EOF
+if [ "${INIT_GLANCE_DB}" == "true" ]; then
+    mysql -h ${MARIADB_SERVICE_HOST} -u root -p${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD} mysql <<EOF
 CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS ${GLANCE_DB_NAME} DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8;
 GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ${GLANCE_DB_NAME}.* TO
        '${GLANCE_DB_USER}'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY '${GLANCE_DB_PASSWORD}'
 
 EOF
 
-/usr/bin/glance-manage db_sync
+    /usr/bin/glance-manage db_sync
+fi
 
 exec /usr/bin/glance-registry
diff --git a/docker/common/heat/heat-engine/start.sh b/docker/common/heat/heat-engine/start.sh
index 2dfc78e928..531b693752 100755
--- a/docker/common/heat/heat-engine/start.sh
+++ b/docker/common/heat/heat-engine/start.sh
@@ -3,15 +3,18 @@
 . /opt/kolla/kolla-common.sh
 . /opt/kolla/config-heat.sh
 
-check_required_vars HEAT_DB_NAME HEAT_DB_USER HEAT_DB_PASSWORD
+check_required_vars HEAT_DB_NAME HEAT_DB_USER HEAT_DB_PASSWORD \
+                    INIT_HEAT_DB
 fail_unless_db
 
-mysql -h ${MARIADB_SERVICE_HOST} -u root -p${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD} mysql <<EOF
+if [ "${INIT_HEAT_DB}" == "true" ]; then
+    mysql -h ${MARIADB_SERVICE_HOST} -u root -p${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD} mysql <<EOF
 CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS ${HEAT_DB_NAME} DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8;
 GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ${HEAT_DB_NAME}.* TO
     '${HEAT_DB_USER}'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY '${HEAT_DB_PASSWORD}'
 EOF
 
-/usr/bin/heat-manage db_sync
+    /usr/bin/heat-manage db_sync
+fi
 
 exec /usr/bin/heat-engine
diff --git a/docker/common/keystone/start.sh b/docker/common/keystone/start.sh
index ca9fb22666..2eb0f8c48b 100755
--- a/docker/common/keystone/start.sh
+++ b/docker/common/keystone/start.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ echo "Running the kolla-common script"
 : ${KEYSTONE_ADMIN_PASSWORD:=password}
 : ${KEYSTONE_ADMIN_TOKEN:=changeme}
 # DB Settings
-: ${INIT_DB:=true}
+: ${INIT_KEYSTONE_DB:=true}
 : ${KEYSTONE_DB_NAME:=keystone}
 : ${KEYSTONE_DB_USER:=keystone}
 : ${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD:=password}
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ echo "Checking for required variables"
 check_required_vars KEYSTONE_ADMIN_TOKEN KEYSTONE_DB_PASSWORD \
                     KEYSTONE_ADMIN_PASSWORD ADMIN_TENANT_NAME \
                     KEYSTONE_PUBLIC_SERVICE_HOST KEYSTONE_ADMIN_SERVICE_HOST \
-                    PUBLIC_IP
+                    PUBLIC_IP INIT_KEYSTONE_DB
 dump_vars
 
 # Setup the Keystone DB
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ chmod -R o-rwx /etc/keystone/ssl
 
 # Initialize the Keystone DB
 echo "Initializing Keystone DB"
-if [ "${INIT_DB}" == "true" ] ; then
+if [ "${INIT_KEYSTONE_DB}" == "true" ] ; then
     su -s /bin/bash -c "keystone-manage db_sync" keystone
 fi
 
diff --git a/docker/common/nova-controller/nova-conductor/start.sh b/docker/common/nova-controller/nova-conductor/start.sh
index 575e7ff6cc..3bba8cf3a0 100755
--- a/docker/common/nova-controller/nova-conductor/start.sh
+++ b/docker/common/nova-controller/nova-conductor/start.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ set -e
 
 . /opt/kolla/config-nova.sh
 
-check_required_vars NOVA_DB_NAME NOVA_DB_USER NOVA_DB_PASSWORD
+check_required_vars NOVA_DB_NAME NOVA_DB_USER NOVA_DB_PASSWORD \
+                    INIT_NOVA_DB
 fail_unless_db
 
 cfg=/etc/nova/nova.conf
@@ -12,12 +13,14 @@ cfg=/etc/nova/nova.conf
 # configure logging
 crudini --set $cfg DEFAULT log_file "${NOVA_CONDUCTOR_LOG_FILE}"
 
-mysql -h ${MARIADB_SERVICE_HOST} -u root -p${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD} mysql <<EOF
+if [ "${INIT_NOVA_DB}" == "true" ]; then
+    mysql -h ${MARIADB_SERVICE_HOST} -u root -p${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD} mysql <<EOF
 CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS ${NOVA_DB_NAME};
 GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ${NOVA_DB_NAME}.* TO
-	'${NOVA_DB_USER}'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY '${NOVA_DB_PASSWORD}'
+       '${NOVA_DB_USER}'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY '${NOVA_DB_PASSWORD}'
 EOF
 
-nova-manage db sync
+    nova-manage db sync
+fi
 
 exec /usr/bin/nova-conductor --config-file /etc/nova/nova.conf
diff --git a/docs/integration-guide.md b/docs/integration-guide.md
index d793686dc7..106f207e5f 100644
--- a/docs/integration-guide.md
+++ b/docs/integration-guide.md
@@ -112,6 +112,12 @@ all containers.  This allows a simple method of ensuring every type of node
     HEAT_API_SERVICE_HOST=<IP> - The IP Address where the Heat API service is hosted
     HEAT_API_CFN_SERVICE_HOST=<IP> - The IP Address where Heat users will contact the heat-engine in search for meta data
     HEAT_API_CFN_URL_HOST=<IP> - The IP Address where Heat virtual machines will contact the heat-engine to signal wait conditions
+    INIT_CINDER_DB=<true|false> - Initialize or update the Cinder db
+    INIT_DESIGNATE_DB=<true|false> - Initialize or update the Designate db
+    INIT_GLANCE_DB=<true|false> - Initialize or update the Glance db
+    INIT_HEAT_DB=<true|false> - Initialize or update the Heat db
+    INIT_KEYSTONE_DB=<true|false> - Initialize or update the Keystone db
+    INIT_NOVA_DB=<true|false> - Initialize or update the Nova db
     PUBLIC_INTERFACE=<eth1> - The nova public interface
     PUBLIC_IP=<Host IP Address> - The IP Address of this host
     RABBITMQ_PASS=<rabbit> - The rabbitmq password used to join AMQP
@@ -135,7 +141,6 @@ all containers.  This allows a simple method of ensuring every type of node
     DESIGNATE_API_SERVICE_PORT=<9001> - The port of the Designate API
     DESIGNATE_MDNS_PORT=<5354> - The port of the Designate MiniDNS server acting as master server
     DESIGNATE_DNS_PORT=<53> - The port of the Designate-backed DNS slaves that are used by the world
-    DESIGNATE_INITDB=<true|false> - Configures if the database should be created and initialised
     DESIGNATE_ALLOW_RECURSION=<true|false> - Configure a recursive nameserver
     DESIGNATE_DEFAULT_POOL_NS_RECORD=<ns1.example.org.> - Name of server used to generate NS records
     DESIGNATE_SINK_NOVA_DOMAIN_NAME=<nova.example.org.> - Name of domain used to create records from Nova notifications
@@ -162,7 +167,6 @@ all containers.  This allows a simple method of ensuring every type of node
     CINDER_VOLUME_BACKEND_NAME=<LVM_iSCSI57> - The backend name for a given driver implementation
     CINDER_VOLUME_DRIVER=<cinder.volume.drivers.lvm.LVMISCSIDriver> - The driver used for volume creation
     CINDER_ENABLED_BACKEND=<lvm57> - A list of backend names to use
-    INIT_CINDER_DB=<true|false> - Initialize or update the cinder db
 
 [Minimum environment variable setup guide.](https://github.com/stackforge/kolla/blob/master/docs/minimal-environment-vars.md)
 
diff --git a/tools/genenv b/tools/genenv
index b1a13fd378..5fdc8a7ba3 100755
--- a/tools/genenv
+++ b/tools/genenv
@@ -24,9 +24,15 @@ ADMIN_USER_PASSWORD=steakfordinner
 
 # Database
 HOST_IP=$MY_IP
+INIT_CINDER_DB=true
+INIT_DESIGNATE_DB=true
+INIT_GLANCE_DB=true
+INIT_HEAT_DB=true
+INIT_KEYSTONE_DB=true
+INIT_NOVA_DB=true
 MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD=kolla
 PASSWORD=12345
-INIT_CINDER_DB=true
+
 
 # Galera
 DB_CLUSTER_BIND_ADDRESS=0.0.0.0
@@ -155,7 +161,6 @@ DESIGNATE_DNS_PORT=53
 DESIGNATE_POOLMAN_POOLID=$(uuidgen)
 DESIGNATE_POOLMAN_TARGETS=$(uuidgen)
 DESIGNATE_POOLMAN_NSS=$(uuidgen)
-DESIGNATE_INITDB=true
 DESIGNATE_ALLOW_RECURSION=true
 DESIGNATE_DEFAULT_POOL_NS_RECORD=ns1.example.org.
 DESIGNATE_SINK_NOVA_DOMAIN_NAME=nova.example.org.
@@ -334,6 +339,12 @@ CINDER_API_LOG_FILE=$CINDER_API_LOG_FILE
 CINDER_VOLUME_LOG_FILE=$CINDER_VOLUME_LOG_FILE
 CINDER_BACKUP_LOG_FILE=$CINDER_BACKUP_LOG_FILE
 CINDER_SCHEDULER_LOG_FILE=$CINDER_SCHEDULER_LOG_FILE
+INIT_CINDER_DB=$INIT_CINDER_DB
+INIT_DESIGNATE_DB=$INIT_DESIGNATE_DB
+INIT_GLANCE_DB=$INIT_GLANCE_DB
+INIT_HEAT_DB=$INIT_HEAT_DB
+INIT_KEYSTONE_DB=$INIT_KEYSTONE_DB
+INIT_NOVA_DB=$INIT_NOVA_DB
 EOF
 echo Please customize your FLAT_INTERFACE to a different network then your
 echo main network. The FLAT_INTERFACE is used for inter-VM communication.