diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/fsck.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/fsck.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3141a7031d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/fsck.py
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+##############################################################################
+# Copyright (c) 2013, Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC.
+# Produced at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
+#
+# This file is part of Spack.
+# Written by Todd Gamblin, tgamblin@llnl.gov, All rights reserved.
+# LLNL-CODE-647188
+#
+# For details, see https://scalability-llnl.github.io/spack
+# Please also see the LICENSE file for our notice and the LGPL.
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License (as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation) version 2.1 dated February 1999.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+# WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the terms and
+# conditions of the GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+# along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+# Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
+##############################################################################
+from external import argparse
+
+from llnl.util.lock import *
+
+import spack
+import os
+
+description = "Correct database irregularities"
+
+#Very basic version of spack fsck
+def fsck(parser, args):
+    with Write_Lock_Instance(spack.installed_db.lock,1800):
+        #remove database file
+        if os.path.exists(spack.installed_db._file_path):
+            os.remove(spack.installed_db._file_path)
+        #read database
+        spack.installed_db.read_database()
+        #write database
+        spack.installed_db.write()
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/database.py b/lib/spack/spack/database.py
index 9b759827d30..680d184f1f5 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/database.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/database.py
@@ -123,8 +123,15 @@ def read_database(self):
             with open(self._file_path,'r') as f:
                 self._read_from_yaml(f)
         else:
-            #The file doesn't exist, construct empty data.
+            #The file doesn't exist, construct from file paths
             self._data = []
+            specs = spack.install_layout.all_specs()
+            for spec in specs:
+                sph = {}
+                sph['spec']=spec
+                sph['hash']=spec.dag_hash()
+                sph['path']=spack.install_layout.path_for_spec(spec)
+                self._data.append(sph)
 
 
     def _write_database_to_yaml(self,stream):
@@ -167,10 +174,13 @@ def write(self):
 
     def is_dirty(self):
         """
-        Returns true iff the database file exists
-        and was most recently written to by another spack instance.
+        Returns true iff the database file does not exist
+        or was most recently written to by another spack instance.
         """
-        return (os.path.isfile(self._file_path) and (os.path.getmtime(self._file_path) > self._last_write_time))
+        if not os.path.isfile(self._file_path):
+            return True
+        else:
+            return (os.path.getmtime(self._file_path) > self._last_write_time)
 
 
 #    @_autospec