diff --git a/swh/core/cli/db.py b/swh/core/cli/db.py
--- a/swh/core/cli/db.py
+++ b/swh/core/cli/db.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 import logging
 from os import path, environ
+from typing import Tuple
+
 import warnings
 
 import click
@@ -75,34 +77,27 @@
     import subprocess
 
     for modname, cfg in ctx.obj["config"].items():
-        if cfg.get("cls") == "local" and cfg.get("args"):
+        if cfg.get("cls") == "local" and cfg.get("args", {}).get("db"):
             try:
-                sqlfiles = get_sql_for_package(modname)
+                initialized, dbversion = populate_database_for_package(
+                    modname, cfg["args"]["db"]
+                )
             except click.BadParameter:
                 logger.info(
                     "Failed to load/find sql initialization files for %s", modname
                 )
 
-            if sqlfiles:
-                conninfo = cfg["args"]["db"]
-                for sqlfile in sqlfiles:
-                    subprocess.check_call(
-                        [
-                            "psql",
-                            "--quiet",
-                            "--no-psqlrc",
-                            "-v",
-                            "ON_ERROR_STOP=1",
-                            "-d",
-                            conninfo,
-                            "-f",
-                            sqlfile,
-                        ]
-                    )
+        click.secho(
+            "DONE database for {} {} at version {}".format(
+                modname, "initialized" if initialized else "exists", dbversion
+            ),
+            fg="green",
+            bold=True,
+        )
 
 
 @click.command(context_settings=CONTEXT_SETTINGS)
-@click.argument("module", nargs=-1, required=True)
+@click.argument("module", required=True)
 @click.option(
     "--db-name",
     "-d",
@@ -117,7 +112,7 @@
     default=False,
 )
 def db_init(module, db_name, create_db):
-    """Initialise a database for the Software Heritage <module>.  By
+    """Initialize a database for the Software Heritage <module>. By
     default, does not attempt to create the database.
 
     Example:
@@ -133,39 +128,24 @@
       PGPORT=5434 swh db-init indexer
 
     """
-    # put import statements here so we can keep startup time of the main swh
-    # command as short as possible
-    from swh.core.db.tests.db_testing import (
-        pg_createdb,
-        pg_restore,
-        DB_DUMP_TYPES,
-        swh_db_version,
-    )
 
     logger.debug("db_init %s dn_name=%s", module, db_name)
-    dump_files = []
-
-    for modname in module:
-        dump_files.extend(get_sql_for_package(modname))
 
     if create_db:
+        from swh.core.db.tests.db_testing import pg_createdb
+
         # Create the db (or fail silently if already existing)
         pg_createdb(db_name, check=False)
-    # Try to retrieve the db version if any
-    db_version = swh_db_version(db_name)
-    if not db_version:  # Initialize the db
-        dump_files = [(x, DB_DUMP_TYPES[path.splitext(x)[1]]) for x in dump_files]
-        for dump, dtype in dump_files:
-            click.secho("Loading {}".format(dump), fg="yellow")
-            pg_restore(db_name, dump, dtype)
 
-        db_version = swh_db_version(db_name)
+    initialized, dbversion = populate_database_for_package(module, db_name)
 
     # TODO: Ideally migrate the version from db_version to the latest
     # db version
 
     click.secho(
-        "DONE database is {} version {}".format(db_name, db_version),
+        "DONE database for {} {} at version {}".format(
+            module, "initialized" if initialized else "exists", dbversion
+        ),
         fg="green",
         bold=True,
     )
@@ -189,3 +169,42 @@
             "Module {} does not provide a db schema " "(no sql/ dir)".format(modname)
         )
     return list(sorted(glob.glob(path.join(sqldir, "*.sql")), key=sortkey))
+
+
+def populate_database_for_package(modname: str, conninfo: str) -> Tuple[bool, int]:
+    """Populate the database, pointed at with `conninfo`, using the SQL files found in
+    the package `modname`.
+
+    Args:
+      modname: Name of the module of which we're loading the files
+      conninfo: connection info string for the SQL database
+    Returns:
+      Tuple with two elements: whether the database has been initialized; the current
+      version of the database.
+    """
+    import subprocess
+    from swh.core.db.tests.db_testing import swh_db_version
+
+    current_version = swh_db_version(conninfo)
+    if current_version is not None:
+        return False, current_version
+
+    sqlfiles = get_sql_for_package(modname)
+
+    for sqlfile in sqlfiles:
+        subprocess.check_call(
+            [
+                "psql",
+                "--quiet",
+                "--no-psqlrc",
+                "-v",
+                "ON_ERROR_STOP=1",
+                "-d",
+                conninfo,
+                "-f",
+                sqlfile,
+            ]
+        )
+
+    current_version = swh_db_version(conninfo)
+    return True, current_version
diff --git a/swh/core/db/tests/db_testing.py b/swh/core/db/tests/db_testing.py
--- a/swh/core/db/tests/db_testing.py
+++ b/swh/core/db/tests/db_testing.py
@@ -42,7 +42,11 @@
 
     try:
         r = subprocess.run(
-            cmd, check=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, universal_newlines=True
+            cmd,
+            check=True,
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+            stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+            universal_newlines=True,
         )
         result = int(r.stdout.strip())
     except Exception:  # db not initialized