diff --git a/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/celeryd.py b/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/celeryd.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/celeryd.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/celeryd.py
@@ -20,9 +20,8 @@ class Command(BasePasterCommand):
 
     def take_action(self, args):
         from kallithea.lib import celerypylons
-        from tg import config
         try:
-            CELERY_ON = str2bool(config['app_conf'].get('use_celery'))
+            CELERY_ON = str2bool(self.config['app_conf'].get('use_celery'))
         except KeyError:
             CELERY_ON = False
 
@@ -31,7 +30,7 @@ class Command(BasePasterCommand):
                             'file before running celeryd')
         kallithea.CELERY_ON = CELERY_ON
 
-        load_rcextensions(config['here'])
+        load_rcextensions(self.config['here'])
         cmd = celerypylons.worker.worker(celerypylons.app.app_or_default())
 
         celery_args = args.celery_args
diff --git a/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/common.py b/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/common.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/common.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/common.py
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ import logging.config
 
 import paste.deploy
 import gearbox.command
-from tg import config
 
 import kallithea.config.middleware
 import kallithea.model.base
@@ -60,6 +59,7 @@ class BasePasterCommand(gearbox.command.
     # override to control how much get_parser and run should do:
     takes_config_file = True
     requires_db_session = True
+    config = None # set to the actual config object in run if takes_config_file is true
 
     def run(self, args):
         """
@@ -69,13 +69,15 @@ class BasePasterCommand(gearbox.command.
         """
         if self.takes_config_file:
             path_to_ini_file = os.path.realpath(args.config_file)
-            conf = paste.deploy.appconfig('config:' + path_to_ini_file)
+            self.config = paste.deploy.appconfig('config:' + path_to_ini_file)
+            # TODO: also initialize kallithea.CONFIG?
             logging.config.fileConfig(path_to_ini_file)
 
             if self.requires_db_session:
-                kallithea.config.middleware.make_app_without_logging(conf.global_conf, **conf.local_conf)
-                kallithea.lib.utils.setup_cache_regions(config)
-                engine = kallithea.lib.utils2.engine_from_config(config, 'sqlalchemy.')
+                kallithea.config.middleware.make_app_without_logging(self.config.global_conf, **self.config.local_conf)
+                # *now*, tg.config has been set and could be used ... but we just keep using self.config
+                kallithea.lib.utils.setup_cache_regions(self.config)
+                engine = kallithea.lib.utils2.engine_from_config(self.config, 'sqlalchemy.')
                 kallithea.model.base.init_model(engine)
 
         return super(BasePasterCommand, self).run(args)
diff --git a/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/make_index.py b/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/make_index.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/make_index.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/make_index.py
@@ -40,9 +40,8 @@ class Command(BasePasterCommand):
     "Kallithea: Create or update full text search index"
 
     def take_action(self, args):
-        from tg import config
-        index_location = config['index_dir']
-        load_rcextensions(config['here'])
+        index_location = self.config['index_dir']
+        load_rcextensions(self.config['here'])
 
         repo_location = args.repo_location \
             if args.repo_location else RepoModel().repos_path
diff --git a/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/make_rcextensions.py b/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/make_rcextensions.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/make_rcextensions.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/make_rcextensions.py
@@ -44,9 +44,7 @@ class Command(BasePasterCommand):
     requires_db_session = False
 
     def take_action(self, args):
-        from tg import config
-
-        here = config['here']
+        here = self.config['here']
         content = pkg_resources.resource_string(
             'kallithea', os.path.join('config', 'rcextensions', '__init__.py')
         )
diff --git a/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/setup_db.py b/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/setup_db.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/setup_db.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/paster_commands/setup_db.py
@@ -91,11 +91,8 @@ class Command(BasePasterCommand):
         return parser
 
     def take_action(self, opts):
-        path_to_ini_file = os.path.realpath(opts.config_file)
-        conf = paste.deploy.appconfig('config:' + path_to_ini_file)
-
-        dbconf = conf['sqlalchemy.url']
-        dbmanage = DbManage(dbconf=dbconf, root=conf['here'],
+        dbconf = self.config['sqlalchemy.url']
+        dbmanage = DbManage(dbconf=dbconf, root=self.config['here'],
                             tests=False, cli_args=vars(opts))
         dbmanage.create_tables(override=True)
         opts = dbmanage.config_prompt(None)