diff --git a/include/dbupdate.php b/include/dbupdate.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6ae1bf10e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/dbupdate.php
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<?php
+
+require_once("boot.php");
+
+function dbupdate_run(&$argv, &$argc) {
+	global $a, $db;
+
+	if(is_null($a)){
+		$a = new App;
+	}
+  
+	if(is_null($db)) {
+		@include(".htconfig.php");
+		require_once("include/dba.php");
+		$db = new dba($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data);
+		        unset($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data);
+	}
+
+	load_config('config');
+	load_config('system');
+
+	check_config($a);
+}
+
+if (array_search(__file__,get_included_files())===0){
+  dbupdate_run($argv,$argc);
+  killme();
+}
+
diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index 19673fa7f9..4c98cd6e02 100644
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 <?php
 
+
 /**
  *
  * Friendica
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ load_translation_table($lang);
 
 require_once("include/dba.php");
 
-if(! $install) {
+if(!$install) {
 	$db = new dba($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data, $install);
     	    unset($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data);
 
@@ -59,6 +60,8 @@ if(! $install) {
 	call_hooks('init_1');
 }
 
+$maintenance = get_config('system', 'maintenance');
+
 
 /**
  *
@@ -89,7 +92,7 @@ if((x($_SESSION,'language')) && ($_SESSION['language'] !== $lang)) {
 	load_translation_table($lang);
 }
 
-if((x($_GET,'zrl')) && (! $install)) {
+if((x($_GET,'zrl')) && (!$install && !$maintenance)) {
 	$_SESSION['my_url'] = $_GET['zrl'];
 	$a->query_string = preg_replace('/[\?&]zrl=(.*?)([\?&]|$)/is','',$a->query_string);
 	zrl_init($a);
@@ -135,8 +138,10 @@ if(! x($_SESSION,'sysmsg_info'))
 
 if($install)
 	$a->module = 'install';
+elseif($maintenance)
+	$a->module = 'maintenance';
 else
-	check_config($a);
+	proc_run('php', 'include/dbupdate.php');
 
 nav_set_selected('nothing');
 
@@ -237,7 +242,7 @@ if (file_exists($theme_info_file)){
 if(! x($a->page,'content'))
 	$a->page['content'] = '';
 
-if(! $install)
+if(!$install && !$maintenance)
 	call_hooks('page_content_top',$a->page['content']);
 
 /**
@@ -372,7 +377,7 @@ $a->page['content'] .=  '<div id="pause"></div>';
  *
  */
 
-if($a->module != 'install') {
+if($a->module != 'install' && $a->module != 'maintenance') {
 	nav($a);
 }
 
diff --git a/mod/maintenance.php b/mod/maintenance.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b50c94c9b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mod/maintenance.php
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<?php
+
+function maintenance_content(&$a) {
+	return replace_macros(get_markup_template('maintenance.tpl'), array(
+		'$sysdown' => t('System down for maintenance')
+	));
+}
diff --git a/util/maintenance.php b/util/maintenance.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d1ff94524e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/maintenance.php
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+<?php
+
+require_once("boot.php");
+
+$a = new App;
+@include(".htconfig.php");
+
+$lang = get_browser_language();
+load_translation_table($lang);
+
+require_once("include/dba.php");
+$db = new dba($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data, false);
+        unset($db_host, $db_user, $db_pass, $db_data);
+load_config('config');
+load_config('system');
+
+$maint_mode = 1;
+if($argc > 1)
+	$maint_mode = intval($argv[1]);
+set_config('system', 'maintenance', $maint_mode);
+
+if($maint_mode)
+	$mode_str = "maintenance mode";
+else
+	$mode_str = "normal mode";
+
+echo "\n\tSystem set in $mode_str\n\n";
+echo "Usage:\n\n";
+echo "\tphp {$argv[0]} [1]\tSet the system in maintenance mode\n";
+echo "\tphp {$argv[0]} 0  \tSet the system in normal mode\n\n";
+
diff --git a/view/maintenance.tpl b/view/maintenance.tpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bbe15d46a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/view/maintenance.tpl
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div id="maintenance-message">$sysdown</div>
diff --git a/view/smarty3/maintenance.tpl b/view/smarty3/maintenance.tpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f0ea0849c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/view/smarty3/maintenance.tpl
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{{*
+ *	AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED TEMPLATE
+ *	DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE, CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN
+ *
+ *}}
+<div id="maintenance-message">{{$sysdown}}</div>