Index: src/sqlcmd.c
==================================================================
--- src/sqlcmd.c
+++ src/sqlcmd.c
@@ -152,17 +152,21 @@
 }
 
 /*
 ** COMMAND: sqlite3
 **
-** Usage: %fossil sqlite3 ?DATABASE? ?OPTIONS?
+** Usage: %fossil sqlite3 ?FOSSIL_OPTS? ?DATABASE? ?SHELL_OPTS?
 **
-** Run the standalone sqlite3 command-line shell on DATABASE with OPTIONS.
+** Run the standalone sqlite3 command-line shell on DATABASE with SHELL_OPTS.
 ** If DATABASE is omitted, then the repository that serves the working
 ** directory is opened.  See https://www.sqlite.org/cli.html for additional
 ** information.
 **
+** Fossil Options:
+**
+**    --no-repository           Skip opening the repository database.
+**
 ** WARNING:  Careless use of this command can corrupt a Fossil repository
 ** in ways that are unrecoverable.  Be sure you know what you are doing before
 ** running any SQL commands that modifies the repository database.
 **
 ** The following extensions to the usual SQLite commands are provided:
@@ -194,12 +198,14 @@
 **     CREATE VIRTUAL TABLE temp.foci USING files_of_checkin;
 **     SELECT * FROM foci WHERE checkinID=symbolic_name_to_rid('trunk');
 */
 void cmd_sqlite3(void){
   extern int sqlite3_shell(int, char**);
-  db_find_and_open_repository(OPEN_ANY_SCHEMA, 0);
-  db_close(1);
+  if( !find_option("no-repository", 0, 0)!=0 ){
+    db_find_and_open_repository(OPEN_ANY_SCHEMA, 0);
+    db_close(1);
+  }
   sqlite3_shutdown();
   sqlite3_shell(g.argc-1, g.argv+1);
   sqlite3_cancel_auto_extension((void(*)(void))sqlcmd_autoinit);
   g.db = 0;
   g.zMainDbType = 0;

Index: test/merge5.test
==================================================================
--- test/merge5.test
+++ test/merge5.test
@@ -48,11 +48,11 @@
 # We need not to clutter the $HOME of the test caller.
 set env(HOME) [pwd]
 
 # Construct a test repository
 #
-exec sqlite3 m5.fossil <$testdir/${testfile}_repo.sql
+exec fossil sqlite3 --no-repository m5.fossil <$testdir/${testfile}_repo.sql
 fossil rebuild m5.fossil
 fossil open m5.fossil
 fossil user default drh --user drh
 fossil update baseline
 checkout-test 10 {