diff --git a/src/ejabberd_riak_sup.erl b/src/ejabberd_riak_sup.erl
index 871af5a06..bb36eb44d 100644
--- a/src/ejabberd_riak_sup.erl
+++ b/src/ejabberd_riak_sup.erl
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ is_riak_configured(Host) ->
 		fun(L) when is_list(L) -> L end, []),
     ModuleWithRiakDBConfigured = lists:any(
 				   fun({_Module, Opts}) ->
-					   gen_mod:db_type(Opts) == riak
+					   gen_mod:db_type(Host, Opts) == riak
 				   end, Modules),
     ServerConfigured or PortConfigured
 	or AuthConfigured or ModuleWithRiakDBConfigured.
diff --git a/src/gen_mod.erl b/src/gen_mod.erl
index 645e3142d..e628b06ab 100644
--- a/src/gen_mod.erl
+++ b/src/gen_mod.erl
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 	 get_opt_host/3, db_type/1, db_type/2, get_module_opt/5,
 	 get_module_opt_host/3, loaded_modules/1,
 	 loaded_modules_with_opts/1, get_hosts/2,
-	 get_module_proc/2, is_loaded/2]).
+	 get_module_proc/2, is_loaded/2, default_db/1]).
 
 %%-export([behaviour_info/1]).
 
@@ -212,24 +212,36 @@ get_opt_host(Host, Opts, Default) ->
 -spec db_type(opts()) -> odbc | mnesia | riak.
 
 db_type(Opts) ->
-    get_opt(db_type, Opts,
-            fun(odbc) -> odbc;
-               (internal) -> mnesia;
-               (mnesia) -> mnesia;
-               (riak) -> riak
-            end,
-            mnesia).
+    db_type(global, Opts).
 
--spec db_type(binary(), atom()) -> odbc | mnesia | riak.
+-spec db_type(binary() | global, atom() | opts()) -> odbc | mnesia | riak.
 
-db_type(Host, Module) ->
+db_type(Host, Module) when is_atom(Module) ->
     get_module_opt(Host, Module, db_type,
                    fun(odbc) -> odbc;
                       (internal) -> mnesia;
                       (mnesia) -> mnesia;
                       (riak) -> riak
                    end,
-                   mnesia).
+                   default_db(Host));
+db_type(Host, Opts) when is_list(Opts) ->
+    get_opt(db_type, Opts,
+            fun(odbc) -> odbc;
+               (internal) -> mnesia;
+               (mnesia) -> mnesia;
+               (riak) -> riak
+            end,
+            default_db(Host)).
+
+-spec default_db(binary() | global) -> odbc | mnesia | riak.
+
+default_db(Host) ->
+    ejabberd_config:get_option({default_db, Host},
+			       fun(odbc) -> odbc;
+				  (mnesia) -> mnesia;
+				  (riak) -> riak;
+				  (internal) -> mnesia
+			       end, mnesia).
 
 -spec loaded_modules(binary()) -> [atom()].
 
diff --git a/src/mod_announce.erl b/src/mod_announce.erl
index 0e7c9fa32..542417ff3 100644
--- a/src/mod_announce.erl
+++ b/src/mod_announce.erl
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
 tokenize(Node) -> str:tokens(Node, <<"/#">>).
 
 start(Host, Opts) ->
-    case gen_mod:db_type(Opts) of
+    case gen_mod:db_type(Host, Opts) of
         mnesia ->
             mnesia:create_table(motd,
                                 [{disc_copies, [node()]},
diff --git a/src/mod_caps.erl b/src/mod_caps.erl
index a96379e6d..36c8c0eed 100644
--- a/src/mod_caps.erl
+++ b/src/mod_caps.erl
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ init_db(_, _) ->
     ok.
 
 init([Host, Opts]) ->
-    init_db(gen_mod:db_type(Opts), Host),
+    init_db(gen_mod:db_type(Host, Opts), Host),
     MaxSize = gen_mod:get_opt(cache_size, Opts,
                               fun(I) when is_integer(I), I>0 -> I end,
                               1000),
diff --git a/src/mod_irc.erl b/src/mod_irc.erl
index 2cc57786c..e96fc4dc1 100644
--- a/src/mod_irc.erl
+++ b/src/mod_irc.erl
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ init([Host, Opts]) ->
     ejabberd:start_app(p1_iconv),
     MyHost = gen_mod:get_opt_host(Host, Opts,
 				  <<"irc.@HOST@">>),
-    case gen_mod:db_type(Opts) of
+    case gen_mod:db_type(Host, Opts) of
       mnesia ->
 	  mnesia:create_table(irc_custom,
 			      [{disc_copies, [node()]},
diff --git a/src/mod_last.erl b/src/mod_last.erl
index 038378c7b..e079a2d38 100644
--- a/src/mod_last.erl
+++ b/src/mod_last.erl
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
 start(Host, Opts) ->
     IQDisc = gen_mod:get_opt(iqdisc, Opts, fun gen_iq_handler:check_type/1,
                              one_queue),
-    case gen_mod:db_type(Opts) of
+    case gen_mod:db_type(Host, Opts) of
       mnesia ->
 	  mnesia:create_table(last_activity,
 			      [{disc_copies, [node()]},
diff --git a/src/mod_muc.erl b/src/mod_muc.erl
index a0c6c34e6..a3a8a9331 100644
--- a/src/mod_muc.erl
+++ b/src/mod_muc.erl
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ can_use_nick(LServer, Host, JID, Nick, odbc) ->
 init([Host, Opts]) ->
     MyHost = gen_mod:get_opt_host(Host, Opts,
 				  <<"conference.@HOST@">>),
-    case gen_mod:db_type(Opts) of
+    case gen_mod:db_type(Host, Opts) of
         mnesia ->
             mnesia:create_table(muc_room,
                                 [{disc_copies, [node()]},
diff --git a/src/mod_offline.erl b/src/mod_offline.erl
index ba1baaf12..7f9a81a0d 100644
--- a/src/mod_offline.erl
+++ b/src/mod_offline.erl
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ stop(Host) ->
 %%====================================================================
 
 init([Host, Opts]) ->
-    case gen_mod:db_type(Opts) of
+    case gen_mod:db_type(Host, Opts) of
       mnesia ->
 	  mnesia:create_table(offline_msg,
 			      [{disc_only_copies, [node()]}, {type, bag},
diff --git a/src/mod_privacy.erl b/src/mod_privacy.erl
index 971be9524..fd3f60247 100644
--- a/src/mod_privacy.erl
+++ b/src/mod_privacy.erl
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ privacy_schema() ->
 start(Host, Opts) ->
     IQDisc = gen_mod:get_opt(iqdisc, Opts, fun gen_iq_handler:check_type/1,
                              one_queue),
-    case gen_mod:db_type(Opts) of
+    case gen_mod:db_type(Host, Opts) of
       mnesia ->
 	  mnesia:create_table(privacy,
 			      [{disc_copies, [node()]},
diff --git a/src/mod_private.erl b/src/mod_private.erl
index cedcb2787..f09c6100e 100644
--- a/src/mod_private.erl
+++ b/src/mod_private.erl
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 start(Host, Opts) ->
     IQDisc = gen_mod:get_opt(iqdisc, Opts, fun gen_iq_handler:check_type/1,
                              one_queue),
-    case gen_mod:db_type(Opts) of
+    case gen_mod:db_type(Host, Opts) of
       mnesia ->
 	  mnesia:create_table(private_storage,
 			      [{disc_only_copies, [node()]},
diff --git a/src/mod_roster.erl b/src/mod_roster.erl
index e60337cda..605e8e367 100644
--- a/src/mod_roster.erl
+++ b/src/mod_roster.erl
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
 start(Host, Opts) ->
     IQDisc = gen_mod:get_opt(iqdisc, Opts, fun gen_iq_handler:check_type/1,
                              one_queue),
-    case gen_mod:db_type(Opts) of
+    case gen_mod:db_type(Host, Opts) of
       mnesia ->
 	  mnesia:create_table(roster,
 			      [{disc_copies, [node()]},
diff --git a/src/mod_shared_roster.erl b/src/mod_shared_roster.erl
index 16800ded4..4c3f177ef 100644
--- a/src/mod_shared_roster.erl
+++ b/src/mod_shared_roster.erl
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
                   group_host = {<<"">>, <<"">>} :: {binary(), binary()}}).
 
 start(Host, Opts) ->
-    case gen_mod:db_type(Opts) of
+    case gen_mod:db_type(Host, Opts) of
       mnesia ->
 	  mnesia:create_table(sr_group,
 			      [{disc_copies, [node()]},
diff --git a/src/mod_vcard.erl b/src/mod_vcard.erl
index 7d2860ee6..ba23d0688 100644
--- a/src/mod_vcard.erl
+++ b/src/mod_vcard.erl
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
 -define(PROCNAME, ejabberd_mod_vcard).
 
 start(Host, Opts) ->
-    case gen_mod:db_type(Opts) of
+    case gen_mod:db_type(Host, Opts) of
       mnesia ->
 	  mnesia:create_table(vcard,
 			      [{disc_only_copies, [node()]},
diff --git a/src/mod_vcard_xupdate.erl b/src/mod_vcard_xupdate.erl
index 97d9abbb4..41a07bbc3 100644
--- a/src/mod_vcard_xupdate.erl
+++ b/src/mod_vcard_xupdate.erl
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 %%====================================================================
 
 start(Host, Opts) ->
-    case gen_mod:db_type(Opts) of
+    case gen_mod:db_type(Host, Opts) of
       mnesia ->
 	  mnesia:create_table(vcard_xupdate,
 			      [{disc_copies, [node()]},