diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 084780a3..19eaf590 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 xbps-0.36 (???):
 
+ * xbps-install(8): the -n,--dry-run option does not acquire the pkgdb file lock
+   anymore, so that any user can use this mode even without write permission to
+   the target pkgdb.
+
  * xbps-query(8): fix a segfault with '-vL' for local unsigned repositories.
 
  * xbps-create(8): new option --compression to specify a compression format;
diff --git a/bin/xbps-install/main.c b/bin/xbps-install/main.c
index 38cac4e9..463ca9df 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-install/main.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-install/main.c
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (sync && !update && (argc == optind))
 		exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
 
-	if ((rv = xbps_pkgdb_lock(&xh)) != 0) {
+	if (!drun && (rv = xbps_pkgdb_lock(&xh)) != 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to lock the pkgdb: %s\n", strerror(rv));
 		exit(rv);
 	}
@@ -245,6 +245,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		rv = exec_transaction(&xh, maxcols, yes, drun);
 	}
 
-	xbps_pkgdb_unlock(&xh);
+	if (!drun)
+		xbps_pkgdb_unlock(&xh);
+
 	exit(rv);
 }