diff --git a/kong/global.lua b/kong/global.lua
index be778b3f8906..aa0d8174e481 100644
--- a/kong/global.lua
+++ b/kong/global.lua
@@ -204,6 +204,11 @@ function _GLOBAL.init_cache(kong_config, cluster_events, worker_events)
   local page = 1
   local cache_pages = 1
 
+  if kong_config.database == "off" then
+    db_cache_ttl = 0
+    db_cache_neg_ttl = 0
+   end
+
   return kong_cache.new {
     shm_name        = "kong_db_cache",
     cluster_events  = cluster_events,
@@ -224,6 +229,11 @@ function _GLOBAL.init_core_cache(kong_config, cluster_events, worker_events)
   local page = 1
   local cache_pages = 1
 
+  if kong_config.database == "off" then
+    db_cache_ttl = 0
+    db_cache_neg_ttl = 0
+  end
+
   return kong_cache.new {
     shm_name        = "kong_core_db_cache",
     cluster_events  = cluster_events,
diff --git a/kong/init.lua b/kong/init.lua
index aa57ccefd9b9..1dd06580f877 100644
--- a/kong/init.lua
+++ b/kong/init.lua
@@ -394,7 +394,6 @@ end
 
 
 local function load_declarative_config(kong_config, entities, meta)
-  print("load_declarative_config!!!")
   local opts = {
     name = "declarative_config",
   }
@@ -521,7 +520,11 @@ function Kong.init()
   end
 
   if config.database == "off" then
-    if is_http_module or #config.proxy_listeners == 0 then
+    if is_http_module or
+       (#config.proxy_listeners == 0 and
+        #config.admin_listeners == 0 and
+        #config.status_listeners == 0)
+    then
       local err
       declarative_entities, err, declarative_meta = parse_declarative_config(kong.configuration)
       if not declarative_entities then
@@ -630,11 +633,14 @@ function Kong.init_worker()
   kong.db:set_events_handler(worker_events)
 
   if kong.configuration.database == "off" then
+    -- databases in LMDB need to be explicitly created, otherwise `get`
+    -- operations will return error instead of `nil`. This ensures the default
+    -- namespace always exists in the
     local t = lmdb_txn.begin(1)
     t:db_open(true)
     assert(t:commit())
 
-    if is_http_module or #kong.configuration.proxy_listeners == 0 then
+    if declarative_entities then
       ok, err = load_declarative_config(kong.configuration,
                                         declarative_entities,
                                         declarative_meta)
diff --git a/spec/02-integration/04-admin_api/15-off_spec.lua b/spec/02-integration/04-admin_api/15-off_spec.lua
index dc79e82292e5..6837dde500a1 100644
--- a/spec/02-integration/04-admin_api/15-off_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/02-integration/04-admin_api/15-off_spec.lua
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ local mocker   = require("spec.fixtures.mocker")
 
 
 local WORKER_SYNC_TIMEOUT = 10
-local MEM_CACHE_SIZE = "10m"
+local LMDB_MAP_SIZE = "10m"
 local TEST_CONF = helpers.test_conf
 
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ describe("Admin API #off", function()
   lazy_setup(function()
     assert(helpers.start_kong({
       database = "off",
-      lmdb_map_size = MEM_CACHE_SIZE,
+      lmdb_map_size = LMDB_MAP_SIZE,
       stream_listen = "127.0.0.1:9011",
       nginx_conf = "spec/fixtures/custom_nginx.template",
     }))
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@ describe("Admin API (concurrency tests) #off", function()
     assert(helpers.start_kong({
       database = "off",
       nginx_worker_processes = 8,
-      lmdb_map_size = MEM_CACHE_SIZE,
+      lmdb_map_size = LMDB_MAP_SIZE,
     }))
 
     client = assert(helpers.admin_client())
@@ -981,7 +981,7 @@ describe("Admin API #off with Unique Foreign #unique", function()
       database = "off",
       plugins = "unique-foreign",
       nginx_worker_processes = 1,
-      lmdb_map_size = MEM_CACHE_SIZE,
+      lmdb_map_size = LMDB_MAP_SIZE,
     }))
   end)