diff --git a/media-converter/src/audioconv.rs b/media-converter/src/audioconv.rs
index e845eb2b..77269227 100644
--- a/media-converter/src/audioconv.rs
+++ b/media-converter/src/audioconv.rs
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ static DUMP_FOZDB: Lazy<Mutex<Option<fossilize::StreamArchive>>> = Lazy::new(||
         return Mutex::new(None);
     }
 
-    match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&dump_file_path, OpenOptions::new().write(true).read(true).create(true), AUDIOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
+    match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&dump_file_path, OpenOptions::new().write(true).read(true).create(true), false /* read-only? */, AUDIOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
         Ok(newdb) => Mutex::new(Some(newdb)),
         Err(_) => Mutex::new(None),
     }
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ impl AudioConvState {
             gst_loggable_error!(CAT, "MEDIACONV_AUDIO_TRANSCODED_FILE is not set!")
         })?;
 
-        let read_fozdb = match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&read_fozdb_path, OpenOptions::new().read(true), AUDIOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
+        let read_fozdb = match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&read_fozdb_path, OpenOptions::new().read(true), true /* read-only? */, AUDIOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
             Ok(s) => Some(s),
             Err(_) => None,
         };
diff --git a/media-converter/src/fossilize.rs b/media-converter/src/fossilize.rs
index 511f4602..be3fef5d 100644
--- a/media-converter/src/fossilize.rs
+++ b/media-converter/src/fossilize.rs
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ impl PayloadEntry {
 
 pub struct StreamArchive {
     file: fs::File,
+    read_only: bool,
 
     seen_blobs: Vec<HashMap<FossilizeHash, PayloadEntry>>,
 
@@ -210,7 +211,7 @@ pub enum CRCCheck {
 
 impl StreamArchive {
 
-    pub fn new<P: AsRef<std::path::Path>>(filename: P, fileopts: &OpenOptions, num_tags: usize) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+    pub fn new<P: AsRef<std::path::Path>>(filename: P, fileopts: &OpenOptions, read_only: bool, num_tags: usize) -> Result<Self, Error> {
 
         let file = fileopts.open(filename)?;
 
@@ -221,6 +222,7 @@ impl StreamArchive {
 
         let mut ret = Self {
             file,
+            read_only,
             seen_blobs,
             write_pos: 0,
         };
@@ -269,6 +271,10 @@ impl StreamArchive {
                 match res {
                     Ok(p) => {
                         self.write_pos = p;
+                        if tag >= self.seen_blobs.len() && self.read_only {
+                            /* ignore unknown tags for read-only DBs, otherwise panic */
+                            continue;
+                        }
                         self.seen_blobs[tag].insert(hash, payload_entry);
                     },
 
diff --git a/media-converter/src/videoconv.rs b/media-converter/src/videoconv.rs
index b00d6d6d..0484a0d9 100644
--- a/media-converter/src/videoconv.rs
+++ b/media-converter/src/videoconv.rs
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ static DUMP_FOZDB: Lazy<Mutex<Option<fossilize::StreamArchive>>> = Lazy::new(||
         return Mutex::new(None);
     }
 
-    match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&dump_file_path, OpenOptions::new().write(true).read(true).create(true), VIDEOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
+    match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&dump_file_path, OpenOptions::new().write(true).read(true).create(true), false /* read-only? */, VIDEOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
         Ok(newdb) => Mutex::new(Some(newdb)),
         Err(_) => Mutex::new(None),
     }
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ impl VideoConvState {
             gst_loggable_error!(CAT, "MEDIACONV_VIDEO_TRANSCODED_FILE is not set!")
         })?;
 
-        let read_fozdb = match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&read_fozdb_path, OpenOptions::new().read(true), VIDEOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
+        let read_fozdb = match fossilize::StreamArchive::new(&read_fozdb_path, OpenOptions::new().read(true), true /* read-only? */, VIDEOCONV_FOZ_NUM_TAGS) {
             Ok(s) => Some(s),
             Err(_) => None,
         };