diff --git a/gitlab/before_deploy.sh b/gitlab/before_deploy.sh
index cac81087be5533b36b8ab026d458748b8f607f25..5371267557b6cafd5d40f3135ecb8a74498e795c 100755
--- a/gitlab/before_deploy.sh
+++ b/gitlab/before_deploy.sh
@@ -1,15 +1,22 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # Wed 21 Sep 2016 13:08:05 CEST
 
+# Parameters:
+#
+#   $1: database name to run the download command for. If unset, use "all"
+#
+
 source $(dirname ${0})/functions.sh
 
 run_cmd $(dirname ${0})/before_test.sh
 
+dbname=${1:-all}
+
 # setup database locally and run `bob_dbmanage.py all download`
 # if this is a database package - need auxiliary file for package
 if [[ ${CI_PROJECT_NAME} == bob.db.* ]]; then
   run_cmd ./bin/buildout
   if [ -x ./bin/bob_dbmanage.py ]; then
-    run_cmd ./bin/bob_dbmanage.py all download --force;
+    run_cmd ./bin/bob_dbmanage.py ${dbname} download --force;
   fi
 fi