diff --git a/bob/bio/base/database/database.py b/bob/bio/base/database/database.py
index 63092420c5cebac8f3e4b8ba0ab1160a91a9fcc7..d20f76f67caed469ae13ba33095aa2c2bf8f5535 100644
--- a/bob/bio/base/database/database.py
+++ b/bob/bio/base/database/database.py
@@ -197,18 +197,9 @@ class BioDatabase(six.with_metaclass(abc.ABCMeta, bob.db.base.FileDatabase)):
         if self.original_directory in replacements:
             self.original_directory = replacements[self.original_directory]
 
-        try:
-            self._db.original_directory = self.original_directory
-        except AttributeError:
-            pass
-
         try:
             if self.annotation_directory in replacements:
                 self.annotation_directory = replacements[self.annotation_directory]
-                try:
-                    self._db.annotation_directory = self.annotation_directory
-                except AttributeError:
-                    pass
         except AttributeError:
             pass