diff --git a/clamd/server-th.c b/clamd/server-th.c
index a7b5813c2..4dff799bf 100644
--- a/clamd/server-th.c
+++ b/clamd/server-th.c
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ struct reload_th_t {
     struct cl_settings *settings;
     char *dbdir;
     unsigned int dboptions;
+    long long max_cvd_age;
 };
 
 /*
@@ -242,6 +243,13 @@ static void *reload_th(void *arg)
         goto done;
     }
 
+    if (rldata->max_cvd_age > 0) {
+        if (check_if_cvd_outdated(rldata->dbdir, rldata->max_cvd_age) != CL_SUCCESS) {
+            status = CL_ECVD;
+            goto done;
+        }
+    }
+
     retval = cl_load(rldata->dbdir, engine, &sigs, rldata->dboptions);
     if (CL_SUCCESS != retval) {
         logg(LOGG_ERROR, "reload_th: Database load failed: %s\n", cl_strerror(retval));
@@ -339,6 +347,10 @@ static cl_error_t reload_db(struct cl_engine **engine, unsigned int dboptions, c
         goto done;
     }
 
+    if (optget(opts, "fail-if-cvd-older-than")->enabled) {
+        rldata->max_cvd_age = optget(opts, "fail-if-cvd-older-than")->numarg;
+    }
+
     if (dbstat.entries) {
         cl_statfree(&dbstat);
     }