First part is adapted from http://cvsweb.se.netbsd.org/cgi-bin/bsdweb.cgi/pkgsrc/editors/nvi/patches/patch-aa?rev=1.3;content-type=text/plain

--- a/common/db.h
+++ b/common/db.h
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #define DB_BUFFER_SMALL		ENOMEM
 #endif
 
-#if DB_VERSION_MAJOR >= 3 && DB_VERSION_MINOR >= 1
+#if (DB_VERSION_MAJOR >= 3 && DB_VERSION_MINOR >= 1) || DB_VERSION_MAJOR > 3
 #define db_env_open(env,path,flags,mode)				\
     (env)->open(env, path, flags, mode)
 #define db_env_remove(env,path,flags)					\
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@
     (env)->remove(env, path, NULL, flags)
 #endif
 
-#if DB_VERSION_MAJOR >= 4 && DB_VERSION_MINOR >= 1
+# if (DB_VERSION_MAJOR == 4 && DB_VERSION_MINOR >= 4) || DB_VERSION_MAJOR > 4
+#define db_open(db,file,type,flags,mode)				\
+    (db)->open(db, NULL, file, NULL, type, flags | DB_CREATE, mode)
+#elif DB_VERSION_MAJOR == 4 && DB_VERSION_MINOR >= 1
 #define db_open(db,file,type,flags,mode)				\
     (db)->open(db, NULL, file, NULL, type, flags, mode)
 #else
--- a/common/msg.c
+++ b/common/msg.c
@@ -724,7 +724,8 @@
 		p = buf;
 	} else
 		p = file;
-	if ((sp->db_error = db_create(&db, 0, 0)) != 0 ||
+	if (access(p, R_OK) != 0 ||
+	    (sp->db_error = db_create(&db, 0, 0)) != 0 ||
 	    (sp->db_error = db->set_re_source(db, p)) != 0 ||
 	    (sp->db_error = db_open(db, NULL, DB_RECNO, 0, 0)) != 0) {
 		if (first) {