diff --git a/synapse/app/homeserver.py b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
index 49e27c9e1..f04493f92 100755
--- a/synapse/app/homeserver.py
+++ b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
@@ -657,7 +657,8 @@ def run(hs):
 
     if hs.config.daemonize:
 
-        print hs.config.pid_file
+        if hs.config.print_pidfile:
+            print hs.config.pid_file
 
         daemon = Daemonize(
             app="synapse-homeserver",
diff --git a/synapse/config/_base.py b/synapse/config/_base.py
index d483c67c6..c408db2b4 100644
--- a/synapse/config/_base.py
+++ b/synapse/config/_base.py
@@ -138,6 +138,11 @@ class Config(object):
             action="store_true",
             help="Generate a config file for the server name"
         )
+        config_parser.add_argument(
+            "--generate-keys",
+            action="store_true",
+            help="Generate any missing key files then exit"
+        )
         config_parser.add_argument(
             "-H", "--server-name",
             help="The server name to generate a config file for"
@@ -230,4 +235,8 @@ class Config(object):
 
         obj.invoke_all("read_arguments", args)
 
+        if config_args.generate_keys:
+            obj.invoke_all("generate_files", config)
+            sys.exit(0)
+
         return obj
diff --git a/synapse/config/server.py b/synapse/config/server.py
index f4d4a8710..f9a3b5f15 100644
--- a/synapse/config/server.py
+++ b/synapse/config/server.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ class ServerConfig(Config):
         self.web_client = config["web_client"]
         self.soft_file_limit = config["soft_file_limit"]
         self.daemonize = config.get("daemonize")
+        self.print_pidfile = config.get("print_pidfile")
         self.use_frozen_dicts = config.get("use_frozen_dicts", True)
 
         self.listeners = config.get("listeners", [])
@@ -208,12 +209,18 @@ class ServerConfig(Config):
             self.manhole = args.manhole
         if args.daemonize is not None:
             self.daemonize = args.daemonize
+        if args.print_pidfile is not None:
+            self.print_pidfile = args.print_pidfile
 
     def add_arguments(self, parser):
         server_group = parser.add_argument_group("server")
         server_group.add_argument("-D", "--daemonize", action='store_true',
                                   default=None,
                                   help="Daemonize the home server")
+        server_group.add_argument("--print-pidfile", action='store_true',
+                                  default=None,
+                                  help="Print the path to the pidfile just"
+                                  " before daemonizing")
         server_group.add_argument("--manhole", metavar="PORT", dest="manhole",
                                   type=int,
                                   help="Turn on the twisted telnet manhole"
diff --git a/synapse/storage/__init__.py b/synapse/storage/__init__.py
index 71d5d9250..973e78e04 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/__init__.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/__init__.py
@@ -354,6 +354,11 @@ def _upgrade_existing_database(cur, current_version, applied_delta_files,
                     )
                 logger.debug("Running script %s", relative_path)
                 module.run_upgrade(cur, database_engine)
+            elif ext == ".pyc":
+                # Sometimes .pyc files turn up anyway even though we've
+                # disabled their generation; e.g. from distribution package
+                # installers. Silently skip it
+                pass
             elif ext == ".sql":
                 # A plain old .sql file, just read and execute it
                 logger.debug("Applying schema %s", relative_path)