Index: wp-load.php
===================================================================
--- wp-load.php	(revision 57376)
+++ wp-load.php	(working copy)
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@
 	error_reporting( E_CORE_ERROR | E_CORE_WARNING | E_COMPILE_ERROR | E_ERROR | E_WARNING | E_PARSE | E_USER_ERROR | E_USER_WARNING | E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR );
 }
 
+if ( ! defined( 'SHORTINIT_WITHOUT_DB' ) ) {
+	define( 'SHORTINIT_WITHOUT_DB', false );
+}
+
 /*
  * If wp-config.php exists in the WordPress root, or if it exists in the root and wp-settings.php
  * doesn't, load wp-config.php. The secondary check for wp-settings.php has the added benefit
@@ -54,6 +58,11 @@
 	/** The config file resides one level above ABSPATH but is not part of another installation */
 	require_once dirname( ABSPATH ) . '/wp-config.php';
 
+} elseif (SHORTINIT_WITHOUT_DB && @file_exists( ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php' ) ) {
+
+	/** If user set the constant, we include wp-settings, even though wp-config does not exist */
+	require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php';
+
 } else {
 
 	// A config file doesn't exist.
Index: wp-settings.php
===================================================================
--- wp-settings.php	(revision 57376)
+++ wp-settings.php	(working copy)
@@ -115,6 +115,13 @@
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/class-wp.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/class-wp-error.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/pomo/mo.php';
+
+// Stop here if constant is set. This is useful when users include WP as a helper
+// framework, to use its goodies (helper methods) without need of loading DB
+if ( SHORTINIT_WITHOUT_DB ) {
+	return;
+}
+
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/l10n/class-wp-translation-controller.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/l10n/class-wp-translations.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/l10n/class-wp-translation-file.php';