diff --git a/Main.hs b/Main.hs
--- a/Main.hs
+++ b/Main.hs
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@
 import Control.Concurrent
 import Control.Applicative
 import Data.Version
+import Data.Char (isSpace)
 import Data.Maybe (listToMaybe)
 import Data.Ord (comparing)
-import Data.List (sortBy)
+import Data.List (sortBy,isPrefixOf)
 import System.Directory
 import System.Exit
 import System.Process
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@
 import Distribution.Simple.Compiler (Compiler (compilerId), compilerFlavor)
 import Distribution.Simple.GHC
 import Distribution.Simple.Program (defaultProgramConfiguration)
-import Distribution.Simple.Compiler (PackageDB (..))
+import Distribution.Simple.Compiler (PackageDB (..), PackageDBStack)
 import Distribution.Simple.PackageIndex ( PackageIndex, lookupPackageName
                                         , reverseTopologicalOrder
                                         , searchByNameSubstring
@@ -49,8 +50,12 @@
                      , useLocalDocs            :: Bool
                      , ignoreExistingTextBases :: Bool
                      , otherPackageDbs         :: [PackageDB]
+                     , hoogleCall              :: Maybe HoogleCall
                      }
 
+-- | Calling Hoogle
+data HoogleCall = HoogleCall [String]
+
 opts =
     Config <$> flag normal verbose
                ( short 'v' <> long "verbose"
@@ -72,6 +77,11 @@
                ( short 'f' <> long "package-db"
               <> help "Add an addition package database (e.g. a Cabal sandbox)"
                ))
+           <*> optional
+               ( subparser
+                 (command "hoogle" (info (HoogleCall <$> (some (argument str (metavar "ARGS...")))) (progDesc"Run Hoogle with proper sandboxing options")) 
+                 )
+               )
 
 -- | An unpacked Cabal project
 newtype PackageTree = PkgTree FilePath
@@ -258,9 +268,9 @@
     return (DB out)
 
 -- | Install a database in Hoogle's database directory
-installDB :: Database -> EitherT String IO ()
-installDB (DB db) = do
-    dbDir <- liftIO defaultDatabaseLocation
+installDB :: Database -> SandboxPath -> EitherT String IO ()
+installDB (DB db) sp = do
+    dbDir <- liftIO $ getDatabaseLocation sp
     let destDir = dbDir </> "databases"
     tryIO' $ createDirectoryIfMissing True destDir
     let dest = destDir </> "default.hoo"
@@ -276,38 +286,79 @@
               <> header "hoogle-index - Painless local Hoogle indexing"
               <> footer ("hoogle-index version "++showVersion Paths_hoogle_index.version)
                )
-
-    (compiler, _, progCfg) <- configure (verbosity cfg)
-                              Nothing Nothing
-                              defaultProgramConfiguration
-    let pkgDbs = [GlobalPackageDB, UserPackageDB] ++ otherPackageDbs cfg
-    pkgIdx <- getInstalledPackages (verbosity cfg) pkgDbs progCfg
-    let pkgs = reverseTopologicalOrder pkgIdx
-        maybeIndex :: InstalledPackageInfo -> IO (Either (PackageId, String) Database)
-        maybeIndex pkg = do
-            putStrLn ""
-            result <- runEitherT $ indexPackage cfg pkg
-            case result of
-              Left e  -> do
-                let pkgId = sourcePackageId pkg
-                    PackageName name = pkgName pkgId
-                putStrLn $ "Error while indexing "++name++": "++e
-                return $ Left (pkgId, e)
-              Right r -> return $ Right r
-    (failed, idxs) <- fmap partitionEithers $ mapM maybeIndex pkgs
+    sandboxPath <- getSandboxPath
+    case hoogleCall cfg of
+      Nothing -> do
+        (compiler, _, progCfg) <- configure (verbosity cfg)
+                                  Nothing Nothing
+                                  defaultProgramConfiguration
+        let pkgDbs = getPackageDBs cfg sandboxPath
+        pkgIdx <- getInstalledPackages (verbosity cfg) pkgDbs progCfg
+        let pkgs = reverseTopologicalOrder pkgIdx
+            maybeIndex :: InstalledPackageInfo -> IO (Either (PackageId, String) Database)
+            maybeIndex pkg = do
+                putStrLn ""
+                result <- runEitherT $ indexPackage cfg pkg
+                case result of
+                  Left e  -> do
+                    let pkgId = sourcePackageId pkg
+                        PackageName name = pkgName pkgId
+                    putStrLn $ "Error while indexing "++name++": "++e
+                    return $ Left (pkgId, e)
+                  Right r -> return $ Right r
+        (failed, idxs) <- fmap partitionEithers $ mapM maybeIndex pkgs
 
-    when (not $ null failed) $ do
-      putStrLn "Failed to build the following indexes:"
-      let failedMsg (pkgId, reason) = "  "++show (pkgName pkgId)++"\t"++reason
-      putStrLn $ unlines $ map failedMsg failed
+        when (not $ null failed) $ do
+          putStrLn "Failed to build the following indexes:"
+          let failedMsg (pkgId, reason) = "  "++show (pkgName pkgId)++"\t"++reason
+          putStrLn $ unlines $ map failedMsg failed
 
-    res <- runEitherT $ do
-        combined <- fmapLT ("Error while combining databases: "++)
-                    $ combineDBs cfg idxs
-        installDB combined
-    either putStrLn return res
+        res <- runEitherT $ do
+            combined <- fmapLT ("Error while combining databases: "++)
+                        $ combineDBs cfg idxs
+            installDB combined sandboxPath
+        either putStrLn return res
 
-    mapM_ removeDB idxs
+        mapM_ removeDB idxs
+      Just (HoogleCall args) -> do
+        res <- runEitherT $
+                callProcessE cfg "hoogle" $ getHoogleArgs sandboxPath args
+        either putStrLn return res
 
 tryIO' :: IO a -> EitherT String IO a
 tryIO' = fmapLT show . tryIO
+
+
+------------------------- Sandbox management --------------------------
+
+-- | The sandbox package database location
+type SandboxPath = Maybe FilePath
+
+-- | The location of the Hoogle database
+getDatabaseLocation :: SandboxPath -> IO FilePath
+getDatabaseLocation Nothing = defaultDatabaseLocation
+getDatabaseLocation (Just path) = return $ (takeDirectory path) </> "hoogle"
+
+-- | Get the path to the sandbox database if any
+getSandboxPath :: IO SandboxPath
+getSandboxPath = do
+  dir <- getCurrentDirectory
+  let f = dir </> "cabal.sandbox.config"
+  ex <- doesFileExist f
+  if ex
+    then
+      (listToMaybe .
+       map (dropWhile isSpace . tail . dropWhile (/= ':')) .
+       filter (isPrefixOf "package-db") .
+       lines) <$> readFile f
+    else return Nothing
+
+-- | Get the package database stack 
+getPackageDBs :: Config -> SandboxPath -> PackageDBStack
+getPackageDBs cfg Nothing   = [GlobalPackageDB, UserPackageDB] ++ otherPackageDbs cfg
+getPackageDBs cfg (Just sp) = [GlobalPackageDB, SpecificPackageDB sp] ++ otherPackageDbs cfg
+
+-- | Get the Hoogle arguments, using the sandbox databases if any
+getHoogleArgs :: SandboxPath -> [String] -> [String]
+getHoogleArgs Nothing args = args
+getHoogleArgs (Just path) args = args ++ ["-d", (takeDirectory path) </> "hoogle" </> "databases"]
diff --git a/hoogle-index.cabal b/hoogle-index.cabal
--- a/hoogle-index.cabal
+++ b/hoogle-index.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                hoogle-index
-version:             0.4.0
+version:             0.4.1
 synopsis:            Easily generate Hoogle indices for installed packages
 description:
     'hoogle-index' is a small utility for generating indicies for local
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
                        transformers >=0.3 && <0.5,
                        directory >=1.2 && <1.3,
                        process >=1.2 && <1.3,
-                       filepath >=1.3 && <1.4,
+                       filepath >=1.3 && <1.5,
                        errors >=1.4 && <1.5,
                        bytestring >=0.9 && <1.11,
                        temporary >=1.2 && <1.3,