diff -up src/sage/databases/cremona.py.orig src/sage/databases/cremona.py
--- src/sage/databases/cremona.py.orig	2016-08-08 13:36:38.575536768 -0400
+++ src/sage/databases/cremona.py	2016-08-08 13:37:49.994539502 -0400
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ from sage.misc.prandom import randint
 
 import sage.schemes.elliptic_curves.constructor as elliptic
 from .sql_db import SQLDatabase, verify_column
-from sage.misc.package import is_package_installed
 from sage.env import SAGE_SHARE
 from sage.misc.all import walltime
 
@@ -828,14 +827,6 @@ class MiniCremonaDatabase(SQLDatabase):
             if N < self.largest_conductor():
                 message = "There is no elliptic curve with label " + label \
                     + " in the database"
-            elif is_package_installed('database_cremona_ellcurve'):
-                message = "There is no elliptic curve with label " + label \
-                    + " in the currently available databases"
-            else:
-                message = "There is no elliptic curve with label " \
-                    + label + " in the default database; try installing " \
-                    + "the optional package database_cremona_ellcurve which " \
-                    + "contains the complete Cremona database"
             raise ValueError(message)
         ainvs = eval(c[0])
         data = {'cremona_label': label,
@@ -1677,10 +1668,12 @@ def CremonaDatabase(name=None,mini=None,
     if name is None and not set_global:
         return _db
     if set_global and name is None:
-        if is_package_installed('database_cremona_ellcurve'):
-            name = 'cremona'
-        else:
-            name = 'cremona mini'
+        # currently the sagemath rpm package only installs cremona mini
+        #if is_package_installed('database_cremona_ellcurve'):
+        #    name = 'cremona'
+        #else:
+        #    name = 'cremona mini'
+        name = 'cremona mini'
     if name == 'cremona':
         mini = False
     elif name == 'cremona mini':