diff --git a/pipelines/pipeline_scrnaseq.py b/pipelines/pipeline_scrnaseq.py
index 728410b..2797e14 100644
--- a/pipelines/pipeline_scrnaseq.py
+++ b/pipelines/pipeline_scrnaseq.py
@@ -934,22 +934,57 @@ def featureCounts(infiles, outfile):
     P.run(statement)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @merge(featureCounts,
-       "featureCounts.dir/featurecounts.load")
-def loadFeatureCounts(infiles, outfile):
+       "featureCounts.dir/featurecounts.txt.gz")
+def concatenateFeatureCounts(infiles, outfile):
+    '''
+    Combine count data in the project database.
+    '''
+
+    infiles = " ".join(infiles)
+
+    statement = '''python -m cgatcore.tables
+                     --cat=track
+                     --missing-value=na
+                     --regex-filename='.*/(.*).counts.gz'
+                     --no-titles
+                     %(infiles)s
+                     | gzip -c
+                     > %(outfile)s
+                '''
+
+    P.run(statement, job_memory=PARAMS["sql_himem"])
+
+
+@transform(concatenateFeatureCounts,
+           regex(r"featureCounts.dir/(.*).txt.gz"),
+           r"featureCounts.dir/\1.load")
+def loadFeatureCounts(infile, outfile):
     '''
     Combine and load count data in the project database.
     '''
 
-    P.concatenate_and_load(infiles, outfile,
-                           regex_filename=".*/(.*).counts.gz",
-                           has_titles=False,
-                           cat="track",
-                           header="track,gene_id,counts",
-                           options='-i "gene_id"',
-                           job_memory=PARAMS["sql_himem"])
+    tablename = infile.replace(".load", "")
+
+    database_url = PARAMS["database"]["url"]
+
+    statement = '''zcat %(infile)s
+                   | python -m cgatcore.csv2db
+                       --retry
+                       --database-url=%(database_url)s
+                       --add-index=track
+                       --header-names=track,gene_id,counts -i "gene_id"
+                       --table=featurecounts
+                       > %(outfile)s
+                '''
+
+    to_cluster = False
+
+    P.run(statement)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @files(loadFeatureCounts,
        "featureCounts.dir/featurecounts_counts.txt")
 def featurecountsGeneCounts(infile, outfile):
@@ -970,6 +1005,7 @@ def featurecountsGeneCounts(infile, outfile):
     df.to_csv(outfile, sep="\t", index=True, index_label="gene_id")
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @transform(featurecountsGeneCounts,
            suffix(".txt"),
            ".load")
@@ -1034,6 +1070,7 @@ def salmon(infiles, outfile):
     P.run(statement)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @active_if(fastqMode)
 @merge(salmon, "salmon.dir/salmon.transcripts.load")
 def loadSalmonTranscriptQuant(infiles, outfile):
@@ -1050,6 +1087,7 @@ def loadSalmonTranscriptQuant(infiles, outfile):
                            job_memory=PARAMS["sql_himem"])
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @active_if(fastqMode)
 @merge(salmon, "salmon.dir/salmon.genes.load")
 def loadSalmonGeneQuant(infiles, outfile):
@@ -1303,6 +1341,7 @@ def loadCuffNormUQ(infile, outfile):
     run_copy_number_estimation = False
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @active_if(run_copy_number_estimation)
 @follows(mkdir("copy.number.dir"), loadSalmonTPMs)
 @files("salmon.dir/salmon.genes.tpms.txt",
@@ -1324,6 +1363,7 @@ def estimateCopyNumber(infile, outfile):
     P.run(statement)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @active_if(run_copy_number_estimation)
 @transform(estimateCopyNumber,
            suffix(".txt"),
@@ -1408,6 +1448,7 @@ def collectRnaSeqMetrics(infiles, outfile):
     P.run(statement)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @merge(collectRnaSeqMetrics,
        "qc.dir/qc_rnaseq_metrics.load")
 def loadCollectRnaSeqMetrics(infiles, outfile):
@@ -1448,6 +1489,7 @@ def threePrimeBias(infile, outfile):
         out_file.write("%.2f\n" % bias)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @merge(threePrimeBias,
        "qc.dir/qc_three_prime_bias.load")
 def loadThreePrimeBias(infiles, outfile):
@@ -1498,6 +1540,7 @@ def estimateLibraryComplexity(infile, outfile):
     P.run(statement)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @active_if(PAIRED)
 @merge(estimateLibraryComplexity,
        "qc.dir/qc_library_complexity.load")
@@ -1553,6 +1596,7 @@ def alignmentSummaryMetrics(infile, outfile):
     P.run(statement)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @merge(alignmentSummaryMetrics,
        "qc.dir/qc_alignment_summary_metrics.load")
 def loadAlignmentSummaryMetrics(infiles, outfile):
@@ -1624,6 +1668,7 @@ def insertSizeMetricsAndHistograms(infile, outfiles):
     P.run(statement)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @merge(insertSizeMetricsAndHistograms,
        "qc.dir/qc_insert_size_metrics.load")
 def loadInsertSizeMetrics(infiles, outfile):
@@ -1647,6 +1692,7 @@ def loadInsertSizeMetrics(infiles, outfile):
         P.run(statement)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @merge(insertSizeMetricsAndHistograms,
        "qc.dir/qc_insert_size_histogram.load")
 def loadInsertSizeHistograms(infiles, outfile):
@@ -1702,6 +1748,7 @@ def spikeVsGenome(infile, outfile):
     P.run(statement)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @merge(spikeVsGenome,
        "qc.dir/qc_spike_vs_genome.load")
 def loadSpikeVsGenome(infiles, outfile):
@@ -1718,6 +1765,7 @@ def loadSpikeVsGenome(infiles, outfile):
 
 # ------------------------- No. genes detected ------------------------------ #
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @active_if(fastqMode)
 @follows(mkdir("qc.dir/"), loadSalmonTPMs, loadEnsemblAnnotations)
 @files("salmon.dir/salmon.genes.tpms.load",
@@ -1753,6 +1801,7 @@ def numberGenesDetectedSalmon(infile, outfile):
     count_df.to_csv(outfile, index=False, sep="\t")
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @active_if(fastqMode)
 @follows(annotations)
 @files(numberGenesDetectedSalmon,
@@ -1766,6 +1815,7 @@ def loadNumberGenesDetectedSalmon(infile, outfile):
            options='-i "sample_id"')
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @follows(annotations)
 @files(loadFeatureCounts,
        "qc.dir/number.genes.detected.featurecounts")
@@ -1799,6 +1849,7 @@ def numberGenesDetectedFeatureCounts(infile, outfile):
     count_df.to_csv(outfile, index=False, sep="\t")
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @files(numberGenesDetectedFeatureCounts,
        "qc.dir/qc_no_genes_featurecounts.load")
 def loadNumberGenesDetectedFeatureCounts(infile, outfile):
@@ -1836,6 +1887,7 @@ def fractionReadsSpliced(infile, outfile):
     P.run(statement)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @merge(fractionReadsSpliced,
        "qc.dir/qc_fraction_spliced.load")
 def loadFractionReadsSpliced(infiles, outfile):
@@ -1873,6 +1925,7 @@ def loadSampleInformation(infile, outfile):
     P.load(infile, outfile)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @merge([loadSampleInformation,
         loadCollectRnaSeqMetrics,
         loadThreePrimeBias,
@@ -1968,6 +2021,7 @@ def qcSummary(infiles, outfile):
     df.to_csv(outfile, sep="\t", index=False)
 
 
+@active_if(PARAMS["sql_load_concatenated_table"])
 @transform(qcSummary,
            suffix(".txt"),
            ".load")
diff --git a/pipelines/pipeline_scrnaseq/pipeline.yml b/pipelines/pipeline_scrnaseq/pipeline.yml
index 61047e4..6a444a8 100644
--- a/pipelines/pipeline_scrnaseq/pipeline.yml
+++ b/pipelines/pipeline_scrnaseq/pipeline.yml
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ strandedness: none
 # location of the local sqlite3 database
 database:
     file: csvdb
+    url: sqlite:///./csvdb
 
 
 # Spike-in options
@@ -287,3 +288,5 @@ sql:
 
     # RAM required for high memory operations (e.g. 5000M)
     himem: 10000M
+
+    load_concatenated_table: True