diff --git a/inventory/service/group_vars/zuul.yaml b/inventory/service/group_vars/zuul.yaml
index 4a9c591d6c..ac486ebf5b 100644
--- a/inventory/service/group_vars/zuul.yaml
+++ b/inventory/service/group_vars/zuul.yaml
@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@ zuul_connections:
     user: 'openstack-zuul'
     sshkey: '/var/lib/zuul/ssh/id_rsa'
 
-  - name: 'mysql'
-    driver: 'sql'
-
   - name: 'github'
     driver: 'github'
     app_key: '/etc/zuul/github.key'
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/zuul/templates/zuul.conf.j2 b/playbooks/roles/zuul/templates/zuul.conf.j2
index e88a0cbe84..c53165001a 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/zuul/templates/zuul.conf.j2
+++ b/playbooks/roles/zuul/templates/zuul.conf.j2
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ session_timeout=40
 password={{ zuul_keystore_password }}
 {% endif -%}
 
+[database]
+{% if zuul_database_uri is defined -%}
+dburi={{ zuul_database_uri }}
+{% endif -%}
+
 [statsd]
 server=graphite.opendev.org
 
diff --git a/playbooks/zuul/templates/group_vars/zuul-scheduler.yaml.j2 b/playbooks/zuul/templates/group_vars/zuul-scheduler.yaml.j2
index 3e7adf263b..07102d55c0 100644
--- a/playbooks/zuul/templates/group_vars/zuul-scheduler.yaml.j2
+++ b/playbooks/zuul/templates/group_vars/zuul-scheduler.yaml.j2
@@ -111,3 +111,4 @@ zuul_ssh_private_key_contents: |
   TFg6lZUdaYGinDUAAAAfbW9yZHJlZEBNYWNCb29rLUFpci5sb2NhbGRvbWFpbgECAwQ=
   -----END OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
 zuul_keystore_password: secretpassword
+zuul_database_uri: fakeuri