diff --git a/manifests/db.pp b/manifests/db.pp
index 328a668..5980758 100644
--- a/manifests/db.pp
+++ b/manifests/db.pp
@@ -52,13 +52,19 @@ class vitrage::db (
   $database_max_overflow_real = pick($::vitrage::database_max_overflow, $database_max_overflow)
 
   validate_re($database_connection_real,
-    '(sqlite|mysql|postgresql):\/\/(\S+:\S+@\S+\/\S+)?')
+    '^(sqlite|mysql(\+pymysql)?|postgresql):\/\/(\S+:\S+@\S+\/\S+)?')
+
+  include ::vitrage::params
 
   case $database_connection_real {
-    /^mysql:\/\//: {
-      $backend_package = false
+    /^mysql(\+pymysql)?:\/\//: {
       require 'mysql::bindings'
       require 'mysql::bindings::python'
+      if $database_connection_real =~ /^mysql\+pymysql/ {
+        $backend_package = $::vitrage::params::pymysql_package_name
+      } else {
+        $backend_package = false
+      }
     }
     /^postgresql:\/\//: {
       $backend_package = false
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index c092897..b953068 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -5,9 +5,11 @@ class vitrage::params {
   case $::osfamily {
     'RedHat': {
       $sqlite_package_name  = undef
+      $pymysql_package_name = undef
     }
     'Debian': {
       $sqlite_package_name  = 'python-pysqlite2'
+      $pymysql_package_name = 'python-pymysql'
     }
     default: {
       fail("Unsupported osfamily: ${::osfamily} operatingsystem")
diff --git a/spec/classes/vitrage_db_spec.rb b/spec/classes/vitrage_db_spec.rb
index f4c3cc4..edd9484 100644
--- a/spec/classes/vitrage_db_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/vitrage_db_spec.rb
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ describe 'vitrage::db' do
 
     context 'with specific parameters' do
       let :params do
-        { :database_connection     => 'mysql://vitrage:vitrage@localhost/vitrage',
+        { :database_connection     => 'mysql+pymysql://vitrage:vitrage@localhost/vitrage',
           :database_idle_timeout   => '3601',
           :database_min_pool_size  => '2',
           :database_max_retries    => '11',
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ describe 'vitrage::db' do
         }
       end
 
-      it { is_expected.to contain_vitrage_config('database/connection').with_value('mysql://vitrage:vitrage@localhost/vitrage') }
+      it { is_expected.to contain_vitrage_config('database/connection').with_value('mysql+pymysql://vitrage:vitrage@localhost/vitrage') }
       it { is_expected.to contain_vitrage_config('database/idle_timeout').with_value('3601') }
       it { is_expected.to contain_vitrage_config('database/min_pool_size').with_value('2') }
       it { is_expected.to contain_vitrage_config('database/max_retries').with_value('11') }
@@ -45,12 +45,26 @@ describe 'vitrage::db' do
 
     end
 
+    context 'with MySQL-python library as backend package' do
+      let :params do
+        { :database_connection     => 'mysql://vitrage:vitrage@localhost/vitrage', }
+      end
+
+      it { is_expected.to contain_package('python-mysqldb').with(:ensure => 'present') }
+    end
+
     context 'with incorrect database_connection string' do
       let :params do
         { :database_connection     => 'redis://vitrage:vitrage@localhost/vitrage', }
       end
 
+      it_raises 'a Puppet::Error', /validate_re/
+    end
 
+    context 'with incorrect pymysql database_connection string' do
+      let :params do
+        { :database_connection     => 'foo+pymysql://vitrage:vitrage@localhost/vitrage', }
+      end
 
       it_raises 'a Puppet::Error', /validate_re/
     end
@@ -66,6 +80,20 @@ describe 'vitrage::db' do
     end
 
     it_configures 'vitrage::db'
+
+    context 'using pymysql driver' do
+      let :params do
+        { :database_connection     => 'mysql+pymysql://vitrage:vitrage@localhost/vitrage', }
+      end
+
+      it 'install the proper backend package' do
+        is_expected.to contain_package('vitrage-backend-package').with(
+          :ensure => 'present',
+          :name   => 'python-pymysql',
+          :tag    => 'openstack'
+        )
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   context 'on Redhat platforms' do
@@ -77,6 +105,14 @@ describe 'vitrage::db' do
     end
 
     it_configures 'vitrage::db'
+
+    context 'using pymysql driver' do
+      let :params do
+        { :database_connection     => 'mysql+pymysql://vitrage:vitrage@localhost/vitrage', }
+      end
+
+      it { is_expected.not_to contain_package('vitrage-backend-package') }
+    end
   end
 
 end