diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index bee7a3f..bf93968 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ MAINTAINER Christian Lück <christian@lueck.tv>
 
 RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
   nginx git supervisor php5-fpm php5-cli php5-curl php5-gd php5-json \
-  php5-pgsql
-# php5-mysql
+  php5-pgsql php5-mysql && apt-get clean
 
 # add ttrss as the only nginx site
 ADD ttrss.nginx.conf /etc/nginx/sites-available/ttrss
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f51fe8a..afbde3a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@ Having trouble getting the above to run?
 This is the detailed installation walkthrough.
 If you've already followed the [quickstart](#quickstart) guide and everything works, you can skip this part.
 
-### Running
+### Select database
+
+This container requires a PostgreSQL or MySQL database instance.
 
 Following docker's best practices, this container does not contain its own database,
 but instead expects you to supply a running instance. 
@@ -63,28 +65,61 @@ database instance and configuration you're relying on.
 Also, this makes this container quite disposable, as it doesn't store any sensitive
 information at all.
 
-#### Starting a database instance
+#### PostgreSQL container
 
-This container requires a PostgreSQL database instance. You're free to pick (or build)
-any, as long as is exposes its database port (5432) to the outside.
+The recommended way to run this container is by linking it to a PostgreSQL database instance.
+You're free to pick (or build) any PostgreSQL container, as long as it exposes
+its database port (5432) to the outside.
 
-Example:
+Example with nornagon/postgres:
 
 ```bash
-$ sudo docker run -d --name=ttrssdb nornagon/postgres
+$ docker run -d --name=tinydatabase nornagon/postgres:latest
 ```
 
-#### Testing ttrss in foreground
+> The image nornagon/postgres exposes a database superuser that this image uses
+to automatically create its user and database,
+so you don't have to setup your database credentials here.
 
-For testing purposes it's recommended to initially start this container in foreground.
-This is particular useful for your initial database setup, as errors get reported to
-the console and further execution will halt.
+Use the following database options when running the container:
+
+```
+--link tinydatabase:db
+```
+
+#### MySQL container
+
+If you'd like to use ttrss with a mysql database backend, simply link it to a
+mysql container instead.
+You're free to pick (or build) any MySQL container, as long as it exposes
+its database port (3306) to the outside.
+
+Example with sameersbn/mysql:
 
 ```bash
-$ sudo docker run -it --link ttrssdb:db -p 80:80 clue/ttrss
+$ docker run -d --name=tinydatabase -e DB_USER=ttrss -e DB_PASS=ttrss -e DB_NAME=ttrss sameersbn/mysql:latest
+```
+
+> The image sameersbn/mysql does not expose a database superuser,
+so you have to explicitly pass the database credentials here.
+
+Use the following database options when running the container:
+
+```
+--link tinydatabase:db
+```
+
+#### External database server
+
+If you already have a PostgreSQL or MySQL server around off docker you also can go with that.
+Instead of linking docker containers you need to provide database hostname and port like so:
+
+```
+-e DB_HOST=172.17.42.1
+-e DB_PORT=3306
 ```
 
-##### Database configuration
+### Database configuration
 
 Whenever your run ttrss, it will check your database setup. It assumes the following
 default configuration, which can be changed by passing the following additional arguments:
@@ -95,7 +130,15 @@ default configuration, which can be changed by passing the following additional
 -e DB_PASS=ttrss
 ```
 
-##### Database superuser
+If your database is exposed on a non-standard port you also need to provide DB_TYPE set
+to either "pgsql" or "mysql".
+
+```
+-e DB_TYPE=pgsql
+-e DB_TYPE=mysql
+```
+
+### Database superuser
 
 When you run ttrss, it will check your database setup. If it can not connect using the above
 configuration, it will automatically try to create a new database and user.
@@ -109,7 +152,17 @@ following additional arguments:
 -e DB_ENV_PASS=docker
 ```
 
-#### Running ttrss daemonized
+### Testing ttrss in foreground
+
+For testing purposes it's recommended to initially start this container in foreground.
+This is particular useful for your initial database setup, as errors get reported to
+the console and further execution will halt.
+
+```bash
+$ docker run -it --link tinydatabase:db -p 80:80 clue/ttrss
+```
+
+### Running ttrss daemonized
 
 Once you've confirmed everything works in the foreground, you can start your container
 in the background by replacing the `-it` argument with `-d` (daemonize).
@@ -117,5 +170,5 @@ Remaining arguments can be passed just like before, the following is the recomme
 minimum:
 
 ```bash
-$ sudo docker run -d --link tinystore:db -p 80:80 clue/ttrss
+$ docker run -d --link tinydatabase:db -p 80:80 clue/ttrss
 ```
diff --git a/configure-db.php b/configure-db.php
index 2cc0807..6025e30 100644
--- a/configure-db.php
+++ b/configure-db.php
@@ -1,27 +1,53 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env php
 <?php
 
-$ename = 'DB';
-$eport = 5432;
 $confpath = '/var/www/config.php';
 
-// check DB_NAME, which will be set automatically for a linked "db" container
-if (!env($ename . '_PORT', '')) {
-    error('The env ' . $ename .'_PORT does not exist. Make sure to run with "--link mypostgresinstance:' . $ename . '"');
+$config = array();
+
+if (getenv('DB_TYPE') !== false) {
+    $config['DB_TYPE'] = getenv('DB_TYPE');
+} elseif (getenv('DB_PORT_5432_TCP_ADDR') !== false) {
+    // postgres container linked
+    $config['DB_TYPE'] = 'pgsql';
+    $eport = 5432;
+} elseif (getenv('DB_PORT_3306_TCP_ADDR') !== false) {
+    // mysql container linked
+    $config['DB_TYPE'] = 'mysql';
+    $eport = 3306;
 }
 
-$config = array();
-$config['DB_TYPE'] = 'pgsql';
-$config['DB_HOST'] = env($ename . '_PORT_' . $eport . '_TCP_ADDR');
-$config['DB_PORT'] = env($ename . '_PORT_' . $eport . '_TCP_PORT');
+if (!empty($eport)) {
+    $config['DB_HOST'] = env('DB_PORT_' . $eport . '_TCP_ADDR');
+    $config['DB_PORT'] = env('DB_PORT_' . $eport . '_TCP_PORT');
+} elseif (getenv('DB_PORT') === false) {
+    error('The env DB_PORT does not exist. Make sure to run with "--link mypostgresinstance:DB"');
+} elseif (is_numeric(getenv('DB_PORT')) && getenv('DB_HOST') !== false) {
+    // numeric DB_PORT provided; assume port number passed directly
+    $config['DB_HOST'] = env('DB_HOST');
+    $config['DB_PORT'] = env('DB_PORT');
+
+    if (empty($config['DB_TYPE'])) {
+        switch ($config['DB_PORT']) {
+            case 3306:
+                $config['DB_TYPE'] = 'mysql';
+                break;
+            case 5432:
+                $config['DB_TYPE'] = 'pgsql';
+                break;
+            default:
+                error('Database on non-standard port ' . $config['DB_PORT'] . ' and env DB_TYPE not present');
+        }
+    }
+}
 
 // database credentials for this instance
 //   database name (DB_NAME) can be supplied or detaults to "ttrss"
 //   database user (DB_USER) can be supplied or defaults to database name
 //   database pass (DB_PASS) can be supplied or defaults to database user
-$config['DB_NAME'] = env($ename . '_NAME', 'ttrss');
-$config['DB_USER'] = env($ename . '_USER', $config['DB_NAME']);
-$config['DB_PASS'] = env($ename . '_PASS', $config['DB_USER']);
+$config['DB_NAME'] = env('DB_NAME', 'ttrss');
+$config['DB_USER'] = env('DB_USER', $config['DB_NAME']);
+$config['DB_PASS'] = env('DB_PASS', $config['DB_USER']);
 
 if (!dbcheck($config)) {
     echo 'Database login failed, trying to create...' . PHP_EOL;
@@ -32,12 +58,19 @@ if (!dbcheck($config)) {
     $super = $config;
 
     $super['DB_NAME'] = null;
-    $super['DB_USER'] = env($ename . '_ENV_USER', 'docker');
-    $super['DB_PASS'] = env($ename . '_ENV_PASS', $super['DB_USER']);
+    $super['DB_USER'] = env('DB_ENV_USER', 'docker');
+    $super['DB_PASS'] = env('DB_ENV_PASS', $super['DB_USER']);
     
     $pdo = dbconnect($super);
-    $pdo->exec('CREATE ROLE ' . ($config['DB_USER']) . ' WITH LOGIN PASSWORD ' . $pdo->quote($config['DB_PASS']));
-    $pdo->exec('CREATE DATABASE ' . ($config['DB_NAME']) . ' WITH OWNER ' . ($config['DB_USER']));
+
+    if ($super['DB_TYPE'] === 'mysql') {
+        $pdo->exec('CREATE DATABASE ' . ($config['DB_NAME']));
+        $pdo->exec('GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ' . ($config['DB_NAME']) . '.* TO ' . $pdo->quote($config['DB_USER']) . '@"%" IDENTIFIED BY ' . $pdo->quote($config['DB_PASS']));
+    } else {
+        $pdo->exec('CREATE ROLE ' . ($config['DB_USER']) . ' WITH LOGIN PASSWORD ' . $pdo->quote($config['DB_PASS']));
+        $pdo->exec('CREATE DATABASE ' . ($config['DB_NAME']) . ' WITH OWNER ' . ($config['DB_USER']));
+    }
+
     unset($pdo);
     
     if (dbcheck($config)) {
@@ -89,14 +122,14 @@ function error($text)
 
 function dbconnect($config)
 {
-    $map = array('host' => 'HOST', 'port' => 'PORT', 'dbname' => 'NAME', 'user' => 'USER', 'password' => 'PASS');
+    $map = array('host' => 'HOST', 'port' => 'PORT', 'dbname' => 'NAME');
     $dsn = $config['DB_TYPE'] . ':';
     foreach ($map as $d => $h) {
         if (isset($config['DB_' . $h])) {
             $dsn .= $d . '=' . $config['DB_' . $h] . ';';
         }
     }
-    $pdo = new \PDO($dsn);
+    $pdo = new \PDO($dsn, $config['DB_USER'], $config['DB_PASS']);
     $pdo->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
     return $pdo;
 }