diff --git a/devsite/.env.example b/devsite/.env.example
index ea6154dd..9a381bfc 100644
--- a/devsite/.env.example
+++ b/devsite/.env.example
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@
 # Django development debug mode
 DEBUG=true
 
+# Set a database to use with devsite
+# The default database is SQLite and assigned in devsite/settings.py
+# Use this specific string if you want to run Figures with MySQL Docker
+# For more details, read the django-environ README
+#   https://github.com/joke2k/django-environ/blob/v0.4.5/README.rst
+DATABASE_URL=mysql://figures_user:drowssap-ekaf@127.0.0.1:3306/figures-db
+
 # Set which expected Open edX release mocks for devsite to use.
 # Valid options are: "GINKGO", "HAWTHORN", "JUNIPER"
 #
diff --git a/devsite/devsite/settings.py b/devsite/devsite/settings.py
index 08b538f8..1f0e7a43 100644
--- a/devsite/devsite/settings.py
+++ b/devsite/devsite/settings.py
@@ -160,20 +160,21 @@
 
 WSGI_APPLICATION = 'devsite.wsgi.application'
 
-# Database
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.8/ref/settings/#databases
+
+# Database setting
+# To select a different database, such as MySQL, add the database url string to
+# as 'DATABASE_URL=<database url string>' in the devsite/.env file
+#
+# Refs:
+#   https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.8/ref/settings/#databases
+#   https://github.com/joke2k/django-environ/tree/v0.4.5
+
+DEFAULT_SQLITE_DB_URL = os.path.join(DEVSITE_BASE_DIR,
+                                     'figures-{release}-db.sqlite3'.format(
+                                        release=OPENEDX_RELEASE.lower()))
 
 DATABASES = {
-    'default': {
-        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
-        'NAME': os.path.join(DEVSITE_BASE_DIR,
-                             'figures-{release}-db.sqlite3'.format(
-                                release=OPENEDX_RELEASE.lower())),
-        'USER': '',
-        'PASSWORD': '',
-        'HOST': '',
-        'PORT': '',
-    }
+    'default': env.db(default=DEFAULT_SQLITE_DB_URL)
 }
 
 LOCALE_PATHS = [