diff --git a/api/.env b/api/.env
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..456cdec7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/.env
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+MYSQL_HOST=127.0.0.1:3306
+MYSQL_DATABASE=photoview
+MYSQL_USERNAME=photoview
+MYSQL_PASSWORD=
+
+API_PORT=4001
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/api/database/mysql.go b/api/database/mysql.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a602bd0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/database/mysql.go
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+package database
+
+import (
+	"database/sql"
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+
+	// Load mysql driver
+	_ "github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql"
+)
+
+// SetupDatabase connects to the database using environment variables
+func SetupDatabase() *sql.DB {
+
+	host := os.Getenv("MYSQL_HOST")
+	database := os.Getenv("MYSQL_DATABASE")
+	username := os.Getenv("MYSQL_USERNAME")
+	password := os.Getenv("MYSQL_PASSWORD")
+
+	if host == "" || database == "" || username == "" {
+		log.Fatalln("Database host, name and username are required")
+	}
+
+	address := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s@tcp(%s)/%s", username, password, host, database)
+	log.Printf("Connecting to database: %s", address)
+
+	db, err := sql.Open("mysql", address)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Could not connect to database: %s\n", err.Error())
+	}
+
+	if err := db.Ping(); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Could not connect to database: %s\n", err.Error())
+	}
+
+	return db
+}
diff --git a/api/go.mod b/api/go.mod
index b13a4a49..be8a10c9 100644
--- a/api/go.mod
+++ b/api/go.mod
@@ -4,5 +4,7 @@ go 1.13
 
 require (
 	github.com/99designs/gqlgen v0.10.2
+	github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql v1.5.0
+	github.com/joho/godotenv v1.3.0
 	github.com/vektah/gqlparser v1.2.0
 )
diff --git a/api/go.sum b/api/go.sum
index 5c527d3a..37f7ce90 100644
--- a/api/go.sum
+++ b/api/go.sum
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ github.com/andreyvit/diff v0.0.0-20170406064948-c7f18ee00883/go.mod h1:rCTlJbsFo
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/go-chi/chi v3.3.2+incompatible/go.mod h1:eB3wogJHnLi3x/kFX2A+IbTBlXxmMeXJVKy9tTv1XzQ=
+github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql v1.5.0 h1:ozyZYNQW3x3HtqT1jira07DN2PArx2v7/mN66gGcHOs=
+github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql v1.5.0/go.mod h1:DCzpHaOWr8IXmIStZouvnhqoel9Qv2LBy8hT2VhHyBg=
 github.com/gogo/protobuf v1.0.0/go.mod h1:r8qH/GZQm5c6nD/R0oafs1akxWv10x8SbQlK7atdtwQ=
 github.com/gorilla/context v0.0.0-20160226214623-1ea25387ff6f/go.mod h1:kBGZzfjB9CEq2AlWe17Uuf7NDRt0dE0s8S51q0aT7Yg=
 github.com/gorilla/mux v1.6.1/go.mod h1:1lud6UwP+6orDFRuTfBEV8e9/aOM/c4fVVCaMa2zaAs=
@@ -13,6 +15,8 @@ github.com/gorilla/websocket v1.2.0 h1:VJtLvh6VQym50czpZzx07z/kw9EgAxI3x1ZB8taTM
 github.com/gorilla/websocket v1.2.0/go.mod h1:E7qHFY5m1UJ88s3WnNqhKjPHQ0heANvMoAMk2YaljkQ=
 github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru v0.5.0 h1:CL2msUPvZTLb5O648aiLNJw3hnBxN2+1Jq8rCOH9wdo=
 github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru v0.5.0/go.mod h1:/m3WP610KZHVQ1SGc6re/UDhFvYD7pJ4Ao+sR/qLZy8=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.3.0 h1:Zjp+RcGpHhGlrMbJzXTrZZPrWj+1vfm90La1wgB6Bhc=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.3.0/go.mod h1:7hK45KPybAkOC6peb+G5yklZfMxEjkZhHbwpqxOKXbg=
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.1.0/go.mod h1:dAy3ld7l9f0ibDNOQOHHMYYIIbhfbHSm3C4ZsoJORNo=
 github.com/kr/pty v1.1.1/go.mod h1:pFQYn66WHrOpPYNljwOMqo10TkYh1fy3cYio2l3bCsQ=
 github.com/kr/text v0.1.0/go.mod h1:4Jbv+DJW3UT/LiOwJeYQe1efqtUx/iVham/4vfdArNI=
diff --git a/api/server/server.go b/api/server/server.go
index 5f3df763..f8f7a8cb 100644
--- a/api/server/server.go
+++ b/api/server/server.go
@@ -5,18 +5,29 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 
+	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
+
+	"github.com/viktorstrate/photoview/api/database"
+
 	"github.com/99designs/gqlgen/handler"
 	photoview_graphql "github.com/viktorstrate/photoview/api/graphql"
 )
 
-const defaultPort = "8080"
+const defaultPort = "4001"
 
 func main() {
-	port := os.Getenv("PORT")
+
+	if err := godotenv.Load(); err != nil {
+		log.Println("No .env file found")
+	}
+
+	port := os.Getenv("API_PORT")
 	if port == "" {
 		port = defaultPort
 	}
 
+	database.SetupDatabase()
+
 	http.Handle("/", handler.Playground("GraphQL playground", "/query"))
 	http.Handle("/query", handler.GraphQL(photoview_graphql.NewExecutableSchema(photoview_graphql.Config{Resolvers: &photoview_graphql.Resolver{}})))