diff --git a/cts/.env.example b/cts/.env.example
index c386f6e..f78403f 100644
--- a/cts/.env.example
+++ b/cts/.env.example
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 HOSTNAME=localhost
 
+DB_HOST=rdbms
+DB_NAME=catapult_player
+DB_USERNAME=catapult
+DB_PASSWORD=quartz
+
 PLAYER_ROOT_PATH=/player
 PLAYER_BASE_URL=http://player:3398/player
 PLAYER_CONTENT_URL=http://localhost/player/content
diff --git a/cts/docker-compose.yml b/cts/docker-compose.yml
index 6bd94f2..61ed419 100644
--- a/cts/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/cts/docker-compose.yml
@@ -60,9 +60,13 @@ services:
       - ./seeds:/usr/src/app/seeds:ro
     environment:
       - HOSTNAME
-      - DATABASE_USER=catapult
-      - DATABASE_USER_PASSWORD=quartz
-      - DATABASE_NAME=catapult_cts
+      - DB_HOST
+      - DB_NAME
+      - DB_USERNAME
+      - DB_PASSWOD
+      # - DATABASE_USER=catapult
+      # - DATABASE_USER_PASSWORD=quartz
+      # - DATABASE_NAME=catapult_cts
       - PLAYER_BASE_URL
       - PLAYER_KEY
       - PLAYER_SECRET
diff --git a/cts/service/index.js b/cts/service/index.js
index 5dd3015..dd4a448 100644
--- a/cts/service/index.js
+++ b/cts/service/index.js
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ const provision = async () => {
             }
         };
 
-    await waitPort({host: "rdbms", port: 3306});
+    const DB_HOST = (process.env.DB_HOST || "rdbms");
+    await waitPort({host: DB_HOST, port: 3306});
 
     const db = await require("./lib/db")();
 
diff --git a/cts/service/knexfile.js b/cts/service/knexfile.js
index d217bfe..e90945f 100644
--- a/cts/service/knexfile.js
+++ b/cts/service/knexfile.js
@@ -13,24 +13,33 @@
     See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
     limitations under the License.
 */
+const DB_HOST = (process.env.DB_HOST || "rdbms");
+const DB_NAME = (process.env.DB_NAME || "catapult_player");
+const DB_USERNAME = (process.env.DB_USERNAME || "catapult");
+const DB_PASSWORD = (process.env.DB_PASSWORD || "quartz");
+
 const Hoek = require("@hapi/hoek"),
     waitPort = require("wait-port"),
     {
-        MYSQL_HOST: HOST = "rdbms",
+        // MYSQL_HOST: HOST = "rdbms",
         MYSQL_HOST_FILE: HOST_FILE,
-        DATABASE_USER: USER = "catapult",
+        // DATABASE_USER: USER = "catapult",
         DATABASE_USER_FILE: USER_FILE,
-        DATABASE_USER_PASSWORD: PASSWORD = "quartz",
+        // DATABASE_USER_PASSWORD: DB_PASSWORD,
         DATABASE_USER_PASSWORD_FILE: PASSWORD_FILE,
-        DATABASE_NAME: DB = "catapult_player",
+        // DATABASE_NAME: DB = "catapult_player",
         DATABASE_NAME_FILE: DB_FILE,
     } = process.env;
 
 module.exports = async () => {
-    const host = HOST_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(HOST_FILE) : HOST,
-        user = USER_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(USER_FILE) : USER,
-        password = PASSWORD_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(PASSWORD_FILE) : PASSWORD,
-        database = DB_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(DB_FILE) : DB;
+    // const host = HOST_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(HOST_FILE) : HOST,
+    //     user = USER_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(USER_FILE) : USER,
+    //     password = PASSWORD_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(PASSWORD_FILE) : PASSWORD,
+    //     database = DB_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(DB_FILE) : DB;
+    const host = HOST_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(HOST_FILE) : DB_HOST,
+        user = USER_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(USER_FILE) : DB_USERNAME,
+        password = PASSWORD_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(PASSWORD_FILE) : DB_PASSWORD,
+        database = DB_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(DB_FILE) : DB_NAME;
 
     await waitPort({host, port: 3306});
 
diff --git a/player/.env.example b/player/.env.example
index fa5d2fe..bb5460c 100644
--- a/player/.env.example
+++ b/player/.env.example
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 HOSTNAME=localhost
 HOST_PORT=63398
 
+DB_HOST=rdbms
+DB_NAME=catapult_player
+DB_USERNAME=catapult
+DB_PASSWORD=quartz
+
 CONTENT_URL=http://localhost:63398/content
 
 API_KEY="some API access key"
diff --git a/player/docker-compose.yml b/player/docker-compose.yml
index 63e6ad7..0002645 100644
--- a/player/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/player/docker-compose.yml
@@ -36,9 +36,13 @@ services:
       - LRS_USERNAME
       - LRS_PASSWORD
       - LRS_XAPI_VERSIONs
-      - DATABASE_USER=catapult
-      - DATABASE_USER_PASSWORD=quartz
-      - DATABASE_NAME=catapult_player
+      - DB_HOST
+      - DB_NAME
+      - DB_USERNAME
+      - DB_PASSWOD
+      # - DATABASE_USER=catapult
+      # - DATABASE_USER_PASSWORD=quartz
+      # - DATABASE_NAME=catapult_player
       - FIRST_TENANT_NAME
       - PLAYER_API_ROOT=${PLAYER_ROOT_PATH}
       - PLAYER_STANDALONE_LAUNCH_URL_BASE
diff --git a/player/service/index.js b/player/service/index.js
index b15d3d6..d7e8aea 100644
--- a/player/service/index.js
+++ b/player/service/index.js
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ const provision = async () => {
             }
         };
 
-    await waitPort({host: "rdbms", port: 3306});
+    const DB_HOST = (process.env.DB_HOST || "rdbms");
+    await waitPort({host: DB_HOST, port: 3306});
 
     const db = await require("./lib/db")();
 
diff --git a/player/service/knexfile.js b/player/service/knexfile.js
index fee0df4..f112fa8 100644
--- a/player/service/knexfile.js
+++ b/player/service/knexfile.js
@@ -13,24 +13,35 @@
     See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
     limitations under the License.
 */
+
+const DB_HOST = (process.env.DB_HOST || "rdbms");
+const DB_NAME = (process.env.DB_NAME || "catapult_player");
+const DB_USERNAME = (process.env.DB_USERNAME || "catapult");
+const DB_PASSWORD = (process.env.DB_PASSWORD || "quartz");
+
 const Hoek = require("@hapi/hoek"),
     waitPort = require("wait-port"),
     {
-        MYSQL_HOST: HOST = "rdbms",
+        // MYSQL_HOST: HOST = "rdbms",
         MYSQL_HOST_FILE: HOST_FILE,
-        DATABASE_USER: USER = "catapult",
+        // DATABASE_USER: USER = "catapult",
         DATABASE_USER_FILE: USER_FILE,
-        DATABASE_USER_PASSWORD: PASSWORD = "quartz",
+        // DATABASE_USER_PASSWORD: DB_PASSWORD,
         DATABASE_USER_PASSWORD_FILE: PASSWORD_FILE,
-        DATABASE_NAME: DB = "catapult_player",
+        // DATABASE_NAME: DB = "catapult_player",
         DATABASE_NAME_FILE: DB_FILE,
     } = process.env;
 
 module.exports = async () => {
-    const host = HOST_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(HOST_FILE) : HOST,
-        user = USER_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(USER_FILE) : USER,
-        password = PASSWORD_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(PASSWORD_FILE) : PASSWORD,
-        database = DB_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(DB_FILE) : DB;
+    // const host = HOST_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(HOST_FILE) : HOST,
+    //     user = USER_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(USER_FILE) : USER,
+    //     password = PASSWORD_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(PASSWORD_FILE) : PASSWORD,
+    //     database = DB_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(DB_FILE) : DB;
+    const host = HOST_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(HOST_FILE) : DB_HOST,
+        user = USER_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(USER_FILE) : DB_USERNAME,
+        password = PASSWORD_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(PASSWORD_FILE) : DB_PASSWORD,
+        database = DB_FILE ? fs.readFileSync(DB_FILE) : DB_NAME;
+    
 
     await waitPort({host, port: 3306});