diff --git a/.run/Development Database.run.xml b/.run/Development Database.run.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..12a3e5fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.run/Development Database.run.xml	
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<component name="ProjectRunConfigurationManager">
+  <configuration default="false" name="Development Database" type="docker-deploy" factoryName="docker-compose.yml" server-name="Docker">
+    <deployment type="docker-compose.yml">
+      <settings>
+        <option name="envFilePath" value="" />
+        <option name="sourceFilePath" value="docker-compose.yml" />
+      </settings>
+    </deployment>
+    <method v="2" />
+  </configuration>
+</component>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ProjectLighthouse/Database.cs b/ProjectLighthouse/Database.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..25ba5bbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ProjectLighthouse/Database.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+using System;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
+using ProjectLighthouse.Types;
+
+namespace ProjectLighthouse {
+    public class Database : DbContext {
+        protected override void OnConfiguring(DbContextOptionsBuilder options) => options.UseMySql(
+            ServerSettings.DbConnectionString,
+            MySqlServerVersion.LatestSupportedServerVersion
+        );
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ProjectLighthouse/Program.cs b/ProjectLighthouse/Program.cs
index a7d7791b..3da6c5f2 100644
--- a/ProjectLighthouse/Program.cs
+++ b/ProjectLighthouse/Program.cs
@@ -6,10 +6,14 @@ using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+using ProjectLighthouse.Types;
 
 namespace ProjectLighthouse {
-    public class Program {
+    public static class Program {
         public static void Main(string[] args) {
+            Console.WriteLine("Welcome to Project Lighthouse!");
+            Console.WriteLine(ServerSettings.DbConnected ? "Connected to the database." : "Database unavailable. Starting in stateless mode.");
+
             CreateHostBuilder(args).Build().Run();
         }
 
diff --git a/ProjectLighthouse/ProjectLighthouse.csproj b/ProjectLighthouse/ProjectLighthouse.csproj
index c33c9b6b..e2d21a43 100644
--- a/ProjectLighthouse/ProjectLighthouse.csproj
+++ b/ProjectLighthouse/ProjectLighthouse.csproj
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
     </PropertyGroup>
 
     <ItemGroup>
+        <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" Version="5.0.10" />
+        <PackageReference Include="Pomelo.EntityFrameworkCore.MySql" Version="5.0.2" />
         <PackageReference Include="Swashbuckle.AspNetCore" Version="5.6.3" />
     </ItemGroup>
 
diff --git a/ProjectLighthouse/Properties/launchSettings.json b/ProjectLighthouse/Properties/launchSettings.json
index dd129793..d5772d10 100644
--- a/ProjectLighthouse/Properties/launchSettings.json
+++ b/ProjectLighthouse/Properties/launchSettings.json
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@
       "dotnetRunMessages": "true",
       "applicationUrl": "http://localhost:10060;https://localhost:10061",
       "environmentVariables": {
-        "ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development"
+        "ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development",
+        "LIGHTHOUSE_DB_CONNECTION_STRING": "server=127.0.0.1;uid=root;pwd=lighthouse;database=lighthouse"
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/ProjectLighthouse/Types/ServerSettings.cs b/ProjectLighthouse/Types/ServerSettings.cs
index bf045e2d..0f5de5fa 100644
--- a/ProjectLighthouse/Types/ServerSettings.cs
+++ b/ProjectLighthouse/Types/ServerSettings.cs
@@ -1,10 +1,34 @@
+#nullable enable
+using System;
+
 namespace ProjectLighthouse.Types {
     public static class ServerSettings {
         /// <summary>
         /// The maximum amount of slots allowed on users' earth
         /// </summary>
-        public static int EntitledSlots = 20;
+        public const int EntitledSlots = 20;
 
-        public static int ListsQuota = 20;
+        public const int ListsQuota = 20;
+
+        private static string? dbConnectionString;
+        public static string DbConnectionString {
+            get {
+                if(dbConnectionString == null) {
+                    return dbConnectionString = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("LIGHTHOUSE_DB_CONNECTION_STRING") ?? "";
+                };
+                return dbConnectionString;
+            }
+        }
+
+        public static bool DbConnected {
+            get {
+                try {
+                    return new Database().Database.CanConnect();
+                }
+                catch {
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..973902f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# MySQL Docker compose file for development purposes. DO NOT USE IN PRODUCTION!
+
+version: '3'
+
+services:
+  lighthouse-db:
+    image: mysql
+    environment:
+      MYSQL_DATABASE: 'lighthouse'
+      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: 'lighthouse'
+    ports:
+      - '3306:3306'
+    expose:
+      - '3306' # Expose port to localhost:3306
+    volumes:
+      - lighthouse-db:/var/lib/mysql
+        
+volumes:
+  lighthouse-db:
\ No newline at end of file