diff --git a/files/apts/keystone b/files/apts/keystone
index b7218b7890..d316a4291b 100644
--- a/files/apts/keystone
+++ b/files/apts/keystone
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ sqlite3
 python-pysqlite2
 python-sqlalchemy
 python-mysqldb
+python-mysql.connector
 python-webob
 python-greenlet
 python-routes
diff --git a/files/apts/neutron b/files/apts/neutron
index 92e0a06261..d3a08c77a1 100644
--- a/files/apts/neutron
+++ b/files/apts/neutron
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ python-kombu
 python-eventlet
 python-sqlalchemy
 python-mysqldb
+python-mysql.connector
 python-pyudev
 python-qpid # dist:precise
 dnsmasq-base
diff --git a/files/apts/nova b/files/apts/nova
index e7798491ef..090ca4d48d 100644
--- a/files/apts/nova
+++ b/files/apts/nova
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ parted
 iputils-arping
 mysql-server # NOPRIME
 python-mysqldb
+python-mysql.connector
 python-xattr # needed for glance which is needed for nova --- this shouldn't be here
 python-lxml # needed for glance which is needed for nova --- this shouldn't be here
 gawk
diff --git a/files/rpms-suse/keystone b/files/rpms-suse/keystone
index 403d82f926..a734cb9d09 100644
--- a/files/rpms-suse/keystone
+++ b/files/rpms-suse/keystone
@@ -10,5 +10,6 @@ python-devel
 python-greenlet
 python-lxml
 python-mysql
+python-mysql.connector
 python-pysqlite
 sqlite3
diff --git a/files/rpms-suse/neutron b/files/rpms-suse/neutron
index f3bafc7a6d..79f5bff7ce 100644
--- a/files/rpms-suse/neutron
+++ b/files/rpms-suse/neutron
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ python-greenlet
 python-iso8601
 python-kombu
 python-mysql
+python-mysql.connector
 python-Paste
 python-PasteDeploy
 python-pyudev
diff --git a/files/rpms-suse/nova b/files/rpms-suse/nova
index 7a1160e319..2a210e500c 100644
--- a/files/rpms-suse/nova
+++ b/files/rpms-suse/nova
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ python-lockfile
 python-lxml # needed for glance which is needed for nova --- this shouldn't be here
 python-mox
 python-mysql
+python-mysql.connector
 python-numpy # needed by websockify for spice console
 python-paramiko
 python-sqlalchemy-migrate
diff --git a/files/rpms/neutron b/files/rpms/neutron
index f02c02bd16..aaff48ae4c 100644
--- a/files/rpms/neutron
+++ b/files/rpms/neutron
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ dnsmasq-utils # for dhcp_release
 ebtables
 iptables
 iputils
+mysql-connector-python
 mysql-server # NOPRIME
 openvswitch # NOPRIME
 python-boto
diff --git a/files/rpms/nova b/files/rpms/nova
index 6097991a9a..ccee8a73b1 100644
--- a/files/rpms/nova
+++ b/files/rpms/nova
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ libvirt-python # NOPRIME
 libxml2-python
 numpy # needed by websockify for spice console
 m2crypto
+mysql-connector-python
 mysql-server # NOPRIME
 parted
 polkit
diff --git a/lib/database b/lib/database
index 0661049e70..e226515347 100644
--- a/lib/database
+++ b/lib/database
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ function initialize_database_backends {
     # a multi-node DevStack installation.
 
     # NOTE: Don't specify ``/db`` in this string so we can use it for multiple services
-    BASE_SQL_CONN=${BASE_SQL_CONN:-${DATABASE_TYPE}://$DATABASE_USER:$DATABASE_PASSWORD@$DATABASE_HOST}
+    BASE_SQL_CONN=${BASE_SQL_CONN:-$(get_database_type)://$DATABASE_USER:$DATABASE_PASSWORD@$DATABASE_HOST}
 
     return 0
 }
@@ -120,6 +120,14 @@ function database_connection_url {
     database_connection_url_$DATABASE_TYPE $db
 }
 
+function get_database_type {
+    if [[ -n "${SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_DRIVER}" ]]; then
+        echo "${DATABASE_TYPE}+${SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_DRIVER}"
+    else
+        echo "${DATABASE_TYPE}"
+    fi
+}
+
 
 # Restore xtrace
 $XTRACE
diff --git a/stackrc b/stackrc
index fb843666b0..a8467bab98 100644
--- a/stackrc
+++ b/stackrc
@@ -52,6 +52,18 @@ if [[ -z "$ENABLED_SERVICES" ]]; then
     ENABLED_SERVICES+=,rabbit,tempest,mysql
 fi
 
+# SQLAlchemy supports multiple database drivers for each database server
+# type. For example, deployer may use MySQLdb, MySQLConnector, or oursql
+# to access MySQL database.
+#
+# When defined, the variable controls which database driver is used to
+# connect to database server. Otherwise using default driver defined for
+# each database type.
+#
+# You can find the list of currently supported drivers for each database
+# type at: http://docs.sqlalchemy.org/en/rel_0_9/core/engines.html
+# SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_DRIVER="mysqldb"
+
 # Global toggle for enabling services under mod_wsgi. If this is set to
 # ``True`` all services that use HTTPD + mod_wsgi as the preferred method of
 # deployment, will be deployed under Apache. If this is set to ``False`` all