diff --git a/manifests/db.pp b/manifests/db.pp
index 690714c1..c50f5d07 100644
--- a/manifests/db.pp
+++ b/manifests/db.pp
@@ -57,13 +57,17 @@ class designate::db (
   include ::designate::params
 
   validate_re($database_connection,
-    '(mysql):\/\/(\S+:\S+@\S+\/\S+)?')
+    '(mysql(\+pymysql)?):\/\/(\S+:\S+@\S+\/\S+)?')
 
   case $database_connection {
-    /^mysql:\/\//: {
-      $backend_package = false
+    /^mysql(\+pymysql)?:\/\//: {
       require 'mysql::bindings'
       require 'mysql::bindings::python'
+      if $database_connection =~ /^mysql\+pymysql/ {
+        $backend_package = $::designate::params::pymysql_package_name
+      } else {
+        $backend_package = false
+      }
     }
     default: {
       fail('Unsupported backend configured')
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index 922fd06e..bd0ac53b 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class designate::params {
       $api_service_name     = 'openstack-designate-api'
       $central_service_name = 'openstack-designate-central'
       $sink_service_name    = 'openstack-designate-sink'
+      $pymysql_package_name = undef
     }
     'Debian': {
       # package name
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ class designate::params {
       $api_service_name     = 'designate-api'
       $central_service_name = 'designate-central'
       $sink_service_name    = 'designate-sink'
+      $pymysql_package_name = 'python-pymysql'
     }
     default: {
       fail("Unsupported osfamily: ${::osfamily} operatingsystem")
diff --git a/spec/acceptance/basic_designate_spec.rb b/spec/acceptance/basic_designate_spec.rb
index 7155e06c..a4645466 100644
--- a/spec/acceptance/basic_designate_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/acceptance/basic_designate_spec.rb
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ describe 'basic designate' do
           include ::designate::client
           class { '::designate::agent': }
           class { '::designate::db':
-            database_connection => 'mysql://designate:a_big_secret@127.0.0.1/designate?charset=utf8',
+            database_connection => 'mysql+pymysql://designate:a_big_secret@127.0.0.1/designate?charset=utf8',
           }
           include ::designate::dns
         }
diff --git a/spec/classes/designate_db_spec.rb b/spec/classes/designate_db_spec.rb
index 7b238b53..a63e651c 100644
--- a/spec/classes/designate_db_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/designate_db_spec.rb
@@ -42,6 +42,22 @@ describe 'designate::db' do
       it_raises 'a Puppet::Error', /validate_re/
     end
 
+    context 'with specific parameters' do
+      let :params do
+        { :database_connection     => 'mysql+pymysql://designate:designate@localhost/designate',
+        }
+      end
+
+      it { is_expected.to contain_designate_config('storage:sqlalchemy/connection').with_value('mysql+pymysql://designate:designate@localhost/designate').with_secret(true) }
+    end
+
+    context 'with MySQL-python library as backend package' do
+      let :params do
+        { :database_connection     => 'mysql://designate:designate@localhost/designate', }
+      end
+
+      it { is_expected.to contain_package('python-mysqldb').with(:ensure => 'present') }
+    end
   end
 
   context 'on Debian platforms' do
@@ -50,6 +66,20 @@ describe 'designate::db' do
     end
 
     it_configures 'designate::db'
+
+    context 'using pymysql driver' do
+      let :params do
+        { :database_connection => 'mysql+pymysql://designate:designate@localhost/designate', }
+      end
+
+      it 'install the proper backend package' do
+        is_expected.to contain_package('designate-backend-package').with(
+          :ensure => 'present',
+          :name   => 'python-pymysql',
+          :tag    => 'openstack'
+        )
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   context 'on RedHat platforms' do
@@ -58,6 +88,14 @@ describe 'designate::db' do
     end
 
     it_configures 'designate::db'
+
+    context 'using pymysql driver' do
+      let :params do
+        { :database_connection  => 'mysql+pymysql://designate:designate@localhost/designate', }
+      end
+
+      it { is_expected.not_to contain_package('designate-backend-package') }
+    end
   end
 
 end