diff --git a/INSTALL.md b/INSTALL.md
index ff3d0bb..880d3bf 100644
--- a/INSTALL.md
+++ b/INSTALL.md
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ user@host:szuru/server$ source python_modules/bin/activate # enters the sandbox
     - API URL,
     - data directory,
     - data URL,
-    - the `database` section,
+    - database,
     - the `smtp` section.
 
 2. Compile the frontend:
diff --git a/config.yaml.dist b/config.yaml.dist
index bcf9846..8048a9a 100644
--- a/config.yaml.dist
+++ b/config.yaml.dist
@@ -11,29 +11,20 @@ base_url: # used to form links to frontend, example: http://example.com/
 data_url: # used to form links to posts and avatars, example: http://example.com/data/
 data_dir: # absolute path for posts and avatars storage, example: /srv/www/booru/client/public/data/
 
+
+# usage: schema://user:password@host:port/database_name
+# example: postgres://szuru:dog@localhost:5432/szuru_test
+# example (useful for tests): sqlite:///:memory:
+database:
+test_database: 'sqlite:///:memory:' # required for runing the test suite
+
+
 thumbnails:
     avatar_width: 300
     avatar_height: 300
     post_width: 300
     post_height: 300
 
-database:
-    schema: postgres
-    host: # example: localhost
-    port: # example: 5432
-    user: # example: szuru
-    pass: # example: dog
-    name: # example: szuru
-
-# required for runing the test suite
-test_database:
-    schema: postgres
-    host: # example: localhost
-    port: # example: 5432
-    user: # example: szuru
-    pass: # example: dog
-    name: # example: szuru_test
-
 # used to send password reminders
 smtp:
     host: # example: localhost
diff --git a/server/szurubooru/db/session.py b/server/szurubooru/db/session.py
index b9dea7c..eb8f621 100644
--- a/server/szurubooru/db/session.py
+++ b/server/szurubooru/db/session.py
@@ -19,14 +19,7 @@ class QueryCounter(object):
 
 
 def create_session():
-    _engine = sqlalchemy.create_engine(
-        '{schema}://{user}:{password}@{host}:{port}/{name}'.format(
-            schema=config.config['database']['schema'],
-            user=config.config['database']['user'],
-            password=config.config['database']['pass'],
-            host=config.config['database']['host'],
-            port=config.config['database']['port'],
-            name=config.config['database']['name']))
+    _engine = sqlalchemy.create_engine(config.config['database'])
     sqlalchemy.event.listen(
         _engine, 'after_execute', lambda *args: QueryCounter.bump())
     _session_maker = sqlalchemy.orm.sessionmaker(bind=_engine)
diff --git a/server/szurubooru/facade.py b/server/szurubooru/facade.py
index 69bc6b9..60e58d5 100644
--- a/server/szurubooru/facade.py
+++ b/server/szurubooru/facade.py
@@ -68,10 +68,8 @@ def validate_config():
         raise errors.ConfigError(
             'data_dir must be an absolute path')
 
-    for key in ['schema', 'host', 'port', 'user', 'pass', 'name']:
-        if not config.config['database'][key]:
-            raise errors.ConfigError(
-                'Database is not configured: %r is missing' % key)
+    if not config.config['database']:
+        raise errors.ConfigError('Database is not configured')
 
 
 def create_app():
diff --git a/server/szurubooru/migrations/env.py b/server/szurubooru/migrations/env.py
index f116150..2f7c112 100644
--- a/server/szurubooru/migrations/env.py
+++ b/server/szurubooru/migrations/env.py
@@ -16,15 +16,7 @@ alembic_config = alembic.context.config
 logging.config.fileConfig(alembic_config.config_file_name)
 
 szuru_config = szurubooru.config.config
-alembic_config.set_main_option(
-    'sqlalchemy.url',
-    '{schema}://{user}:{password}@{host}:{port}/{name}'.format(
-        schema=szuru_config['database']['schema'],
-        user=szuru_config['database']['user'],
-        password=szuru_config['database']['pass'],
-        host=szuru_config['database']['host'],
-        port=szuru_config['database']['port'],
-        name=szuru_config['database']['name']))
+alembic_config.set_main_option('sqlalchemy.url', szuru_config['database'])
 
 target_metadata = szurubooru.db.Base.metadata
 
diff --git a/server/szurubooru/tests/conftest.py b/server/szurubooru/tests/conftest.py
index aca4682..3db1960 100644
--- a/server/szurubooru/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/server/szurubooru/tests/conftest.py
@@ -31,18 +31,11 @@ class QueryCounter(object):
         return self._statements
 
 
-if not config.config['test_database']['host']:
+if not config.config['test_database']:
     raise RuntimeError('Test database not configured.')
 
 _query_counter = QueryCounter()
-_engine = sqlalchemy.create_engine(
-    '{schema}://{user}:{password}@{host}:{port}/{name}'.format(
-        schema=config.config['test_database']['schema'],
-        user=config.config['test_database']['user'],
-        password=config.config['test_database']['pass'],
-        host=config.config['test_database']['host'],
-        port=config.config['test_database']['port'],
-        name=config.config['test_database']['name']))
+_engine = sqlalchemy.create_engine(config.config['test_database'])
 db.Base.metadata.drop_all(bind=_engine)
 db.Base.metadata.create_all(bind=_engine)
 sqlalchemy.event.listen(