diff --git a/manifests/db.pp b/manifests/db.pp
index 1e2e9231..0c35d6b4 100644
--- a/manifests/db.pp
+++ b/manifests/db.pp
@@ -56,13 +56,17 @@ class cinder::db (
   $database_max_overflow_real   = pick($::cinder::database_max_overflow,$database_max_overflow)
 
   validate_re($database_connection_real,
-    '(sqlite|mysql|postgresql):\/\/(\S+:\S+@\S+\/\S+)?')
+    '^(sqlite|mysql(\+pymysql)?|postgresql):\/\/(\S+:\S+@\S+\/\S+)?')
 
   case $database_connection_real {
-    /^mysql:\/\//: {
-      $backend_package = false
+    /^mysql(\+pymysql)?:\/\//: {
       require 'mysql::bindings'
       require 'mysql::bindings::python'
+      if $database_connection_real =~ /^mysql\+pymysql/ {
+        $backend_package = $::cinder::params::pymysql_package_name
+      } else {
+        $backend_package = false
+      }
     }
     /^postgresql:\/\//: {
       $backend_package = false
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index adfa8785..8d2c6db0 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ class cinder::params {
     $lio_package_name     = 'targetcli'
     $lock_path            = '/var/lock/cinder'
     $sqlite_package_name  = 'python-pysqlite2'
+    $pymysql_package_name = 'python-pymysql'
 
   } elsif($::osfamily == 'RedHat') {
 
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ class cinder::params {
     $lio_package_name     = 'targetcli'
     $lock_path            = '/var/lib/cinder/tmp'
     $sqlite_package_name  = undef
+    $pymysql_package_name = undef
 
     case $::operatingsystem {
       'RedHat', 'CentOS', 'Scientific', 'OracleLinux': {
diff --git a/spec/acceptance/basic_cinder_spec.rb b/spec/acceptance/basic_cinder_spec.rb
index 597e1f4f..eeaf6ebd 100644
--- a/spec/acceptance/basic_cinder_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/acceptance/basic_cinder_spec.rb
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ describe 'basic cinder' do
 
       # Cinder resources
       class { '::cinder':
-        database_connection => 'mysql://cinder:a_big_secret@127.0.0.1/cinder?charset=utf8',
+        database_connection => 'mysql+pymysql://cinder:a_big_secret@127.0.0.1/cinder?charset=utf8',
         rabbit_userid       => 'cinder',
         rabbit_password     => 'an_even_bigger_secret',
         rabbit_host         => '127.0.0.1',
diff --git a/spec/classes/cinder_db_spec.rb b/spec/classes/cinder_db_spec.rb
index 5e1fa09c..bbf53ec0 100644
--- a/spec/classes/cinder_db_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/cinder_db_spec.rb
@@ -16,19 +16,18 @@ describe 'cinder::db' do
 
     context 'with specific parameters' do
       let :params do
-        { :database_connection     => 'mysql://cinder:cinder@localhost/cinder',
+        { :database_connection     => 'mysql+pymysql://cinder:cinder@localhost/cinder',
           :database_idle_timeout   => '3601',
           :database_min_pool_size  => '2',
           :database_max_retries    => '11',
           :database_retry_interval => '11', }
       end
 
-      it { is_expected.to contain_cinder_config('database/connection').with_value('mysql://cinder:cinder@localhost/cinder').with_secret(true) }
+      it { is_expected.to contain_cinder_config('database/connection').with_value('mysql+pymysql://cinder:cinder@localhost/cinder').with_secret(true) }
       it { is_expected.to contain_cinder_config('database/idle_timeout').with_value('3601') }
       it { is_expected.to contain_cinder_config('database/min_pool_size').with_value('2') }
       it { is_expected.to contain_cinder_config('database/max_retries').with_value('11') }
       it { is_expected.to contain_cinder_config('database/retry_interval').with_value('11') }
-
     end
 
     context 'with postgresql backend' do
@@ -42,6 +41,14 @@ describe 'cinder::db' do
 
     end
 
+    context 'with MySQL-python library as backend package' do
+      let :params do
+        { :database_connection     => 'mysql://cinder:cinder@localhost/cinder', }
+      end
+
+      it { is_expected.to contain_package('python-mysqldb').with(:ensure => 'present') }
+    end
+
     context 'with incorrect database_connection string' do
       let :params do
         { :database_connection     => 'redis://cinder:cinder@localhost/cinder', }
@@ -50,6 +57,14 @@ describe 'cinder::db' do
       it_raises 'a Puppet::Error', /validate_re/
     end
 
+    context 'with incorrect pymysql database_connection string' do
+      let :params do
+        { :database_connection     => 'foo+pymysql://cinder:cinder@localhost/cinder', }
+      end
+
+      it_raises 'a Puppet::Error', /validate_re/
+    end
+
   end
 
   context 'on Debian platforms' do
@@ -62,6 +77,20 @@ describe 'cinder::db' do
     end
 
     it_configures 'cinder::db'
+
+    context 'using pymysql driver' do
+      let :params do
+        { :database_connection     => 'mysql+pymysql://cinder:cinder@localhost/cinder', }
+      end
+
+      it 'install the proper backend package' do
+        is_expected.to contain_package('cinder-backend-package').with(
+          :ensure => 'present',
+          :name   => 'python-pymysql',
+          :tag    => 'openstack'
+        )
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   context 'on Redhat platforms' do
@@ -73,6 +102,14 @@ describe 'cinder::db' do
     end
 
     it_configures 'cinder::db'
+
+    context 'using pymysql driver' do
+      let :params do
+        { :database_connection     => 'mysql+pymysql://cinder:cinder@localhost/cinder', }
+      end
+
+      it { is_expected.not_to contain_package('cinder-backend-package') }
+    end
   end
 
 end