diff --git a/chart/test-values.yaml b/chart/test-values.yaml
index aaf1d590..1a01526a 100644
--- a/chart/test-values.yaml
+++ b/chart/test-values.yaml
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ configMap:
     mysql:
       size: 10Gi
   heat:
-    configDir: /etc/heat
+    mysql:
+      size: 10Gi
   magnum:
     mysql:
       size: 10Gi
diff --git a/config/samples/operator-config.yaml b/config/samples/operator-config.yaml
index 3bd957d4..f4928cee 100644
--- a/config/samples/operator-config.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/operator-config.yaml
@@ -10,11 +10,6 @@ data:
       ingress:
         host: "horizon.vexxhost.com"
     keystone: {}
-    heat:
-      configDir: /etc/heat
-      ingress:
-        host:
-          api: "h-api.vexxhost.com"
-          api-cfn: "h-api-cfn.vexxhost.com"
+    heat: {}
     magnum: {}
     chronyd: {}
diff --git a/devstack/lib/heat b/devstack/lib/heat
index c7d3c14b..4f601876 100644
--- a/devstack/lib/heat
+++ b/devstack/lib/heat
@@ -115,7 +115,12 @@ function configure_heat {
 	iniset $HEAT_CONF DEFAULT heat_metadata_server_url http://$HEAT_API_CFN_HOST/heat-api-cfn
 	iniset $HEAT_CONF DEFAULT heat_waitcondition_server_url http://$HEAT_API_CFN_HOST/heat-api-cfn/v1/waitcondition
 
-    iniset $HEAT_CONF database connection `database_connection_url heat`
+    # Get mysql password
+    HEAT_DATABASE_USER=$(get_data_from_secret heat-mysql openstack USER)
+    HEAT_DATABASE_PASSWORD=$(get_data_from_secret heat-mysql openstack PASSWORD)
+    HEAT_DATABASE_NAME=$(get_data_from_secret heat-mysql openstack DATABASE)
+    iniset $HEAT_CONF database connection "mysql+pymysql://$HEAT_DATABASE_USER:$HEAT_DATABASE_PASSWORD@heat-mysql/$HEAT_DATABASE_NAME?charset=utf8"
+
     # we are using a hardcoded auth_encryption_key as it has to be the same for
     # multinode deployment.
     iniset $HEAT_CONF DEFAULT auth_encryption_key "767c3ed056cbaa3b9dfedb8c6f825bf0"
@@ -214,18 +219,12 @@ function configure_heat {
     [ $err_count -eq 0 ] || die $LINENO "$err_count of the requested Heat plugins could not be installed."
 }
 
-# init_heat() - Initialize database - override
+# init_heat()
 function init_heat {
 	kubectl create secret generic heat-config --from-file=/etc/heat/heat.conf --from-file=/etc/heat/api-paste.ini -n openstack
 
     # NOTE: Permissions here are bad but it's temporary so we don't care as much.
 	sudo chmod -Rv 777 /etc/heat
-
-	# recreate db only if one of the db services is enabled
-    if is_service_enabled $DATABASE_BACKENDS; then
-        # (re)create heat database
-        recreate_database heat
-    fi
 }
 
 # install_heatclient() - Collect source and prepare
diff --git a/openstack_operator/heat.py b/openstack_operator/heat.py
index e8fdb0a9..f1d49ba1 100644
--- a/openstack_operator/heat.py
+++ b/openstack_operator/heat.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ server for the installation.
 """
 
 
+from openstack_operator import database
 from openstack_operator import utils
 
 
@@ -30,6 +31,22 @@ def create_or_resume(name, spec, **_):
     start the service up for the first time.
     """
 
+    # deploy mysql
+    if "mysql" not in spec:
+        database.ensure_mysql_cluster("heat", {})
+    else:
+        database.ensure_mysql_cluster("heat", spec["mysql"])
+
+    # deploy memcached
+    utils.create_or_update('heat/memcached.yml.j2', spec=spec)
+
+    # deploy rabbitmq
+    if not utils.ensure_secret("openstack", "heat-rabbitmq"):
+        utils.create_or_update('heat/secret-rabbitmq.yml.j2',
+                               password=utils.generate_password())
+    utils.create_or_update('heat/rabbitmq.yml.j2', spec=spec)
+
+    # deploy heat
     config_hash = utils.generate_hash(spec)
     for component in ("api", "api-cfn"):
         utils.create_or_update('heat/daemonset.yml.j2',
@@ -44,13 +61,7 @@ def create_or_resume(name, spec, **_):
                            name=name, spec=spec, component='engine',
                            config_hash=config_hash)
 
-    utils.create_or_update('heat/memcached.yml.j2', spec=spec)
-    # deploy rabbitmq
-    if not utils.ensure_secret("openstack", "heat-rabbitmq"):
-        utils.create_or_update('heat/secret-rabbitmq.yml.j2',
-                               password=utils.generate_password())
-    utils.create_or_update('heat/rabbitmq.yml.j2', spec=spec)
-
+    # deploy clean jobs
     utils.create_or_update('heat/cronjob-service-clean.yml.j2',
                            name=name, spec=spec)
     utils.create_or_update('heat/cronjob-purge-deleted.yml.j2',