diff --git a/migrations/db.js b/migrations/db.js
index ae191313..586e384f 100644
--- a/migrations/db.js
+++ b/migrations/db.js
@@ -1,10 +1,17 @@
 'use strict';
 
+var fs = require('fs');
 var pg = require('pg');
 var async   = require('async');
 
-// TODO: generalize
-var conString = 'psql://lamassu:lamassu@localhost/lamassu';
+var conString;
+try {
+  conString = process.env.DATABASE_URL ||
+    JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('/etc/lamassu.json')).postgresql;
+}
+catch (ex) {
+  conString = 'psql://lamassu:lamassu@localhost/lamassu';
+}
 
 exports.query = function query(sql, cb) {
   exports.multi([sql], cb);
@@ -12,7 +19,11 @@ exports.query = function query(sql, cb) {
 
 exports.silentQuery = function query(sql, cb) {
   pg.connect(conString, function(err, client, done) {
-    if (err) return cb(err);
+    if (err) {
+      console.log(err.message);
+      return cb(err);
+    }
+
     client.query(sql, function(err) {
       done(true);
       cb(err);
@@ -22,7 +33,10 @@ exports.silentQuery = function query(sql, cb) {
 
 exports.multi = function multi(sqls, cb) {
   pg.connect(conString, function(err, client, done) {
-    if (err) return cb(err);
+    if (err) {
+      console.log(err.message);
+      return cb(err);
+    }
 
     async.eachSeries(sqls, client.query.bind(client), function(err) {
       done(true);