diff --git a/env.example b/env.example
index 178746f..6eefc55 100644
--- a/env.example
+++ b/env.example
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ DEBUG_PORT=12000
 API_ADDR=localhost:11000
 
 # db
+DSN='postgres://admindbuser:admindbpassword@localhost:5432/admindb?sslmode=disable' #overrides DB_{ADDR,NAME,USER,PASSWORD,PORT}
 DB_ADDR=localhost:5432
 DB_NAME=admindb
 DB_USER=admindbuser
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index bc5639f..b89bd61 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ const (
 	devEnv       = "DEV"
 
 	// db
+	dbDSNEnv      = "DSN"
 	dbAddrEnv     = "DB_ADDR"
 	dbNameEnv     = "DB_NAME"
 	dbUserEnv     = "DB_USER"
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ var (
 	_log                = log.GetLogger()
 
 	// db
+	dbDSN      string
 	dbAddr     string
 	dbName     string
 	dbUser     string
@@ -213,6 +215,7 @@ func setup() {
 	viper.BindEnv(apiAddrEnv)
 	viper.BindEnv(devEnv)
 
+	viper.BindEnv(dbDSNEnv)
 	viper.BindEnv(dbAddrEnv)
 	viper.BindEnv(dbNameEnv)
 	viper.BindEnv(dbUserEnv)
@@ -243,6 +246,7 @@ func setup() {
 	apiAddr = viper.GetString(apiAddrEnv)
 	dev = viper.GetBool(devEnv)
 
+	dbDSN := viper.GetString(dbDSNEnv)
 	dbAddr = viper.GetString(dbAddrEnv)
 	dbName = viper.GetString(dbNameEnv)
 	dbUser = viper.GetString(dbUserEnv)
@@ -280,8 +284,10 @@ func setup() {
 	akc = kclient.NewAPIClient(kratosAdminConfig)
 
 	// db setup
-	dsn := fmt.Sprintf("postgres://%s:%s@%s/%s?sslmode=disable", dbUser, dbPassword, dbAddr, dbName)
-	sqldb := sql.OpenDB(pgdriver.NewConnector(pgdriver.WithDSN(dsn)))
+	if dbDSN == "" {
+		dbDSN = fmt.Sprintf("postgres://%s:%s@%s/%s?sslmode=disable", dbUser, dbPassword, dbAddr, dbName)
+	}
+	sqldb := sql.OpenDB(pgdriver.NewConnector(pgdriver.WithDSN(dbDSN)))
 	db = bun.NewDB(sqldb, pgdialect.New())
 
 	if dev {