diff --git a/server/knex/get_knex.ts b/server/knex/get_knex.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..893979d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/knex/get_knex.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+const environment = process.env.ENVIRONMENT || 'development'
+import config from '../knexfile';
+import Knex from 'knex';
+
+export default function get_knex() {
+    if (!Object.keys(config).includes(environment)) {
+        throw "No Knex database configuration was found for environment '" +
+        environment + "'. Please check your configuration.";
+    }
+
+    var _knex = undefined;
+    console.log("Using Knex config: ", config[environment])
+
+    try {
+        _knex = require('knex')(config[environment]);
+    } catch (e) {
+        throw [
+            "Failed to initialize Knex database connection with config: "
+            + JSON.stringify(config[environment]),
+            e
+        ];
+    }
+    return _knex;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/knex/knex.ts b/server/knex/knex.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index cd851c6..0000000
--- a/server/knex/knex.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-const environment = process.env.ENVIRONMENT || 'development'
-import config from '../knexfile';
-import Knex from 'knex';
-
-if (!Object.keys(config).includes(environment)) {
-    throw "No Knex database configuration was found for environment '" +
-    environment + "'. Please check your configuration.";
-}
-
-var _knex = undefined;
-
-try {
-    _knex = require('knex')(config[environment]);
-} catch (e) {
-    throw [
-        "Failed to initialize Knex database connection with config: "
-        + JSON.stringify(config[environment]),
-        e
-    ];
-}
-
-const knex:Knex = _knex;
-export default knex;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/knexfile.ts b/server/knexfile.ts
index e98aff1..18d26c5 100644
--- a/server/knexfile.ts
+++ b/server/knexfile.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,6 @@ export default <Record<string,any>> {
 
   // In production, we base the config on an environment
   // variable setting.
-  production: process.env.MUDBASE_DB_CONFIG
+  production: JSON.parse(process.env.MUDBASE_DB_CONFIG || "")
 
 };
diff --git a/server/server.ts b/server/server.ts
index 97e3f08..dbc4667 100644
--- a/server/server.ts
+++ b/server/server.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 const express = require('express');
 
-import knex from './knex/knex';
+import get_knex from './knex/get_knex';
 import { SetupApp } from './app';
 
 const app = express();
 
+const knex = get_knex();
 knex.migrate.latest().then(() => {
     const port = process.env.PORT || 5000;
     const apiBase = process.env.API || "";