diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6c7d5eb4..618e7b22 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -287,15 +287,16 @@ When you start your server, there will be a new `generated` folder that Warthog
 
 Most of the config in Warthog is done via environment variables (see `Config - Environment Variables` below). However, more complex/dynamic objects should be passed via the server config.
 
-| attribute                 | description                                                                                               | default                                       |
-| ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
-| container                 | TypeDI container. Warthog uses dependency injection under the hood.                                       | empty container                               |
-| authChecker               | An instance of an [AuthChecker](https://typegraphql.ml/docs/authorization.html) to secure your resolvers. |                                               |
-| context                   | Context getter of form `(request: Request) => Promise<object>`                                            | empty                                         |
-| logger                    | Logger                                                                                                    | [debug](https://github.com/visionmedia/debug) |
-| middlewares               | [TypeGraphQL](https://typegraphql.ml/docs/middlewares.html) middlewares to add to your server             | none                                          |
-| onBeforeGraphQLMiddleware | Callback executed just before the Graphql server is started. The Express app is passed.                   | none                                          |
-| onAfterGraphQLMiddleware  | Callback executed just after the Graphql server is started. The Express app is passed.                    | none                                          |
+| attribute                 | description                                                                                                                                                                                     | default                                       |
+| ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
+| container                 | TypeDI container. Warthog uses dependency injection under the hood.                                                                                                                             | empty container                               |
+| authChecker               | An instance of an [AuthChecker](https://typegraphql.ml/docs/authorization.html) to secure your resolvers.                                                                                       |                                               |
+| connectionGetter          | Connection getter of form `(config: Config) => Connection or Promise<Connection>`, asks for getter instead of raw connection in case we build in connection retries should a connection go down | none                                          |
+| context                   | Context getter of form `(request: Request) => Promise<object>`                                                                                                                                  | empty                                         |
+| logger                    | Logger                                                                                                                                                                                          | [debug](https://github.com/visionmedia/debug) |
+| middlewares               | [TypeGraphQL](https://typegraphql.ml/docs/middlewares.html) middlewares to add to your server                                                                                                   | none                                          |
+| onBeforeGraphQLMiddleware | Callback executed just before the Graphql server is started. The Express app is passed.                                                                                                         | none                                          |
+| onAfterGraphQLMiddleware  | Callback executed just after the Graphql server is started. The Express app is passed.                                                                                                          | none                                          |
 
 ## Config - Environment Variables
 
diff --git a/src/core/server.test.ts b/src/core/server.test.ts
index c50c449a..351ccf28 100644
--- a/src/core/server.test.ts
+++ b/src/core/server.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-import { Server, ServerOptions } from './server';
+import { setTestServerEnvironmentVariables } from '../test/server-vars';
 import { getTestServer } from '../test/test-server';
+import { createDBConnection } from '../torm';
+import { Server, ServerOptions } from './server';
 
 import express = require('express');
-import { setTestServerEnvironmentVariables } from '../test/server-vars';
 
 describe('Server', () => {
   let server: Server<any>;
@@ -44,6 +45,21 @@ describe('Server', () => {
     expect(appListenSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(hasGraphQlRoute(server.expressApp._router)).toBeTruthy();
   });
+
+  test('start a server with a custom DB connection', async () => {
+    const testConnectionName = 'custom-test-connection';
+    const connection = await createDBConnection({ name: testConnectionName });
+
+    const connectionGetter = () => {
+      return Promise.resolve(connection);
+    };
+
+    server = buildServer({ connectionGetter });
+    await server.start();
+
+    expect(server.getConnection().name).toEqual(testConnectionName);
+    expect(server.getConnection()).toEqual(connection);
+  });
 });
 
 function buildServer(options: ServerOptions<any>): Server<any> {
diff --git a/src/core/server.ts b/src/core/server.ts
index 3e91fd88..f66211cb 100644
--- a/src/core/server.ts
+++ b/src/core/server.ts
@@ -1,31 +1,28 @@
 // TODO-MVP: Add custom scalars such as graphql-iso-date
 // import { GraphQLDate, GraphQLDateTime, GraphQLTime } from 'graphql-iso-date';
 
-import { ApolloServer, OptionsJson, ApolloServerExpressConfig } from 'apollo-server-express';
-import { PubSubEngine, PubSubOptions } from 'graphql-subscriptions';
+import { ApolloServer, ApolloServerExpressConfig, OptionsJson } from 'apollo-server-express';
+import * as Debug from 'debug';
 import { Request } from 'express';
-import express = require('express');
 import { GraphQLID, GraphQLSchema } from 'graphql';
 import { Binding } from 'graphql-binding';
 import { DateResolver } from 'graphql-scalars';
+import { PubSubEngine, PubSubOptions } from 'graphql-subscriptions';
 import { Server as HttpServer } from 'http';
 import { Server as HttpsServer } from 'https';
-const open = require('open'); // eslint-disable-line @typescript-eslint/no-var-requires
 import { AuthChecker, buildSchema } from 'type-graphql'; // formatArgumentValidationError
 import { Container } from 'typedi';
 import { Connection, ConnectionOptions, useContainer as TypeORMUseContainer } from 'typeorm';
-
 import { logger, Logger } from '../core/logger';
 import { getRemoteBinding } from '../gql';
 import { DataLoaderMiddleware, healthCheckMiddleware } from '../middleware';
 import { createDBConnection } from '../torm';
-
 import { CodeGenerator } from './code-generator';
 import { Config } from './config';
-
 import { BaseContext } from './Context';
 
-import * as Debug from 'debug';
+import express = require('express');
+const open = require('open'); // eslint-disable-line @typescript-eslint/no-var-requires
 
 const debug = Debug('warthog:server');
 
@@ -34,6 +31,7 @@ export interface ServerOptions<T> {
   apolloConfig?: ApolloServerExpressConfig;
   authChecker?: AuthChecker<T>;
   autoGenerateFiles?: boolean;
+  connectionGetter?: (config: Config) => Connection | Promise<Connection>;
   context?: (request: Request) => object;
   expressApp?: express.Application;
   host?: string;
@@ -124,10 +122,14 @@ export class Server<C extends BaseContext> {
   }
 
   async establishDBConnection(): Promise<Connection> {
-    if (!this.connection) {
-      debug('establishDBConnection:start');
+    if (this.connection) {
+      return this.connection;
+    }
+
+    if (this.appOptions.connectionGetter) {
+      this.connection = await this.appOptions.connectionGetter(this.config);
+    } else {
       this.connection = await createDBConnection(this.dbOptions);
-      debug('establishDBConnection:end');
     }
 
     return this.connection;
@@ -143,6 +145,10 @@ export class Server<C extends BaseContext> {
     return `${this.getServerUrl()}/graphql`;
   }
 
+  getConnection(): Connection {
+    return this.connection;
+  }
+
   async getBinding(options: { origin?: string; token?: string } = {}): Promise<Binding> {
     let binding;
     try {