diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 5d04334..9708608 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -49,12 +49,14 @@
         ${lib.getExe pkgs.python3} -m http.server -d "${self.packages.${system}.coverage}/html"
       '') "Serve code coverage report at http://localhost:8000";
 
-      vm = mkVm "vm" "Start a NixOS VM with muscl installed";
+      vm = mkVm "vm" "Start a NixOS VM with muscl and mariadb installed";
+      vm-mysql = mkVm "vm-mysql" "Start a NixOS VM with muscl and mysql installed";
       vm-suid = mkVm "vm-suid" "Start a NixOS VM with muscl as SUID/SGID installed";
     });
 
     nixosConfigurations = {
-      vm = import ./nix/nixos-configurations/vm.nix { inherit self nixpkgs; };
+      vm = import ./nix/nixos-configurations/vm.nix { inherit self nixpkgs; useMariadb = true; };
+      vm-mysql = import ./nix/nixos-configurations/vm.nix { inherit self nixpkgs; useMariadb = false; };
       vm-suid = import ./nix/nixos-configurations/vm-suid.nix { inherit self nixpkgs; };
     };
 
diff --git a/nix/nixos-configurations/vm.nix b/nix/nixos-configurations/vm.nix
index 11c8b2a..0c8b943 100644
--- a/nix/nixos-configurations/vm.nix
+++ b/nix/nixos-configurations/vm.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ self, nixpkgs, ... }:
+{ self, nixpkgs, useMariadb ? true, ... }:
 nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
   system = "x86_64-linux";
   pkgs = import nixpkgs {
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
 
       services.mysql = {
         enable = true;
-        package = pkgs.mariadb;
+        package = if useMariadb then pkgs.mariadb else pkgs.mysql84;
+        dataDir = if useMariadb then "/var/lib/mariadb" else "/var/lib/mysql";
       };
       services.muscl = {
         enable = true;