diff --git a/packages/server/db/client.js b/packages/server/db/client.js
index 371b55221e..410392897b 100644
--- a/packages/server/db/client.js
+++ b/packages/server/db/client.js
@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
 // const nano = require("nano")
-const PouchDB = require("pouchdb");
+const PouchDB = require("pouchdb")
 
 const COUCH_DB_URL =
   process.env.COUCH_DB_URL || "http://admin:password@localhost:5984"
 
-const CouchDB = PouchDB.defaults({
-  prefix: COUCH_DB_URL 
-});
+// database can be "pouch" or "couch"
+const CouchDB = ({ database, couchDbConnectionString }) => {
+  database = database || "couch"
+  couchDbConnectionString = couchDbConnectionString || COUCH_DB_URL
+  if (database === "couch") {
+    return PouchDB.defaults({
+      prefix: couchDbConnectionString,
+    })
+  }
+  // else setup for leveldb
+}
 
-module.exports = CouchDB; 
+module.exports = CouchDB
diff --git a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/application.js b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/application.js
index 1b52eb3cf1..4f308ee08a 100644
--- a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/application.js
+++ b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/application.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ const {
 } = require("../../utilities/builder")
 
 exports.fetch = async function(ctx) {
-  const clientDb = new CouchDB(`client-${ctx.params.clientId}`);
+  const clientDb = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(`client-${ctx.params.clientId}`);
   const body = await clientDb.query("client/by_type", { 
     include_docs: true,
     key: ["app"] 
diff --git a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/auth.js b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/auth.js
index 2edad7f06c..6c122fffd2 100644
--- a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/auth.js
+++ b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/auth.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ exports.authenticate = async ctx => {
   if (!password) ctx.throw(400, "Password Required");
 
   // query couch for their username
-  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.instanceId);
+  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(ctx.params.instanceId);
   const dbUser = await db.query("database/by_username", { 
     include_docs: true,
     key: username
diff --git a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/client.js b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/client.js
index 981b541441..186d68b60d 100644
--- a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/client.js
+++ b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/client.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ exports.create = async function(ctx) {
 exports.destroy = async function(ctx) {
   const dbId = `client-${ctx.params.clientId}`;
 
-  await new CouchDB(dbId).destroy();
+  await new CouchDB(ctx.config)(dbId).destroy();
 
   ctx.body = {
     status: 200,
diff --git a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/instance.js b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/instance.js
index 557e565785..3b2e4d1871 100644
--- a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/instance.js
+++ b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/instance.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ exports.create = async function(ctx) {
   // await couchdb.db.create(instanceName);
 
   const { clientId, applicationId } = ctx.params;
-  const db = new CouchDB(instanceName);
+  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(instanceName);
   await db.put({
     _id: "_design/database",
     metadata: {
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ exports.create = async function(ctx) {
 
   // Add the new instance under the app clientDB
   const clientDatabaseId = `client-${clientId}`
-  const clientDb = new CouchDB(clientDatabaseId);
+  const clientDb = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(clientDatabaseId);
   const budibaseApp = await clientDb.get(applicationId);
   const instance = { id: instanceName, name: instanceName };
   budibaseApp.instances.push(instance);
@@ -37,13 +37,13 @@ exports.create = async function(ctx) {
 };
 
 exports.destroy = async function(ctx) {
-  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.instanceId);
+  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(ctx.params.instanceId);
   const designDoc = await db.get("_design/database");
   await db.destroy();
 
   // remove instance from client application document
   const { metadata } = designDoc;
-  const clientDb = new CouchDB(metadata.clientId);
+  const clientDb = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(metadata.clientId);
   const budibaseApp = await clientDb.get(metadata.applicationId);
   budibaseApp.instances = budibaseApp.instances.filter(instance => instance !== ctx.params.instanceId);
   await clientDb.put(budibaseApp);
diff --git a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/model.js b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/model.js
index d9c8fd36c1..d676dfa76a 100644
--- a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/model.js
+++ b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/model.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ exports.fetch = async function(ctx) {
 }
 
 exports.create = async function(ctx) {
-  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.instanceId);
+  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(ctx.params.instanceId);
   const newModel = await db.post({ 
     type: "model",
     ...ctx.request.body
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ exports.update = async function(ctx) {
 }
 
 exports.destroy = async function(ctx) {
-  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.instanceId)
+  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(ctx.params.instanceId)
 
   const model = await db.remove(ctx.params.modelId, ctx.params.revId);
   const modelViewId = `all_${model.id}`
diff --git a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/record.js b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/record.js
index 5669227f0f..5f02ac6bf3 100644
--- a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/record.js
+++ b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/record.js
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ exports.save = async function(ctx) {
 }
 
 exports.fetch = async function(ctx) {
-  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.instanceId)
+  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(ctx.params.instanceId)
   const response = await db.query(
     `database/${ctx.params.viewName}`,
     {
@@ -55,12 +55,12 @@ exports.fetch = async function(ctx) {
 }
 
 exports.find = async function(ctx) {
-  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.instanceId)
+  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(ctx.params.instanceId)
   ctx.body = await db.get(ctx.params.recordId)
 }
 
 exports.destroy = async function(ctx) {
   const databaseId = ctx.params.instanceId;
-  const db = new CouchDB(databaseId)
+  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(databaseId)
   ctx.body = await db.destroy(ctx.params.recordId, ctx.params.revId);
 };
diff --git a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/user.js b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/user.js
index 6164197dc2..b8f6be4c15 100644
--- a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/user.js
+++ b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/user.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ const CouchDB = require("../../db");
 const bcrypt = require("../../utilities/bcrypt");
 
 exports.fetch = async function(ctx) {
-  const database = new CouchDB(ctx.params.instanceId);
+  const database = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(ctx.params.instanceId);
   const data = await database.query("database/by_type", { 
     include_docs: true,
     key: ["user"] 
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ exports.fetch = async function(ctx) {
 };
 
 exports.create = async function(ctx) {
-  const database = new CouchDB(ctx.params.instanceId);
+  const database = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(ctx.params.instanceId);
   const { username, password, name } = ctx.request.body;
 
   if (!username || !password) ctx.throw(400, "Username and Password Required.");
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ exports.create = async function(ctx) {
 };
 
 exports.destroy = async function(ctx) {
-  const database = new CouchDB(ctx.params.instanceId);
+  const database = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(ctx.params.instanceId);
   const response = await database.destroy(ctx.params.userId)
   ctx.body = {
     ...response,
diff --git a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/view.js b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/view.js
index 69acb758c5..daef504d7e 100644
--- a/packages/server/middleware/controllers/view.js
+++ b/packages/server/middleware/controllers/view.js
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@ const CouchDB = require("../../db");
 
 const controller = {
   fetch: async ctx => {
-    const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.instanceId);
+    const db = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(ctx.params.instanceId);
     const designDoc = await db.get("_design/database");
     ctx.body = designDoc.views;
   },
   create: async ctx => {
-    const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.instanceId);
+    const db = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(ctx.params.instanceId);
     const { name, ...viewDefinition } = ctx.request.body;
 
     const designDoc = await db.get("_design/database");
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ const controller = {
     }
   },
   destroy: async ctx => {
-    const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.instanceId);
+    const db = new CouchDB(ctx.config)(ctx.params.instanceId);
     ctx.body = await db.destroy(ctx.params.userId)
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/server/middleware/routes/neo/tests/couchTestUtils.js b/packages/server/middleware/routes/neo/tests/couchTestUtils.js
index cf2f5803b1..4892f11678 100644
--- a/packages/server/middleware/routes/neo/tests/couchTestUtils.js
+++ b/packages/server/middleware/routes/neo/tests/couchTestUtils.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-const couchdb = require("../../../../db");
-
+const couchdb = require("../../../../db")({ database: "couch" })
+const createClientDb = require("../../../../db/createClientDb")
 const CLIENT_DB_ID = "client-testing";
 const TEST_APP_ID = "test-app";
 
@@ -36,29 +36,8 @@ exports.createModel = async (instanceId, model) => {
   };
 } 
 
-exports.createClientDatabase = async () => {
-  await couchdb.db.create(CLIENT_DB_ID);
-
-  const db = couchdb.db.use(CLIENT_DB_ID);
-
-  await db.insert({
-    views: { 
-      by_type: { 
-        map: function(doc) { 
-          emit([doc.type], doc._id); 
-        } 
-      } 
-    }
-  }, '_design/client');
-
-  await db.insert({
-    _id: TEST_APP_ID,
-    type: "app",
-    instances: []
-  });
-
-  return CLIENT_DB_ID;
-}
+exports.createClientDatabase = async () =>
+  await createClientDb(CLIENT_DB_ID)
 
 exports.destroyClientDatabase = async () => await couchdb.db.destroy(CLIENT_DB_ID);