diff --git a/config/env/development.js b/config/env/development.js
index 2b895b8b..35c08b7e 100644
--- a/config/env/development.js
+++ b/config/env/development.js
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 'use strict';
 
 module.exports = {
-	db: 'mongodb://localhost/mean-dev',
+	db: {
+		uri: 'mongodb://localhost/mean-dev',
+		options: {
+			user: '',
+			pass: ''
+		}
+	},
 	log: {
 		// Can specify one of 'combined', 'common', 'dev', 'short', 'tiny'
 		format: 'dev',
diff --git a/config/env/production.js b/config/env/production.js
index c9f28173..a56a48f0 100644
--- a/config/env/production.js
+++ b/config/env/production.js
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 'use strict';
 
 module.exports = {
-	db: process.env.MONGOHQ_URL || process.env.MONGOLAB_URI || 'mongodb://' + (process.env.DB_1_PORT_27017_TCP_ADDR || 'localhost') + '/mean',
+	db: {
+		uri: process.env.MONGOHQ_URL || process.env.MONGOLAB_URI || 'mongodb://' + (process.env.DB_1_PORT_27017_TCP_ADDR || 'localhost') + '/mean',
+		options: {
+			user: '',
+			pass: ''
+		}
+	},
 	log: {
 		// Can specify one of 'combined', 'common', 'dev', 'short', 'tiny'
 		format: 'combined',
diff --git a/config/env/secure.js b/config/env/secure.js
index 8ce09a50..9ced6d7e 100644
--- a/config/env/secure.js
+++ b/config/env/secure.js
@@ -2,7 +2,13 @@
 
 module.exports = {
 	port: 8443,
-	db: process.env.MONGOHQ_URL || process.env.MONGOLAB_URI || 'mongodb://localhost/mean',
+	db: {
+		uri: process.env.MONGOHQ_URL || process.env.MONGOLAB_URI || 'mongodb://localhost/mean',
+		options: {
+			user: '',
+			pass: ''
+		}
+	},
 	log: {
 		// Can specify one of 'combined', 'common', 'dev', 'short', 'tiny'
 		format: 'combined',
diff --git a/config/env/test.js b/config/env/test.js
index 22c47c9f..1d42d4e7 100644
--- a/config/env/test.js
+++ b/config/env/test.js
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 'use strict';
 
 module.exports = {
-	db: 'mongodb://localhost/mean-test',
+	db: {
+		uri: 'mongodb://localhost/mean-test',
+		options: {
+			user: '',
+			pass: ''
+		}
+	},
 	port: 3001,
 	log: {
 		// Can specify one of 'combined', 'common', 'dev', 'short', 'tiny'
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index 8f541632..abb888cf 100755
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -13,12 +13,17 @@ var init = require('./config/init')(),
  */
 
 // Bootstrap db connection
-var db = mongoose.connect(config.db, function(err) {
+var db = mongoose.connect(config.db.uri, config.db.options, function(err) {
 	if (err) {
 		console.error(chalk.red('Could not connect to MongoDB!'));
 		console.log(chalk.red(err));
 	}
 });
+mongoose.connection.on('error', function(err) {
+	console.error(chalk.red('MongoDB connection error: ' + err));
+	process.exit(-1);
+	}
+);
 
 // Init the express application
 var app = require('./config/express')(db);
@@ -37,7 +42,7 @@ console.log('--');
 console.log(chalk.green(config.app.title + ' application started'));
 console.log(chalk.green('Environment:\t\t\t' + process.env.NODE_ENV));
 console.log(chalk.green('Port:\t\t\t\t' + config.port));
-console.log(chalk.green('Database:\t\t\t' + config.db));
+console.log(chalk.green('Database:\t\t\t' + config.db.uri));
 if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'secure') {
 	console.log(chalk.green('HTTPs:\t\t\t\ton'));
 }