diff --git a/setup/base/base.go b/setup/base/base.go
index 43f5e782c..0bab77ad8 100644
--- a/setup/base/base.go
+++ b/setup/base/base.go
@@ -194,17 +194,20 @@ func NewBaseDendrite(cfg *config.Dendrite, componentName string, options ...Base
 	// have a separate database config of their own.
 	var db *sql.DB
 	var writer sqlutil.Writer
-	if cfg.Global.DatabaseOptions != nil && isMonolith {
+	if cfg.Global.DatabaseOptions.ConnectionString != "" && isMonolith {
 		switch {
 		case cfg.Global.DatabaseOptions.ConnectionString.IsSQLite():
 			writer = sqlutil.NewExclusiveWriter()
 		default:
 			writer = sqlutil.NewDummyWriter()
 		}
-		db, err = sqlutil.Open(cfg.Global.DatabaseOptions, writer)
+		db, err = sqlutil.Open(&cfg.Global.DatabaseOptions, writer)
 		if err != nil {
 			logrus.WithError(err).Panic("Failed to set up global database connections")
 		}
+		logrus.Info("Using global database connection pool")
+	} else {
+		logrus.Info("Not using global database connection pool")
 	}
 
 	// Ideally we would only use SkipClean on routes which we know can allow '/' but due to
@@ -249,7 +252,7 @@ func (b *BaseDendrite) Close() error {
 // DatabaseConnection sets up a new database connection if appropriate,
 // or returns the global connection pool if not (monolith mode only).
 func (b *BaseDendrite) DatabaseConnection(dbProperties *config.DatabaseOptions, writer sqlutil.Writer) (*sql.DB, sqlutil.Writer, error) {
-	if dbProperties != nil || b == nil {
+	if dbProperties.ConnectionString != "" || b == nil {
 		db, err := sqlutil.Open(dbProperties, writer)
 		return db, writer, err
 	}
diff --git a/setup/config/config_global.go b/setup/config/config_global.go
index c827d1da4..d609e2460 100644
--- a/setup/config/config_global.go
+++ b/setup/config/config_global.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ type Global struct {
 	// connections will be used instead. This way we don't have to manage connection
 	// counts on a per-component basis, but can instead do it for the entire monolith.
 	// In a polylith deployment, this will be ignored.
-	DatabaseOptions *DatabaseOptions `yaml:"database"`
+	DatabaseOptions DatabaseOptions `yaml:"database"`
 
 	// The server name to delegate server-server communications to, with optional port
 	WellKnownServerName string `yaml:"well_known_server_name"`