diff --git a/build/docker/config/dendrite-config.yaml b/build/docker/config/dendrite-config.yaml
index 0c264d83c..d6357747b 100644
--- a/build/docker/config/dendrite-config.yaml
+++ b/build/docker/config/dendrite-config.yaml
@@ -174,6 +174,11 @@ federation_api:
     connect: http://federation_api:7772
   external_api:
     listen: http://0.0.0.0:8072
+  database:
+    connection_string: postgresql://dendrite:itsasecret@postgres/dendrite_federationapi?sslmode=disable
+    max_open_conns: 10
+    max_idle_conns: 2
+    conn_max_lifetime: -1
 
   # List of paths to X.509 certificates to be used by the external federation listeners.
   # These certificates will be used to calculate the TLS fingerprints and other servers
diff --git a/build/docker/postgres/create_db.sh b/build/docker/postgres/create_db.sh
index 880e97cc5..a7107e272 100755
--- a/build/docker/postgres/create_db.sh
+++ b/build/docker/postgres/create_db.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-for db in userapi_accounts userapi_devices mediaapi syncapi roomserver signingkeyserver keyserver federationapi appservice naffka; do
+for db in userapi_accounts userapi_devices mediaapi syncapi roomserver keyserver federationapi appservice naffka; do
     createdb -U dendrite -O dendrite dendrite_$db
 done
diff --git a/dendrite-config.yaml b/dendrite-config.yaml
index 04a98c664..1204bd546 100644
--- a/dendrite-config.yaml
+++ b/dendrite-config.yaml
@@ -191,6 +191,11 @@ federation_api:
     connect: http://localhost:7772
   external_api:
     listen: http://[::]:8072
+  database:
+    connection_string: file:federationapi.db
+    max_open_conns: 10
+    max_idle_conns: 2
+    conn_max_lifetime: -1
 
   # List of paths to X.509 certificates to be used by the external federation listeners.
   # These certificates will be used to calculate the TLS fingerprints and other servers