diff --git a/packages/core/src/config/index.ts b/packages/core/src/config/index.ts
index a03dc6208..59271f213 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/config/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/config/index.ts
@@ -120,6 +120,16 @@ export default {
         lambda: validatedEnv.AWS_LAMBDA
     },
 
+    /**
+     * database pool config
+     */
+    databasePool: {
+        max: validatedEnv.DATABASE_POOL_MAX_CONNECTIONS,
+        acquire: validatedEnv.DATABASE_POOL_ACQUIRE,
+        idle: validatedEnv.DATABASE_POOL_IDLE,
+        evict: validatedEnv.DATABASE_POOL_EVICT
+    },
+
     /**
      * Cloudfront URL to be useed
      */
@@ -161,7 +171,5 @@ export default {
     daysToLimitUsers: validatedEnv.DAYS_TO_LIMIT_USERS,
     cronJobBatchSize: validatedEnv.CRON_JOB_BATCH_SIZE,
 
-    maxDatabasePoolConnections: validatedEnv.MAX_DATABASE_POOL_CONNECTIONS,
-
     communityResponseTimeout: validatedEnv.COMMUNITY_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT
 };
diff --git a/packages/core/src/config/validatenv.ts b/packages/core/src/config/validatenv.ts
index 9e1c6ddd5..47867da75 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/config/validatenv.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/config/validatenv.ts
@@ -105,7 +105,12 @@ function validateEnv() {
         INTERVAL_BETWEEN_LESSONS: num({ default: 7 }),
         DAYS_TO_LIMIT_USERS: num({ default: 30 }),
         CRON_JOB_BATCH_SIZE: num({ default: 20 }),
-        MAX_DATABASE_POOL_CONNECTIONS: num({ default: 20 }),
+        // database pool config
+        DATABASE_POOL_MAX_CONNECTIONS: num({ default: 5 }),
+        DATABASE_POOL_ACQUIRE: num({ default: 60000 }),
+        DATABASE_POOL_IDLE: num({ default: 10000 }),
+        DATABASE_POOL_EVICT: num({ default: 1000 }),
+        //
         COMMUNITY_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT: num({ default: 50000 }),
         ASSETS_ADDRESS: str({ default: '[{ "address": "xyz", "asset": "xyz" }]' })
     });
diff --git a/packages/core/src/database/index.ts b/packages/core/src/database/index.ts
index 5657541ed..c575bfb60 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/database/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/database/index.ts
@@ -17,19 +17,13 @@ if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
 const dbConfig: Options = {
     dialect: 'postgres',
     dialectOptions: {
-        connectTimeout: 60000,
         ssl: {
             require: true,
             rejectUnauthorized: false
         }
     },
     dialectModule: pg,
-    pool: {
-        max: config.maxDatabasePoolConnections,
-        min: 0,
-        acquire: 60000,
-        idle: 15000
-    },
+    pool: config.databasePool,
     protocol: 'postgres',
     native: !config.aws.lambda, // if lambda = true, then native = false
     logging,