diff --git a/manifests/config.pp b/manifests/config.pp
index b499d92..d390dfb 100644
--- a/manifests/config.pp
+++ b/manifests/config.pp
@@ -1,6 +1,20 @@
 # Configures pulp3
 # @api private
 class pulpcore::config {
+  if $pulpcore::redis_url {
+    $redis_url = $pulpcore::redis_url
+  } else {
+    contain redis
+    if $redis::unixsocket != '' {
+      $redis_url = "redis+unix://${redis::unixsocket}?db=${pulpcore::redis_db}"
+    } elsif $redis::port != 0 {
+      # TODO: this assumes $redis::bind at least has localhost in it
+      $redis_url = "redis://localhost:${redis::port}/${pulpcore::redis_db}"
+    } else {
+      fail('Unable to determine Redis URL')
+    }
+  }
+
   file { [$pulpcore::config_dir, $pulpcore::certs_dir]:
     ensure => directory,
     owner  => 'root',
diff --git a/manifests/database.pp b/manifests/database.pp
index 6b82422..bd7d2b9 100644
--- a/manifests/database.pp
+++ b/manifests/database.pp
@@ -39,6 +39,4 @@
     refreshonly => false,
     require     => Pulpcore::Admin['migrate --noinput'],
   }
-
-  contain redis
 }
diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index 25af656..74d06bc 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -109,8 +109,11 @@
 # @param django_secret_key
 #   SECRET_KEY for Django
 #
+# @param redis_url
+#   Redis URL use. If not specified, a local server will be installed
+#
 # @param redis_db
-#   Redis DB number to use. By default, Redis supports a DB number of 0 through 15.
+#   The default DB to use when redis_url is not specified. By default, Redis supports a DB number of 0 through 15.
 #
 # @param servername
 #   Server name of the VirtualHost in the webserver
@@ -232,6 +235,7 @@
   Optional[Stdlib::Absolutepath] $postgresql_db_ssl_key = undef,
   Optional[Stdlib::Absolutepath] $postgresql_db_ssl_root_ca = undef,
   String $django_secret_key = extlib::cache_data('pulpcore_cache_data', 'secret_key', extlib::random_password(50)),
+  Optional[Redis::RedisUrl] $redis_url = undef,
   Integer[0] $redis_db = 8,
   Stdlib::Fqdn $servername = $facts['networking']['fqdn'],
   Array[Stdlib::Fqdn] $serveraliases = [],
diff --git a/spec/classes/pulpcore_spec.rb b/spec/classes/pulpcore_spec.rb
index ef58af1..6d2882b 100644
--- a/spec/classes/pulpcore_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/pulpcore_spec.rb
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
             .with_content(%r{ALLOWED_EXPORT_PATHS = \[\]})
             .with_content(%r{ALLOWED_IMPORT_PATHS = \["/var/lib/pulp/sync_imports"\]})
             .with_content(%r{ALLOWED_CONTENT_CHECKSUMS = \["sha224", "sha256", "sha384", "sha512"\]})
-            .with_content(%r{REDIS_URL = "redis://localhost:6379/8"})
+            .with_content(%r{REDIS_URL = "redis\+unix:///var/run/redis/redis\.sock\?db=8"})
             .with_content(%r{CACHE_ENABLED = False})
             .with_content(%r{# ANALYTICS = False})
             .without_content(%r{sslmode})
@@ -659,6 +659,18 @@
           end
         end
       end
+
+      context 'with external redis' do
+        let(:params) do
+          {
+            redis_url: 'redis://redis.example.com:12345/7',
+          }
+        end
+
+        it { is_expected.to compile.with_all_deps }
+        it { is_expected.to contain_concat__fragment('base').with_content(include('REDIS_URL = "redis://redis.example.com:12345/7"')) }
+        it { is_expected.not_to contain_class('redis') }
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/templates/settings.py.erb b/templates/settings.py.erb
index 145dd94..86bea9e 100644
--- a/templates/settings.py.erb
+++ b/templates/settings.py.erb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ DATABASES = {
 <% end -%>
     },
 }
-REDIS_URL = "redis://localhost:<%= scope['redis::port'] %>/<%= scope['pulpcore::redis_db'] %>"
+REDIS_URL = "<%= @redis_url %>"
 
 <% if scope['pulpcore::worker_ttl'] -%>
 WORKER_TTL = <%= scope['pulpcore::worker_ttl'] %>