diff --git a/.woodpecker/test.yml b/.woodpecker/test.yml
index 904f486851..7cfd65a6d1 100644
--- a/.woodpecker/test.yml
+++ b/.woodpecker/test.yml
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ services:
     when: *when
 
   service-mysql:
-    image: mysql:5.6.27
+    image: mysql:8.1.0
     ports: ["3306"]
     environment:
       - MYSQL_DATABASE=test
diff --git a/docs/docs/20-usage/30-matrix-workflows.md b/docs/docs/20-usage/30-matrix-workflows.md
index 0e0e07e5d0..29956eeb7c 100644
--- a/docs/docs/20-usage/30-matrix-workflows.md
+++ b/docs/docs/20-usage/30-matrix-workflows.md
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ matrix:
     - 1.4
     - 1.3
   DATABASE:
-    - mysql:5.5
-    - mysql:6.5
+    - mysql:8
+    - mysql:5
     - mariadb:10.1
 
 steps:
@@ -68,12 +68,12 @@ steps:
       - go test
 +   environment:
 +     - GO_VERSION=1.4
-+     - DATABASE=mysql:5.5
++     - DATABASE=mysql:8
 
 services:
   database:
 -   image: ${DATABASE}
-+   image: mysql:5.5
++   image: mysql:8
 ```
 
 ## Examples
diff --git a/docs/docs/30-administration/30-database.md b/docs/docs/30-administration/30-database.md
index 94dc84fbcd..775e5a1b0b 100644
--- a/docs/docs/30-administration/30-database.md
+++ b/docs/docs/30-administration/30-database.md
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ services:
 ## Configure MySQL/MariaDB
 
 The below example demonstrates MySQL database configuration. See the official driver [documentation](https://github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql#dsn-data-source-name) for configuration options and examples.
+The minimum version of MySQL/MariaDB required is determined by the `go-sql-driver/mysql` - see [it's README](https://github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql#requirements) for more information.
 
 ```diff
 # docker-compose.yml