diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 63c9ee1c..5edda276 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -78,18 +78,6 @@ jobs:
       FORCE_COLOR: "1"
       PRE_COMMIT_COLOR: "always"
 
-    # services:
-    #   mysql:
-    #     if: matrix.database == 'mysql'
-    #     image: mariadb:10.3
-    #     env:
-    #       MYSQL_DATABASE: spiff_workflow_webapp_testing
-    #       MYSQL_ALLOW_EMPTY_PASSWORD: yes
-    #       MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD:
-    #     ports:
-    #       - 3306:3306
-    #     options: --health-cmd="mysqladmin ping" --health-interval=10s --health-timeout=5s --health-retries=3
-
     steps:
       - name: Check out the repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v3.0.2
@@ -147,24 +135,16 @@ jobs:
           key: ${{ steps.pre-commit-cache.outputs.result }}-${{ hashFiles('.pre-commit-config.yaml') }}
           restore-keys: |
             ${{ steps.pre-commit-cache.outputs.result }}-
-      
+
       - name: Setup Mysql
         uses: mirromutth/mysql-action@v1.1
         with:
           host port: 3306
           container port: 3306
-          mysql version: '8.0'
-          mysql database: 'spiff_workflow_webapp_testing'
-          mysql root password: 'password'
+          mysql version: "8.0"
+          mysql database: "spiff_workflow_webapp_testing"
+          mysql root password: "password"
         if: matrix.database == 'mysql'
-        # image: mariadb:10.3
-        # env:
-        #   MYSQL_DATABASE: spiff_workflow_webapp_testing
-        #   MYSQL_ALLOW_EMPTY_PASSWORD: yes
-        #   MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD:
-        # ports:
-        #   - 3306:3306
-        # options: --health-cmd="mysqladmin ping" --health-interval=10s --health-timeout=5s --health-retries=3
 
       - name: Run Nox
         run: |
diff --git a/bin/recreate_db b/bin/recreate_db
index e2cb344d..b638f733 100755
--- a/bin/recreate_db
+++ b/bin/recreate_db
@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ set -o errtrace -o errexit -o nounset -o pipefail
 
 tasks=""
 if [[ "${1:-}" == "clean" ]]; then
-  tasks="$tasks init"
-
-  rm -rf migrations/
+  if [[ "${2:-}" == "rmall" ]]; then
+    tasks="$tasks init migrate"
+    rm -rf migrations/
+  fi
 
   rm -f ./src/spiff_workflow_webapp/db*.sqlite3
   mysql -uroot -e "DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS spiff_workflow_webapp_development"
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ if [[ "${1:-}" == "clean" ]]; then
   mysql -uroot -e "DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS spiff_workflow_webapp_testing"
   mysql -uroot -e "CREATE DATABASE spiff_workflow_webapp_testing"
 fi
-tasks="$tasks migrate upgrade"
+tasks="$tasks upgrade"
 
 for task in $tasks ; do
   FLASK_ENV=development FLASK_APP=src/spiff_workflow_webapp poetry run flask db "$task"
diff --git a/noxfile.py b/noxfile.py
index 38710e05..1dfb35e8 100644
--- a/noxfile.py
+++ b/noxfile.py
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@ nox.options.sessions = (
 )
 
 
+def setup_database(session: Session):
+    """Run database migrations against the database."""
+    session.env["FLASK_INSTANCE_PATH"] = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), "instance")
+    session.env["FLASK_APP"] = "src/spiff_workflow_webapp"
+    session.env["FLASK_ENV"] = "testing"
+    session.run("flask", "db", "upgrade")
+
+
 def activate_virtualenv_in_precommit_hooks(session: Session) -> None:
     """Activate virtualenv in hooks installed by pre-commit.
 
@@ -132,9 +140,7 @@ def tests(session: Session) -> None:
     session.install(".")
     session.install("coverage[toml]", "pytest", "pygments")
     try:
-        session.env["FLASK_APP"] = "src/spiff_workflow_webapp"
-        session.env["FLASK_ENV"] = "testing"
-        session.run("flask", "db", "upgrade")
+        setup_database(session)
         session.run("coverage", "run", "--parallel", "-m", "pytest", *session.posargs)
     finally:
         if session.interactive:
@@ -159,9 +165,7 @@ def typeguard(session: Session) -> None:
     """Runtime type checking using Typeguard."""
     session.install(".")
     session.install("pytest", "typeguard", "pygments")
-    session.env["FLASK_APP"] = "src/spiff_workflow_webapp"
-    session.env["FLASK_ENV"] = "testing"
-    session.run("flask", "db", "upgrade")
+    setup_database(session)
     session.env["RUN_TYPEGUARD"] = "true"
     session.run("pytest", *session.posargs)
 
diff --git a/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/__init__.py b/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/__init__.py
index cace5243..46b3e2b2 100644
--- a/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/__init__.py
+++ b/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 """__init__."""
+import os
+
 import flask.app
 from flask import Flask
 from flask_bpmn.api.api_error import api_error_blueprint
@@ -12,7 +14,12 @@ from spiff_workflow_webapp.routes.user_blueprint import user_blueprint
 
 def create_app() -> flask.app.Flask:
     """Create_app."""
-    app = Flask(__name__)
+    # We need to create the sqlite database in a known location.
+    # If we rely on the app.instance_path without setting an environment
+    # variable, it will be one thing when we run flask db upgrade in the
+    # noxfile and another thing when the tests actually run.
+    # instance_path is described more at https://flask.palletsprojects.com/en/2.1.x/config/
+    app = Flask(__name__, instance_path=os.environ.get("FLASK_INSTANCE_PATH"))
 
     setup_config(app)
     db.init_app(app)
diff --git a/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/__init__.py b/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/__init__.py
index 8af99b5c..f51e613b 100644
--- a/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/__init__.py
+++ b/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/__init__.py
@@ -1,13 +1,30 @@
 """__init__.py."""
+import os
+
 from flask.app import Flask
 from werkzeug.utils import ImportStringError
 
 
 def setup_config(app: Flask) -> None:
     """Setup_config."""
+    # ensure the instance folder exists
+    try:
+        os.makedirs(app.instance_path)
+    except OSError:
+        pass
+
     app.config["SQLALCHEMY_TRACK_MODIFICATIONS"] = False
     app.config.from_object("spiff_workflow_webapp.config.default")
 
+    if os.environ.get("TEST_DATABASE_TYPE") == "sqlite":
+        app.config[
+            "SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI"
+        ] = f"sqlite:///{app.instance_path}/db_{app.env}.sqlite3"
+    else:
+        app.config[
+            "SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI"
+        ] = f"mysql+mysqlconnector://root:password@localhost/spiff_workflow_webapp_{app.env}"
+
     try:
         app.config.from_object("spiff_workflow_webapp.config." + app.env)
     except ImportStringError as exception:
diff --git a/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/default.py b/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/default.py
index 0430dead..b938ca7c 100644
--- a/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/default.py
+++ b/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/default.py
@@ -1,4 +1 @@
 """Default."""
-SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI = (
-    "mysql+mysqlconnector://root:@localhost/spiff_workflow_webapp_development"
-)
diff --git a/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/development.py b/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/development.py
index 5da131a0..5ddd1a28 100644
--- a/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/development.py
+++ b/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/development.py
@@ -1,4 +1 @@
 """Development."""
-SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI = (
-    "mysql+mysqlconnector://root:@localhost/spiff_workflow_webapp_development"
-)
diff --git a/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/testing.py b/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/testing.py
index 5e3dcb7c..4a877331 100644
--- a/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/testing.py
+++ b/src/spiff_workflow_webapp/config/testing.py
@@ -1,12 +1,3 @@
 """Testing.py."""
-import os
-
-# just for the matrix builds in CI
-if os.environ.get("TEST_DATABASE_TYPE") == "sqlite":
-    SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI = "sqlite:///db_testing.sqlite3"
-else:
-    SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI = (
-        "mysql+mysqlconnector://root:password@localhost/spiff_workflow_webapp_testing"
-    )
 
 TESTING = True