diff --git a/server/config/config.go b/server/config/config.go
index 76ba17a1af..320d5c8199 100644
--- a/server/config/config.go
+++ b/server/config/config.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const (
 
 // MysqlConfig defines configs related to MySQL
 type MysqlConfig struct {
+	Protocol      string
 	Address       string
 	Username      string
 	Password      string
@@ -135,6 +136,8 @@ type KolideConfig struct {
 // filled into the KolideConfig struct
 func (man Manager) addConfigs() {
 	// MySQL
+	man.addConfigString("mysql.protocol", "tcp",
+		"MySQL server communication protocol (tcp,unix,...)")
 	man.addConfigString("mysql.address", "localhost:3306",
 		"MySQL server address (host:port)")
 	man.addConfigString("mysql.username", "kolide",
@@ -253,6 +256,7 @@ func (man Manager) LoadConfig() KolideConfig {
 
 	return KolideConfig{
 		Mysql: MysqlConfig{
+			Protocol:      man.getConfigString("mysql.protocol"),
 			Address:       man.getConfigString("mysql.address"),
 			Username:      man.getConfigString("mysql.username"),
 			Password:      man.getConfigString("mysql.password"),
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/mysql.go b/server/datastore/mysql/mysql.go
index f405556c47..d2a0f64adf 100644
--- a/server/datastore/mysql/mysql.go
+++ b/server/datastore/mysql/mysql.go
@@ -274,9 +274,10 @@ func registerTLS(config config.MysqlConfig) error {
 func generateMysqlConnectionString(conf config.MysqlConfig) string {
 	tz := url.QueryEscape("'-00:00'")
 	dsn := fmt.Sprintf(
-		"%s:%s@(%s)/%s?charset=utf8mb4&parseTime=true&loc=UTC&time_zone=%s&clientFoundRows=true&allowNativePasswords=true",
+		"%s:%s@%s(%s)/%s?charset=utf8mb4&parseTime=true&loc=UTC&time_zone=%s&clientFoundRows=true&allowNativePasswords=true",
 		conf.Username,
 		conf.Password,
+		conf.Protocol,
 		conf.Address,
 		conf.Database,
 		tz,