diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 33c2b5cc..917a0d98 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ There's a multitude of settings you can use to control the plugin server. Use th
 | KAFKA_PRODUCER_MAX_QUEUE_SIZE | Kafka producer batch max size before flushing                     | `20`                                  |
 | KAFKA_FLUSH_FREQUENCY_MS      | Kafka producer batch max duration before flushing                 | `500`                                 |
 | KAFKA_MAX_MESSAGE_BATCH_SIZE  | Kafka producer batch max size in bytes before flushing            | `900000`                              |
-| LOG_LEVEL                     | minimum log level                                                 | `LogLevel.Info`                       |
+| LOG_LEVEL                     | minimum log level                                                 | `'info'`                              |
 | SENTRY_DSN                    | Sentry ingestion URL                                              | `null`                                |
 | STATSD_HOST                   | StatsD host - integration disabled if this is not provided        | `null`                                |
 | STATSD_PORT                   | StatsD port                                                       | `8125`                                |
diff --git a/src/config/config.ts b/src/config/config.ts
index a0ae12dd..0219953e 100644
--- a/src/config/config.ts
+++ b/src/config/config.ts
@@ -1,19 +1,24 @@
 import os from 'os'
 
 import { LogLevel, PluginsServerConfig } from '../types'
-import { stringToBoolean } from '../utils/utils'
+import { determineNodeEnv, NodeEnv, stringToBoolean } from '../utils/utils'
 import { KAFKA_EVENTS_PLUGIN_INGESTION } from './kafka-topics'
 
 export const defaultConfig = overrideWithEnv(getDefaultConfig())
 export const configHelp = getConfigHelp()
 
 export function getDefaultConfig(): PluginsServerConfig {
-    const isTestEnv = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'test'
+    const isTestEnv = determineNodeEnv() === NodeEnv.Test
+    const isDevEnv = determineNodeEnv() === NodeEnv.Development
     const coreCount = os.cpus().length
 
     return {
         CELERY_DEFAULT_QUEUE: 'celery',
-        DATABASE_URL: isTestEnv ? 'postgres://localhost:5432/test_posthog' : 'postgres://localhost:5432/posthog',
+        DATABASE_URL: isTestEnv
+            ? 'postgres://localhost:5432/test_posthog'
+            : isDevEnv
+            ? 'postgres://localhost:5432/posthog'
+            : null,
         POSTHOG_DB_NAME: null,
         POSTHOG_DB_USER: 'postgres',
         POSTHOG_DB_PASSWORD: '',
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index 708a13e5..a92024fa 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export interface PluginsServerConfig extends Record<string, any> {
     TASKS_PER_WORKER: number
     TASK_TIMEOUT: number
     CELERY_DEFAULT_QUEUE: string
-    DATABASE_URL: string
+    DATABASE_URL: string | null
     POSTHOG_DB_NAME: string | null
     POSTHOG_DB_USER: string
     POSTHOG_DB_PASSWORD: string
diff --git a/src/utils/utils.ts b/src/utils/utils.ts
index 4fe474ae..1aee2120 100644
--- a/src/utils/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils/utils.ts
@@ -416,22 +416,27 @@ export function createPostgresPool(
     configOrDatabaseUrl: PluginsServerConfig | string,
     onError?: (error: Error) => any
 ): Pool {
+    if (typeof configOrDatabaseUrl !== 'string') {
+        if (!configOrDatabaseUrl.DATABASE_URL && !configOrDatabaseUrl.POSTHOG_DB_NAME) {
+            throw new Error('Invalid configuration for Postgres: either DATABASE_URL or POSTHOG_DB_NAME required')
+        }
+    }
     const credentials: Partial<PoolConfig> =
         typeof configOrDatabaseUrl === 'string'
             ? {
                   connectionString: configOrDatabaseUrl,
               }
-            : configOrDatabaseUrl.POSTHOG_DB_NAME
+            : configOrDatabaseUrl.DATABASE_URL
             ? {
-                  database: configOrDatabaseUrl.POSTHOG_DB_NAME,
+                  connectionString: configOrDatabaseUrl.DATABASE_URL,
+              }
+            : {
+                  database: configOrDatabaseUrl.POSTHOG_DB_NAME ?? undefined,
                   user: configOrDatabaseUrl.POSTHOG_DB_USER,
                   password: configOrDatabaseUrl.POSTHOG_DB_PASSWORD,
                   host: configOrDatabaseUrl.POSTHOG_POSTGRES_HOST,
                   port: configOrDatabaseUrl.POSTHOG_POSTGRES_PORT,
               }
-            : {
-                  connectionString: configOrDatabaseUrl.DATABASE_URL,
-              }
 
     const pgPool = new Pool({
         ...credentials,
diff --git a/tests/helpers/graphile.ts b/tests/helpers/graphile.ts
index e1f220a1..6077c214 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/graphile.ts
+++ b/tests/helpers/graphile.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { Pool } from 'pg'
 import { PluginsServerConfig } from '../../src/types'
 
 export async function resetGraphileSchema(serverConfig: PluginsServerConfig): Promise<void> {
-    const graphileUrl = serverConfig.JOB_QUEUE_GRAPHILE_URL || serverConfig.DATABASE_URL
+    const graphileUrl = serverConfig.JOB_QUEUE_GRAPHILE_URL || serverConfig.DATABASE_URL!
     const db = new Pool({ connectionString: graphileUrl })
 
     try {
diff --git a/tests/helpers/sql.ts b/tests/helpers/sql.ts
index e4772d02..8a26ec7a 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/sql.ts
+++ b/tests/helpers/sql.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export async function resetTestDatabase(
     extraRows: ExtraDatabaseRows = {}
 ): Promise<void> {
     const config = { ...defaultConfig, ...extraServerConfig }
-    const db = new Pool({ connectionString: config.DATABASE_URL })
+    const db = new Pool({ connectionString: config.DATABASE_URL! })
     try {
         await db.query('DELETE FROM ee_hook')
     } catch {}
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ export function onQuery(hub: Hub, onQueryCallback: (queryText: string) => any):
 }
 
 export async function getErrorForPluginConfig(id: number): Promise<any> {
-    const db = new Pool({ connectionString: defaultConfig.DATABASE_URL })
+    const db = new Pool({ connectionString: defaultConfig.DATABASE_URL! })
     let error
     try {
         const response = await db.query('SELECT * FROM posthog_pluginconfig WHERE id = $1', [id])