diff --git a/swh/web/settings/common.py b/swh/web/settings/common.py
--- a/swh/web/settings/common.py
+++ b/swh/web/settings/common.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2017-2020  The Software Heritage developers
+# Copyright (C) 2017-2021  The Software Heritage developers
 # See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
 # License: GNU Affero General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@
 DATABASES = {
     "default": {
         "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
-        "NAME": swh_web_config["development_db"],
+        "NAME": swh_web_config.get("development_db", ""),
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/swh/web/settings/production.py b/swh/web/settings/production.py
--- a/swh/web/settings/production.py
+++ b/swh/web/settings/production.py
@@ -31,11 +31,32 @@
 # We're going through seven (or, in that case, 2) proxies thanks to Varnish
 REST_FRAMEWORK["NUM_PROXIES"] = 2
 
+db_conf = swh_web_config.get("db", {"name": "unset"})
+
+db = {
+    "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.postgresql",
+    "NAME": db_conf["name"],
+}
+
+db_user = db_conf.get("user")
+if db_user:
+    db["USER"] = db_user
+
+db_pass = db_conf.get("password")
+if db_pass:
+    db["PASSWORD"] = db_pass
+
+db_host = db_conf.get("host")
+if db_host:
+    db["HOST"] = db_host
+
+db_port = db_conf.get("port")
+if db_port:
+    db["PORT"] = db_port
+
+# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.10/ref/settings/#databases
 DATABASES = {
-    "default": {
-        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
-        "NAME": swh_web_config["production_db"],
-    }
+    "default": db,
 }
 
 WEBPACK_LOADER["DEFAULT"]["CACHE"] = True