diff --git a/bitnami/express/Dockerfile b/bitnami/express/Dockerfile
index 6197a059008a..72890e81e05d 100644
--- a/bitnami/express/Dockerfile
+++ b/bitnami/express/Dockerfile
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ COPY rootfs/ /
 
 # The extra files that we bundle should use the Bitnami User
 # so the entrypoint does not have any permission issues
-RUN chown -R bitnami: /app /app_template
+RUN chown -R bitnami: /app /dist
 
 USER bitnami
 
diff --git a/bitnami/express/docker-compose-mariadb.yml b/bitnami/express/docker-compose-mariadb.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3c39386a9969
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bitnami/express/docker-compose-mariadb.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+version: '2'
+
+services:
+  mariadb:
+    image: bitnami/mariadb:latest
+    environment:
+      - MARIADB_DATABASE=my_app_development
+
+  myapp:
+    tty: true # Enables debugging capabilities when attached to this container.
+    image: bitnami/express:latest
+    environment:
+      - PORT=3000
+      - DATABASE_URL=mysql://root@mariadb/my_app_development
+    depends_on:
+      - mariadb
+    ports:
+      - 3000:3000
+    volumes:
+      - .:/app
diff --git a/bitnami/express/docker-compose.yml b/bitnami/express/docker-compose.yml
index ad1e8a2c69dd..a742d1ae5d7e 100644
--- a/bitnami/express/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/bitnami/express/docker-compose.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ services:
     tty: true # Enables debugging capabilities when attached to this container.
     image: bitnami/express:latest
     environment:
+      - PORT=3000
       - DATABASE_URL=mongodb://mongodb:27017/my_app_development
     depends_on:
       - mongodb
diff --git a/bitnami/express/rootfs/app-entrypoint.sh b/bitnami/express/rootfs/app-entrypoint.sh
index fba3e5aeaf22..5c9da4a3beaa 100755
--- a/bitnami/express/rootfs/app-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/bitnami/express/rootfs/app-entrypoint.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ fresh_container() {
 }
 
 app_present() {
-  [ -f /app/app.js ]
+  [ -f package.json ]
 }
 
 dependencies_up_to_date() {
@@ -19,31 +19,47 @@ dependencies_up_to_date() {
 }
 
 database_tier_exists() {
-  [ ! -z "$(getent hosts mongodb)" ]
+  [ -n "$(getent hosts mongodb mariadb)" ]
+}
+
+__wait_for_db() {
+  local host=$1
+  local port=$2
+  local ip_address=$(getent hosts $1 | awk '{ print $1 }')
+
+  log "Connecting to at $host server at $ip_address"
+
+  counter=0
+  until nc -z $ip_address $port; do
+    counter=$((counter+1))
+    if [ $counter == 10 ]; then
+      log "Error: Couldn't connect to $host server."
+      return 1
+    fi
+    log "Trying to connect to $host server at $ip_address. Attempt $counter."
+    sleep 5
+  done
+  log "Connected to $host server"
 }
 
 wait_for_db() {
-  mongodb_address=$(getent hosts mongodb | awk '{ print $1 }')
-  counter=0
+  if getent hosts mongodb >/dev/null; then
+    __wait_for_db mongodb 27017
+  fi
 
-  log "Connecting to MongoDB at $mongodb_address"
-
-  until nc -z $mongodb_address 27017; do
-    counter=$((counter+1))
-    if [ $counter == 10 ]; then
-      log "Error: Couldn't connect to MongoDB."
-      exit 1
-    fi
-    log "Trying to connect to MongoDB at $mongodb_address. Attempt $counter."
-    sleep 5
-  done
-  log "Connected to MongoDB database"
+  if getent hosts mariadb >/dev/null; then
+    __wait_for_db mariadb 3306
+  fi
 }
 
-setup_db() {
-  npm install mongodb@2.1.18 --save
-  log "Adding MongoDB example files under /config/mongodb.js"
-  cp -rn /app_template/config .
+add_database_support() {
+  if getent hosts mongodb >/dev/null && ! npm ls mongodb >/dev/null; then
+    npm install --save mongodb
+  fi
+
+  if getent hosts mariadb >/dev/null && ! npm ls mysql >/dev/null; then
+    npm install --save mysql
+  fi
 }
 
 log () {
@@ -51,9 +67,20 @@ log () {
 }
 
 if [ "$1" == npm -a "$2" == "start" ]; then
+  if database_tier_exists; then
+    wait_for_db
+  fi
+
   if ! app_present; then
     log "Creating express application"
     express . -f
+
+    if database_tier_exists; then
+      add_database_support
+    fi
+
+    log "Adding dist samples"
+    cp -r /dist/samples .
   fi
 
   if ! dependencies_up_to_date; then
@@ -62,10 +89,6 @@ if [ "$1" == npm -a "$2" == "start" ]; then
     log "Dependencies updated"
   fi
 
-  if database_tier_exists; then
-    wait_for_db
-  fi
-
   if ! fresh_container; then
     echo "#########################################################################"
     echo "                                                                       "
@@ -76,9 +99,7 @@ if [ "$1" == npm -a "$2" == "start" ]; then
     echo "                                                                       "
     echo "#########################################################################"
   else
-    if database_tier_exists; then
-      setup_db
-    fi
+    # Perform any app initialization tasks here.
     log "Initialization finished"
   fi
 
diff --git a/bitnami/express/rootfs/dist/samples/mariadb.js b/bitnami/express/rootfs/dist/samples/mariadb.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1e3449d88ffc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bitnami/express/rootfs/dist/samples/mariadb.js
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/*
+ Note: Generated by Bitnami:
+ Configuration file that shows how to use the built in MySQL database in your project.
+ Based on the examples found here: https://github.com/mysqljs/mysql
+*/
+
+var mysql = require('mysql')
+  , assert = require('assert');;
+
+// Connection URL configured in your docker-compose.yml file
+var url = process.env.DATABASE_URL;
+
+var connection = mysql.createConnection(url);
+connection.connect(function(err) {
+  assert.equal(null, err);
+  console.log("Connected correctly to MySQL server");
+  connection.end();
+});
diff --git a/bitnami/express/rootfs/app_template/config/mongodb.js b/bitnami/express/rootfs/dist/samples/mongodb.js
similarity index 94%
rename from bitnami/express/rootfs/app_template/config/mongodb.js
rename to bitnami/express/rootfs/dist/samples/mongodb.js
index f41dd80dcb06..ad668e76ec86 100644
--- a/bitnami/express/rootfs/app_template/config/mongodb.js
+++ b/bitnami/express/rootfs/dist/samples/mongodb.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ var MongoClient = require('mongodb').MongoClient
   , assert = require('assert');
 
 // Connection URL configured in your docker-compose.yml file
-var url = process.env.DATABASE_URL
+var url = process.env.DATABASE_URL;
 
 MongoClient.connect(url, function(err, db) {
   assert.equal(null, err);