diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 186d902..208c672 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 - [Bugfix] Fix installing a locally cloned requirement repository
 - [Improvement] Add `--no-cache` option to `images build`
 - [Improvement] Make it possible to configure the notes service hostname
+- [Improvement] Better, more robust MySQL initialization
 
 ## 3.3.10 (2019-05-15)
 
diff --git a/tutor/local.py b/tutor/local.py
index 35e95a3..a2fe485 100644
--- a/tutor/local.py
+++ b/tutor/local.py
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-import os
-import subprocess
 from textwrap import indent
-from time import sleep
 
 import click
 
@@ -148,42 +145,9 @@ def execute(root, service, command, args):
 @click.command(help="Create databases and run database migrations")
 @opts.root
 def databases(root):
-    init_mysql(root)
     scripts.migrate(root, run_sh)
 
 
-def init_mysql(root):
-    config = tutor_config.load(root)
-    if not config["ACTIVATE_MYSQL"]:
-        return
-    mysql_data_path = tutor_env.data_path(root, "mysql", "mysql")
-    if os.path.exists(mysql_data_path):
-        return
-    click.echo(fmt.info("Initializing MySQL database..."))
-    docker_compose(root, config, "up", "-d", "mysql")
-    while True:
-        click.echo(fmt.info("    waiting for mysql initialization"))
-        # TODO this is duplicate code with the docker_compose function. We
-        # should rely on a dedicated function in utils module.
-        mysql_logs = subprocess.check_output(
-            [
-                "docker-compose",
-                "-f",
-                tutor_env.pathjoin(root, "local", "docker-compose.yml"),
-                "--project-name",
-                config["LOCAL_PROJECT_NAME"],
-                "logs",
-                "mysql",
-            ]
-        )
-        # pylint: disable=unsupported-membership-test
-        if b"MySQL init process done. Ready for start up." in mysql_logs:
-            click.echo(fmt.info("MySQL database initialized"))
-            docker_compose(root, config, "stop", "mysql")
-            return
-        sleep(4)
-
-
 @click.group(help="Manage https certificates")
 def https():
     pass
diff --git a/tutor/scripts.py b/tutor/scripts.py
index 30c1d38..ae62469 100644
--- a/tutor/scripts.py
+++ b/tutor/scripts.py
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@ def migrate(root, run_func):
     config = tutor_config.load(root)
 
     click.echo(fmt.info("Creating all databases..."))
-    # Note: run this only when lms is activated?
-    run_template(root, config, "lms", "create_databases.sh", run_func)
+    run_template(root, config, "mysql-client", "create_databases.sh", run_func)
 
     if config["ACTIVATE_LMS"]:
         click.echo(fmt.info("Running lms migrations..."))
diff --git a/tutor/templates/build/openedx/Dockerfile b/tutor/templates/build/openedx/Dockerfile
index 0dd73fb..dc751bb 100644
--- a/tutor/templates/build/openedx/Dockerfile
+++ b/tutor/templates/build/openedx/Dockerfile
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ RUN apt update && \
     apt install -y language-pack-en git python-virtualenv build-essential software-properties-common curl git-core libxml2-dev libxslt1-dev python-virtualenv libmysqlclient-dev python-apt python-dev libxmlsec1-dev libfreetype6-dev swig gcc g++ \
     # openedx requirements
     gettext gfortran graphviz graphviz-dev libffi-dev libfreetype6-dev libgeos-dev libjpeg8-dev liblapack-dev libpng12-dev libsqlite3-dev libxml2-dev libxmlsec1-dev libxslt1-dev lynx nodejs npm ntp pkg-config \
-    # Our requirements
-    mysql-client \
     && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # Dockerize will be useful to wait for mysql DB availability
diff --git a/tutor/templates/local/docker-compose.yml b/tutor/templates/local/docker-compose.yml
index cf7c571..fe0f588 100644
--- a/tutor/templates/local/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/tutor/templates/local/docker-compose.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ services:
       - ../../data/mysql:/var/lib/mysql
     env_file: ../apps/mysql/auth.env
   {% endif %}
+  mysql-client:
+    image: {{ DOCKER_REGISTRY }}{{ DOCKER_IMAGE_MYSQL }}
+    command: echo "mysql client ready"
+    restart: "no"
+    {% if ACTIVATE_MYSQL %}depends_on:
+      - mysql{% endif %}
 
   {% if ACTIVATE_ELASTICSEARCH %}
   elasticsearch:
diff --git a/tutor/templates/scripts/create_databases.sh b/tutor/templates/scripts/create_databases.sh
index 5a5d128..100ed08 100644
--- a/tutor/templates/scripts/create_databases.sh
+++ b/tutor/templates/scripts/create_databases.sh
@@ -1,13 +1,28 @@
-dockerize -wait tcp://{{ MYSQL_HOST }}:{{ MYSQL_PORT }} -timeout 20s
-mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" -e 'CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS {{ OPENEDX_MYSQL_DATABASE }};'
-mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" -e 'GRANT ALL ON {{ OPENEDX_MYSQL_DATABASE }}.* TO "{{ OPENEDX_MYSQL_USERNAME }}"@"%" IDENTIFIED BY "{{ OPENEDX_MYSQL_PASSWORD }}";'
+echo "Initializing MySQL..."
+mysql_connection_max_attempts=10
+mysql_connection_attempt=0
+until mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" --port {{ MYSQL_PORT }} -e 'exit'
+do
+    mysql_connection_attempt=$(expr $mysql_connection_attempt + 1)
+    echo "    [$mysql_connection_attempt/$mysql_connection_max_attempts] Waiting for MySQL service (this may take a while)..."
+    if [ $mysql_connection_attempt -eq $mysql_connection_max_attempts ]
+    then
+      echo "MySQL initialization error" 1>&2
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    sleep 10
+done
+echo "MySQL is up and running"
+
+mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" --port {{ MYSQL_PORT }} -e 'CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS {{ OPENEDX_MYSQL_DATABASE }};'
+mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" --port {{ MYSQL_PORT }} -e 'GRANT ALL ON {{ OPENEDX_MYSQL_DATABASE }}.* TO "{{ OPENEDX_MYSQL_USERNAME }}"@"%" IDENTIFIED BY "{{ OPENEDX_MYSQL_PASSWORD }}";'
 
 {% if ACTIVATE_NOTES %}
-mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" -e 'CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS {{ NOTES_MYSQL_DATABASE }};'
-mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" -e 'GRANT ALL ON {{ NOTES_MYSQL_DATABASE }}.* TO "{{ NOTES_MYSQL_USERNAME }}"@"%" IDENTIFIED BY "{{ NOTES_MYSQL_PASSWORD }}";'
+mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" --port {{ MYSQL_PORT }} -e 'CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS {{ NOTES_MYSQL_DATABASE }};'
+mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" --port {{ MYSQL_PORT }} -e 'GRANT ALL ON {{ NOTES_MYSQL_DATABASE }}.* TO "{{ NOTES_MYSQL_USERNAME }}"@"%" IDENTIFIED BY "{{ NOTES_MYSQL_PASSWORD }}";'
 {% endif %}
 
 {% if ACTIVATE_XQUEUE %}
-mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" -e 'CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS {{ XQUEUE_MYSQL_DATABASE }};'
-mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" -e 'GRANT ALL ON {{ XQUEUE_MYSQL_DATABASE }}.* TO "{{ XQUEUE_MYSQL_USERNAME }}"@"%" IDENTIFIED BY "{{ XQUEUE_MYSQL_PASSWORD }}";'
+mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" --port {{ MYSQL_PORT }} -e 'CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS {{ XQUEUE_MYSQL_DATABASE }};'
+mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" --port {{ MYSQL_PORT }} -e 'GRANT ALL ON {{ XQUEUE_MYSQL_DATABASE }}.* TO "{{ XQUEUE_MYSQL_USERNAME }}"@"%" IDENTIFIED BY "{{ XQUEUE_MYSQL_PASSWORD }}";'
 {% endif %}