diff --git a/examples/databases/mariadb/README.md b/examples/databases/mariadb/README.md
index c377580ac06..02e50799dcf 100644
--- a/examples/databases/mariadb/README.md
+++ b/examples/databases/mariadb/README.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ## mariadb Notes
 
 1. Start the mariadb server using `devbox services up`
-1. Create a database using `"mysql -u root < setup_db.sql"`
+1. Create a database using `"mysql --socket-path=$MYSQL_UNIX_PORT --password='' < setup_db.sql"`
 1. You can now connect to the database from the command line by running `devbox run connect_db`
 
 ## Services
@@ -22,10 +22,4 @@ Use `devbox services start|stop [service]` to interact with services
 
 To show this information, run `devbox info mariadb`
 
-Note that the `.sock` filepath can only be maximum 100 characters long. You can point to a different path by setting the `MYSQL_UNIX_PORT` env variable in your `devbox.json` as follows:
-
-```
-"env": {
-    "MYSQL_UNIX_PORT": "/<some-other-path>/mysql.sock"
-}
-```
+Note that the `.sock` filepath can only be maximum 100 characters long. You can point to a different path by setting the `MYSQL_UNIX_PORT` env variable in your `devbox.json`.
diff --git a/examples/databases/mariadb/devbox.json b/examples/databases/mariadb/devbox.json
index 87f70879d99..e4f9c8d2771 100644
--- a/examples/databases/mariadb/devbox.json
+++ b/examples/databases/mariadb/devbox.json
@@ -10,15 +10,17 @@
       ],
       "test_db_setup": [
         "mkdir -p /tmp/devbox/mariadb/run",
-        "export MYSQL_UNIX_PORT=/tmp/devbox/mariadb/run/mysql.sock",
         "devbox services up -b",
         "sleep 5",
-        "mysql -u root < setup_db.sql",
+        "mysql -u root --password='' < setup_db.sql",
         "devbox services stop"
       ]
     }
   },
   "nixpkgs": {
     "commit": "f80ac848e3d6f0c12c52758c0f25c10c97ca3b62"
-  }
+  },
+  "env": {
+    "MYSQL_UNIX_PORT": "/tmp/devbox/mariadb/run/mysql.sock"
+   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/databases/mysql/README.md b/examples/databases/mysql/README.md
index 45b69cc59f7..ea6098f017d 100644
--- a/examples/databases/mysql/README.md
+++ b/examples/databases/mysql/README.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ## mysql Notes
 
 1. Start the mysql server using `devbox services up`
-1. Create a database using `"mysql -u root < setup_db.sql"`
+1. Create a database using `"mysql -u root --password='' < setup_db.sql"`
 1. You can now connect to the database from the command line by running `devbox run connect_db`
 
 ## Services
@@ -22,10 +22,4 @@ Use `devbox services start|stop [service]` to interact with services
 
 To show this information, run `devbox info mysql`
 
-Note that the `.sock` filepath can only be maximum 100 characters long. You can point to a different path by setting the `MYSQL_UNIX_PORT` env variable in your `devbox.json` as follows:
-
-```json
-"env": {
-    "MYSQL_UNIX_PORT": "/<some-other-path>/mysql.sock"
-}
-```
+Note that the `.sock` filepath can only be maximum 100 characters long. You can point to a different path by setting the `MYSQL_UNIX_PORT` env variable in your `devbox.json`.
diff --git a/examples/databases/mysql/devbox.json b/examples/databases/mysql/devbox.json
index 4fc8e388a3b..1465d180b6e 100644
--- a/examples/databases/mysql/devbox.json
+++ b/examples/databases/mysql/devbox.json
@@ -10,12 +10,14 @@
       ],
       "test_db_setup": [
         "mkdir -p /tmp/devbox/mariadb/run",
-        "export MYSQL_UNIX_PORT=/tmp/devbox/mariadb/run/mysql.sock",
         "devbox services up -b",
         "sleep 5",
-        "mysql -u root < setup_db.sql",
+        "mysql -u root --password='' < setup_db.sql",
         "devbox services stop"
       ]
     }
-  }
+  },
+  "env": {
+    "MYSQL_UNIX_PORT": "/tmp/devbox/mariadb/run/mysql.sock"
+   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file