diff --git a/test/create_db.sh b/test/create_db.sh
index d485b243601..c61e08360f2 100755
--- a/test/create_db.sh
+++ b/test/create_db.sh
@@ -37,15 +37,10 @@ function create_empty_db() {
   local db="${1}"
   local dbconn="${2}"
   create_script="drop database if exists \`${db}\`; create database if not exists \`${db}\`;"
-  mysql ${dbconn} -e "${create_script}" || exit_err "unable to create ${db}"
+  mysql ${dbconn} -e "${create_script}" || exit_err "unable to create ${db} on ${cbconn}"
 }
 
-# set db connection for if running in a separate container or not
-dbconn="-u root"
-if [[ $MYSQL_CONTAINER ]]
-then
-  dbconn="-u root -h ${DB_HOST} --port ${DB_PORT}"
-fi
+dbconn="-u root -h ${DB_HOST} --port ${DB_PORT}"
 
 if ! mysql ${dbconn} -e "select 1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
   exit_err "unable to connect to ${DB_HOST}:${DB_PORT}"
@@ -94,11 +89,11 @@ for db in $DBS; do
     r=`sql-migrate up -config="${DB_CONFIG_FILE}" -env="${dbname}" | xargs -0 echo`
     if [[ "${r}" == "Migration failed"* ]]
     then
-      echo "Migration failed - dropping and recreating"
-      create_empty_db "${dbname}" "${dbconn}"
-      sql-migrate up -config="${DB_CONFIG_FILE}" -env="${dbname}" || exit_err "Migration failed after dropping and recreating"
+      echo "sql-migrate: ${r}"
+      echo "Try \`docker compose down --volumes\` and running again"
+      exit 1
     else
-      echo "${r}"
+      echo "sql-migrate: ${r}"
     fi
 
     USERS_SQL="../db-users/${db}.sql"
@@ -106,14 +101,8 @@ for db in $DBS; do
     then
       echo "Skipping user grants for ${dbname}"
     else
-      if [[ $MYSQL_CONTAINER ]]
-      then
-        sed -e "s/'localhost'/'%'/g" < "${USERS_SQL}" | \
-          mysql ${dbconn} -D "${dbname}" -f || exit_err "Unable to add users from ${USERS_SQL}"
-      else
-        sed -e "s/'localhost'/'127.%'/g" < "${USERS_SQL}" | \
-          mysql ${dbconn} -D "${dbname}" -f || exit_err "Unable to add users from ${USERS_SQL}"
-      fi
+      sed -e "s/'localhost'/'%'/g" < "${USERS_SQL}" | \
+        mysql ${dbconn} -D "${dbname}" -f || exit_err "Unable to add users from ${USERS_SQL}"
       echo "Added users from ${USERS_SQL}"
     fi
 
diff --git a/test/entrypoint.sh b/test/entrypoint.sh
index 331c0c731df..e9978fdd379 100755
--- a/test/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/test/entrypoint.sh
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ rsyslogd
 ./test/wait-for-it.sh bpkimetal 8080
 
 # create the databases
-MYSQL_CONTAINER=1 \
 DB_HOST="boulder-mariadb" \
 DB_PORT=3306 \
 DB_CONFIG_FILE="${DIR}/../sa/db/dbconfig.mariadb.yml" \
@@ -29,7 +28,6 @@ SKIP_CREATE=0 \
 SKIP_USERS=0 \
 "$DIR/create_db.sh"
 
-MYSQL_CONTAINER=1 \
 DB_HOST="boulder-vitess" \
 DB_PORT=33577 \
 DB_CONFIG_FILE="${DIR}/../sa/db/dbconfig.mysql8.yml" \