diff --git a/charts/pixelfed/Chart.lock b/charts/pixelfed/Chart.lock
index 7241f20..09dbb6b 100644
--- a/charts/pixelfed/Chart.lock
+++ b/charts/pixelfed/Chart.lock
@@ -5,5 +5,8 @@ dependencies:
 - name: valkey
   repository: oci://registry-1.docker.io/bitnamicharts
   version: 2.2.3
-digest: sha256:ca16c63a3650650ff09c9555a4f62fb6a2d54ce588ad9a87c531c685090a1138
-generated: "2025-01-23T21:44:17.516108504Z"
+- name: mariadb
+  repository: oci://registry-1.docker.io/bitnamicharts
+  version: 20.2.2
+digest: sha256:ab9c547cea93017a3a65f289e1573ee936a6925d3762200bb24d6e5dc512003c
+generated: "2025-01-23T22:50:42.4566+01:00"
diff --git a/charts/pixelfed/Chart.yaml b/charts/pixelfed/Chart.yaml
index 69aa9a9..8395e44 100644
--- a/charts/pixelfed/Chart.yaml
+++ b/charts/pixelfed/Chart.yaml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ type: application
 # This is the chart version. This version number should be incremented each time you make changes
 # to the chart and its templates, including the app version.
 # Versions are expected to follow Semantic Versioning (https://semver.org/)
-version: 0.17.1
+version: 0.18.0
 
 # This is the version number of the application being deployed.
 # renovate:image=ghcr.io/mattlqx/docker-pixelfed
@@ -36,3 +36,8 @@ dependencies:
     version: 2.2.3
     repository: oci://registry-1.docker.io/bitnamicharts
     condition: valkey.enabled
+
+  - name: mariadb
+    version: 20.2.2
+    repository: oci://registry-1.docker.io/bitnamicharts
+    condition: mariadb.enabled
diff --git a/charts/pixelfed/README.md b/charts/pixelfed/README.md
index 32dec37..fd588f1 100644
--- a/charts/pixelfed/README.md
+++ b/charts/pixelfed/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # pixelfed
 
-![Version: 0.17.1](https://img.shields.io/badge/Version-0.17.1-informational?style=flat-square) ![Type: application](https://img.shields.io/badge/Type-application-informational?style=flat-square) ![AppVersion: v0.12.4-nginx](https://img.shields.io/badge/AppVersion-v0.12.4--nginx-informational?style=flat-square)
+![Version: 0.18.0](https://img.shields.io/badge/Version-0.18.0-informational?style=flat-square) ![Type: application](https://img.shields.io/badge/Type-application-informational?style=flat-square) ![AppVersion: v0.12.4-nginx](https://img.shields.io/badge/AppVersion-v0.12.4--nginx-informational?style=flat-square)
 
 A Helm chart for deploying Pixelfed on Kubernetes
 
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ A Helm chart for deploying Pixelfed on Kubernetes
 
 | Repository | Name | Version |
 |------------|------|---------|
+| oci://registry-1.docker.io/bitnamicharts | mariadb | 20.2.2 |
 | oci://registry-1.docker.io/bitnamicharts | postgresql | 16.4.5 |
 | oci://registry-1.docker.io/bitnamicharts | valkey | 2.2.3 |
 
@@ -68,6 +69,13 @@ A Helm chart for deploying Pixelfed on Kubernetes
 | ingress.hosts[0].paths[0].pathType | string | `"ImplementationSpecific"` |  |
 | ingress.tls | list | `[]` |  |
 | livenessProbe | object | `{}` | This is to setup the liveness probe more information can be found here: https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/configure-pod-container/configure-liveness-readiness-startup-probes/ |
+| mariadb.auth.database | string | `"pixelfed"` | Name for a custom database to create |
+| mariadb.auth.existingSecret | string | `"new-password-secret"` | Use existing secret for password details (auth.rootPassword, auth.password, auth.replicationPassword will be ignored and picked up from this secret). The secret has to contain the keys mariadb-root-password, mariadb-replication-password and mariadb-password |
+| mariadb.auth.password | string | `"newUserPassword123"` | Password for the new user. Ignored if existing secret is provided |
+| mariadb.auth.replicationPassword | string | `"newReplicationPassword123"` | MariaDB replication user password. Ignored if existing secret is provided |
+| mariadb.auth.rootPassword | string | `"newRootPassword123"` | Password for the root user. Ignored if existing secret is provided. |
+| mariadb.auth.username | string | `"pixelfed"` | Name for a custom user to create |
+| mariadb.enabled | bool | `false` | enable mariadb subchart - currently experimental for this chart read more about the values: https://github.com/bitnami/charts/tree/main/bitnami/mariadb |
 | nameOverride | string | `""` | This is to override the chart name. |
 | nodeSelector | object | `{}` | put the pixelfed pod on a specific node/nodegroup |
 | phpConfigs | object | `{}` | PHP Configuration files Will be injected in /usr/local/etc/php-fpm.d |
diff --git a/charts/pixelfed/charts/mariadb-20.2.2.tgz b/charts/pixelfed/charts/mariadb-20.2.2.tgz
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a983469
Binary files /dev/null and b/charts/pixelfed/charts/mariadb-20.2.2.tgz differ
diff --git a/charts/pixelfed/templates/configmap_env.yaml b/charts/pixelfed/templates/configmap_env.yaml
index e169d72..f3e6e7c 100644
--- a/charts/pixelfed/templates/configmap_env.yaml
+++ b/charts/pixelfed/templates/configmap_env.yaml
@@ -129,6 +129,12 @@ data:
   DB_USERNAME: postgres
   DB_DATABASE: postgres
   {{- end }}
+  {{- if .Values.mariadb.enabled }}
+  DB_PORT: {{ .Values.mariadb.primary.service.ports.mysql | quote }}
+  DB_HOST: {{  .Values.mariadb.fullnameOverride  }}
+  DB_USERNAME: {{ .Values.mariadb.auth.username }}
+  DB_DATABASE: {{ .Values.mariadb.auth.database }}
+  {{- end }}
 
   # valkey (redis)
   {{- if .Values.valkey.enabled }}
diff --git a/charts/pixelfed/values.yaml b/charts/pixelfed/values.yaml
index a4b4606..dad34fd 100644
--- a/charts/pixelfed/values.yaml
+++ b/charts/pixelfed/values.yaml
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@
 # This is a YAML-formatted file.
 # Declare variables to be passed into your templates.
 
-# -- This will set the replicaset count more information can be found here: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/controllers/replicaset/
+# -- This will set the replicaset count more information can be found here:
+# https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/controllers/replicaset/
 replicaCount: 1
 
-# This sets the container image more information can be found here: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/containers/images/
+# This sets the container image more information can be found here:
+# https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/containers/images/
 image:
   registry: ghcr.io
   # -- you can see the source [ghcr.io/mattlqx/docker-pixelfed](https://ghcr.io/mattlqx/docker-pixelfed)
@@ -17,7 +19,9 @@ image:
   # so please either pin a sha tag or use dev-nging as the tag)
   tag: "7d1d62c8552683225456c2a552ba8ca36afb24b32f706e425310de5bf84aeab1"
 
-# -- This is for the secretes for pulling an image from a private repository more information can be found here: https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/configure-pod-container/pull-image-private-registry/
+# -- This is for the secretes for pulling an image from a private repository
+# more information can be found here:
+# https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/configure-pod-container/pull-image-private-registry/
 imagePullSecrets: []
 
 # -- This is to override the chart name.
@@ -35,7 +39,8 @@ extraEnv: []
 # -- template out extra environment variables e.g. from ConfigMaps or Secrets
 extraEnvFrom: []
 
-# This section builds out the service account more information can be found here: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/security/service-accounts/
+# This section builds out the service account more information can be found here:
+# https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/security/service-accounts/
 serviceAccount:
   # -- Specifies whether a service account should be created
   create: true
@@ -48,11 +53,13 @@ serviceAccount:
   name: ""
 
 # -- This is for setting Kubernetes Annotations to a Pod.
-# For more information checkout: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/annotations/
+# For more information checkout:
+# https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/annotations/
 podAnnotations: {}
 
 # -- This is for setting Kubernetes Labels to a Pod.
-# For more information checkout: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/labels/
+# For more information checkout:
+# https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/labels/
 podLabels: {}
 
 # securityContext for the whole pixelfed pod
@@ -74,11 +81,14 @@ securityContext:
   #   drop:
   #   - ALL
 
-# This is for setting up a service more information can be found here: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/
+# This is for setting up a service more information can be found here:
+# https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/
 service:
-  # -- This sets the service type more information can be found here: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/#publishing-services-service-types
+  # -- This sets the service type more information can be found here:
+  # https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/#publishing-services-service-types
   type: ClusterIP
-  # -- This sets the ports more information can be found here: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/#field-spec-ports
+  # -- This sets the ports more information can be found here:
+  # https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/#field-spec-ports
   port: 80
   # -- Port to attach to on the pods. Also sets what port nginx listens on inside the container.
   targetPort: 8080
@@ -112,21 +122,24 @@ resources: {}
   #   memory: 128Mi
 
 # -- This is to setup the liveness probe
-# more information can be found here: https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/configure-pod-container/configure-liveness-readiness-startup-probes/
+# more information can be found here:
+# https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/configure-pod-container/configure-liveness-readiness-startup-probes/
 livenessProbe: {}
   #  httpGet:
   #    path: /api/service/health-check
   #    port: http
 
 # -- This is to setup the readiness probe
-# more information can be found here: https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/configure-pod-container/configure-liveness-readiness-startup-probes/
+# more information can be found here:
+# https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/configure-pod-container/configure-liveness-readiness-startup-probes/
 readinessProbe: {}
   #  httpGet:
   #    path: /api/service/health-check
   #    port: http
 
 autoscaling:
-  # -- enable autoscaling. more information can be found [here](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/autoscaling/)
+  # -- enable autoscaling. more information can be found
+  # [here](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/autoscaling/)
   enabled: false
   # -- minimum replicas to always keep up
   minReplicas: 1
@@ -587,3 +600,24 @@ pixelfed:
       access_key_id: ""
       # --  key in existing Kubernetes Secret for secret_access_key. If set, ignores s3.secret_access_key
       secret_access_key: ""
+
+mariadb:
+  # -- enable mariadb subchart - currently experimental for this chart
+  # read more about the values: https://github.com/bitnami/charts/tree/main/bitnami/mariadb
+  enabled: false
+  auth:
+    # -- Name for a custom database to create
+    database: "pixelfed"
+    # -- Name for a custom user to create
+    username: "pixelfed"
+    # -- Password for the root user. Ignored if existing secret is provided.
+    rootPassword: "newRootPassword123"
+    # -- Password for the new user. Ignored if existing secret is provided
+    password: "newUserPassword123"
+    # -- MariaDB replication user password. Ignored if existing secret is provided
+    replicationPassword: "newReplicationPassword123"
+    # -- Use existing secret for password details (auth.rootPassword,
+    # auth.password, auth.replicationPassword will be ignored and picked up
+    # from this secret). The secret has to contain the keys mariadb-root-password,
+    # mariadb-replication-password and mariadb-password
+    existingSecret: new-password-secret