diff --git a/.dockerignore b/.dockerignore
index f52e085..17fa299 100644
--- a/.dockerignore
+++ b/.dockerignore
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 node_modules
 .git
 .gitignore
-.env
\ No newline at end of file
+.env*
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 1590529..02ac7de 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ WORKDIR /app
 
 COPY . .
 
+ENV BUILDING true
+
 RUN npm install
 RUN npm run build
 
diff --git a/src/db/index.ts b/src/db/index.ts
index 46f480b..3d82e22 100644
--- a/src/db/index.ts
+++ b/src/db/index.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,23 @@
-import { drizzle } from 'drizzle-orm/mysql2';
+import { MySql2Client, drizzle } from 'drizzle-orm/mysql2';
 import mysql from 'mysql2/promise';
-import { ENV } from '@/env';
+import { BUILDING, ENV } from '@/env';
 import * as schema from './schema';
 
-const connection = await mysql.createConnection({
-  host: ENV.DB_HOST,
-  user: ENV.DB_USER,
-  database: ENV.DB_DATABASE,
-  password: ENV.DB_PASS,
-});
+async function createDbConnection() {
+  if (BUILDING) {
+    const mockConnection = {} as unknown as MySql2Client;
+    return drizzle(mockConnection, { schema, mode: 'default' });
+  }
 
-export const db = drizzle(connection, { schema, mode: 'default' });
+  const connection = await mysql.createConnection({
+    host: ENV.DB_HOST,
+    user: ENV.DB_USER,
+    database: ENV.DB_DATABASE,
+    password: ENV.DB_PASS,
+  });
 
+  return drizzle(connection, { schema, mode: 'default' });
+}
+
+export const db = await createDbConnection();
 export { schema };
diff --git a/src/env.js b/src/env.js
index 159078b..ba95344 100644
--- a/src/env.js
+++ b/src/env.js
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 import { createEnv } from '@t3-oss/env-nextjs';
 import { z } from 'zod';
 
+export const BUILDING =
+  z
+    .enum(['true'], { message: 'BUILDING must be "TRUE" if set' })
+    .optional()
+    .parse(process.env.BUILDING) ?? false;
+
 export const ENV = createEnv({
   server: {
     DB_HOST: z.string(),
@@ -8,4 +14,5 @@ export const ENV = createEnv({
     DB_PASS: z.string(),
     DB_DATABASE: z.string(),
   },
+  skipValidation: BUILDING,
 });