diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/compose/local/django/Dockerfile b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/compose/local/django/Dockerfile
index 9bed427d9..c6196fef0 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/compose/local/django/Dockerfile
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/compose/local/django/Dockerfile
@@ -12,8 +12,13 @@ ARG BUILD_ENVIRONMENT=local
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install --no-install-recommends -y \
   # dependencies for building Python packages
   build-essential \
+  {% if cookiecutter.database_engine == "postgresql" %}
   # psycopg2 dependencies
   libpq-dev
+  {% elif cookiecutter.database_engine == "mysql" %}
+  # mysql dependency
+  default-libmysqlclient-dev
+  {% endif %}
 
 # Requirements are installed here to ensure they will be cached.
 COPY ./requirements .
@@ -42,7 +47,7 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install --no-install-recommends -y \
   libpq-dev \
   {% elif cookiecutter.database_engine == "mysql" %}
   # mysql dependency
-  libmysqlclient-dev \
+  default-libmysqlclient-dev \
   {% endif %}
   # Translations dependencies
   gettext \
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/compose/production/django/Dockerfile b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/compose/production/django/Dockerfile
index 18715cdb7..f3b2ac66b 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/compose/production/django/Dockerfile
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/compose/production/django/Dockerfile
@@ -25,8 +25,13 @@ ARG BUILD_ENVIRONMENT=production
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install --no-install-recommends -y \
   # dependencies for building Python packages
   build-essential \
+  {% if cookiecutter.database_engine == "postgresql" %}
   # psycopg2 dependencies
   libpq-dev
+  {% elif cookiecutter.database_engine == "mysql" %}
+  # mysql dependency
+  default-libmysqlclient-dev
+  {% endif %}
 
 # Requirements are installed here to ensure they will be cached.
 COPY ./requirements .
@@ -59,7 +64,7 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install --no-install-recommends -y \
   libpq-dev \
   {% elif cookiecutter.database_engine == "mysql" %}
   # mysql dependency
-  libmysqlclient-dev \
+  default-libmysqlclient-dev \
   {% endif %}
   # Translations dependencies
   gettext \