diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 5c1f7924d..85d6e8fc6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -49,32 +49,32 @@ jobs:
           restore-key: |
             ${{ runner.os }}-cargo-build-target-${{ env.CURRENT_RUSTC_VERSION }}-
 
-      - name: Install PostgreSQL
+      - name: Launch the postgres image
         run: |
-          sudo apt-get update && DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive sudo apt-get install -y postgresql
-          sudo systemctl start postgresql
-          sudo -u postgres createuser $(whoami) -w
-          sudo -u postgres createdb $(whoami) -O $(whoami)
-          echo "::set-env name=CRATESFYI_DATABASE_URL::postgresql://$(whoami)@%2Fvar%2Frun%2Fpostgresql/$(whoami)"
-
-      - name: Build docs.rs
-        run: cargo build --locked
+          cp .env.sample .env
+          . .env
+          mkdir -p ${CRATESFYI_PREFIX}/public-html
+          docker-compose up -d db
+          # Give the database enough time to start up
+          sleep 5
+          # Make sure the database is actually working
+          psql "${CRATESFYI_DATABASE_URL}"
 
       - name: Run rustfmt
         run: cargo fmt -- --check
 
       - name: Run clippy
-        run: cargo clippy -- -D warnings
+        run: cargo clippy --locked -- -D warnings
 
-      - name: Prepare the test environment
-        run: |
-          prefix=$(pwd)/ignored/prefix
-          mkdir -p ${prefix}/public-html
-          echo "::set-env name=CRATESFYI_PREFIX::${prefix}"
+      - name: Build docs.rs
+        run: cargo build --locked
 
       - name: Test docs.rs
         run: cargo test --locked -- --test-threads=1
 
+      - name: Clean up the database
+        run: docker-compose down --volumes
+
   docker:
     name: Docker
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/src/db/mod.rs b/src/db/mod.rs
index 2dc7bff57..503d22cf0 100644
--- a/src/db/mod.rs
+++ b/src/db/mod.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ pub use self::delete_crate::delete_crate;
 pub use self::file::{add_path_into_database, move_to_s3};
 pub use self::migrate::migrate;
 
+use failure::Fail;
 use postgres::error::Error;
 use postgres::{Connection, TlsMode};
 use std::env;
@@ -18,11 +19,10 @@ pub(crate) mod file;
 mod migrate;
 
 /// Connects to database
-pub fn connect_db() -> Result<Connection, Error> {
-    // FIXME: unwrap might not be the best here
-    let db_url = env::var("CRATESFYI_DATABASE_URL")
-        .expect("CRATESFYI_DATABASE_URL environment variable is not exists");
-    Connection::connect(&db_url[..], TlsMode::None)
+pub fn connect_db() -> Result<Connection, failure::Error> {
+    let err = "CRATESFYI_DATABASE_URL environment variable is not set";
+    let db_url = env::var("CRATESFYI_DATABASE_URL").map_err(|e| e.context(err))?;
+    Connection::connect(&db_url[..], TlsMode::None).map_err(Into::into)
 }
 
 pub(crate) fn create_pool() -> r2d2::Pool<r2d2_postgres::PostgresConnectionManager> {