diff --git a/docker-compose_dev.yml b/docker-compose_dev.yml
index c017efb..c7dd974 100755
--- a/docker-compose_dev.yml
+++ b/docker-compose_dev.yml
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ services:
       role: "Development server"
 
   chris_store_dev_db:
-    image: mysql:5
-    command: --character-set-server=utf8 --collation-server=utf8_bin
+    image: mysql:8
+    command: --collation-server=utf8mb4_0900_as_cs
     volumes:
       - chris_store_dev_db_data:/var/lib/mysql:z
     environment:
diff --git a/make.sh b/make.sh
index 5323093..c18657e 100755
--- a/make.sh
+++ b/make.sh
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ if [[ "$1" == 'up' ]]; then
 
     title -d 1 "Pulling core containers where needed..."
         printf "${LightCyan}%40s${Green}%-40s${Yellow}\n"                   \
-                "docker pull" " mysql:5"                                    | ./boxes.sh
-        docker pull mysql:5                                                 | ./boxes.sh
+                "docker pull" " mysql:8"                                    | ./boxes.sh
+        docker pull mysql:8                                                 | ./boxes.sh
         echo ""                                                             | ./boxes.sh
         printf "${LightCyan}%40s${Green}%-40s${Yellow}\n"                   \
                 "docker pull " "fnndsc/docker-swift-onlyone"                | ./boxes.sh
diff --git a/requirements/base.txt b/requirements/base.txt
index 5d1003b..80c3aae 100755
--- a/requirements/base.txt
+++ b/requirements/base.txt
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-Django==2.2.12
-django-filter==2.2
-djangorestframework==3.11.0
+Django==2.2.24
+django-filter==2.4.0
+djangorestframework==3.12.4
 django-cors-middleware==1.5.0
-mysqlclient==1.4.6
-python-swiftclient==3.9.0
+mysqlclient==2.0.3
+mysql-connector-python==8.0.25
+python-swiftclient==3.12.0
 django-storage-swift==1.2.19
-mod-wsgi==4.7.1
-environs==7.4.0
+mod-wsgi==4.8.0
+environs==9.3.2
diff --git a/requirements/local.txt b/requirements/local.txt
index 28b5150..17a28df 100755
--- a/requirements/local.txt
+++ b/requirements/local.txt
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 # Local development dependencies go here
 -r base.txt
-django-debug-toolbar==2.2
-django-extensions==2.2.9
+django-debug-toolbar==3.2.1
+django-extensions==3.1.3
 collection-json==0.1.1
-coverage==5.1
-pylint==2.5.2
-flake8==3.7.9
-isort==4.3.21
+coverage==5.5
+pylint==2.9.1
+flake8==3.9.2
+isort==5.9.1
diff --git a/store_backend/config/settings/common.py b/store_backend/config/settings/common.py
index cd079c7..a488cad 100755
--- a/store_backend/config/settings/common.py
+++ b/store_backend/config/settings/common.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 """
 Django settings for ChRIS_store project.
 
-Generated by 'django-admin startproject' using Django 2.2.12.
+Generated by 'django-admin startproject' using Django 2.2.24.
 
 For more information on this file, see
 https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.2/topics/settings/
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
 
 DATABASES = {
     'default': {
-        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.mysql',
+        'ENGINE': 'mysql.connector.django',
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/store_backend/config/settings/local.py b/store_backend/config/settings/local.py
index 9944428..5822bb4 100755
--- a/store_backend/config/settings/local.py
+++ b/store_backend/config/settings/local.py
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
 DATABASES['default']['NAME'] = 'chris_store_dev'
 DATABASES['default']['USER'] = 'chris'
 DATABASES['default']['PASSWORD'] = 'Chris1234'
-DATABASES['default']['TEST'] = {'NAME': 'test_chris_store_dev', 'CHARSET': 'utf8'}
+DATABASES['default']['TEST'] = {'NAME': 'test_chris_store_dev'}
 DATABASES['default']['HOST'] = 'chris_store_dev_db'
 DATABASES['default']['PORT'] = '3306'
 
diff --git a/swarm/prod/docker-compose.yml b/swarm/prod/docker-compose.yml
index b259c46..0874d71 100755
--- a/swarm/prod/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/swarm/prod/docker-compose.yml
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ services:
       role: "Production server using Apache's mod_wsgi"
 
   chris_store_db:
-    image: mysql:5
-    command: --character-set-server=utf8 --collation-server=utf8_bin
+    image: mysql:8
+    command: --collation-server=utf8mb4_0900_as_cs
     volumes:
       - chris_store_db_data:/var/lib/mysql
     env_file: