diff --git a/access_node/controllers/arbor_controller.py b/access_node/controllers/arbor_controller.py
index 00a4ac4273c0d12a9f829bac53b3cb61d930e19a..2bdc3fa0b2a675c77823d3e4495533a8a46050d1 100644
--- a/access_node/controllers/arbor_controller.py
+++ b/access_node/controllers/arbor_controller.py
@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@ import numpy as np
 
 
 def connect_to_database():
+    database_host = 'database'
+    with open('database_host.txt') as database_host_file:
+        database_host = database_host_file.readline()
     return psycopg2.connect(database="postgres", user="postgres",
-                       password="postgres", host="database", port="5432")
+                       password="postgres", host=database_host, port="5432")
 
 
 def arbor_get_attributes():  # noqa: E501
diff --git a/access_node/controllers/nest_controller.py b/access_node/controllers/nest_controller.py
index ffd4aa0e8f52a0839f13f043f09597eef52261c1..ffa94eaffa916cc04510630c6cbe9beb94fe6548 100644
--- a/access_node/controllers/nest_controller.py
+++ b/access_node/controllers/nest_controller.py
@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@ import numpy as np
 
 
 def connect_to_database():
+    database_host = 'database'
+    with open('database_host.txt') as database_host_file:
+        database_host = database_host_file.readline()
     return psycopg2.connect(database="postgres", user="postgres",
-                       password="postgres", host="database", port="5432")
+                       password="postgres", host=database_host, port="5432")
 
 
 def nest_get_gids():  # noqa: E501