diff --git a/docs/dev_environment.md b/docs/dev_environment.md
--- a/docs/dev_environment.md
+++ b/docs/dev_environment.md
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@
 
 ```json
 {
-  "host": "localhost",
+  "host": "127.0.0.1",
   "user": "comm",
   "password": "password",
   "database": "comm",
diff --git a/nix/mariadb-up-mac.nix b/nix/mariadb-up-mac.nix
--- a/nix/mariadb-up-mac.nix
+++ b/nix/mariadb-up-mac.nix
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
     name = "db-config";
     text = ''
       {
-        "host": "localhost",
+        "host": "127.0.0.1",
         "user": "comm",
         "password": "PASS",
         "database": "comm",