diff --git a/nix/dev-shell.nix b/nix/dev-shell.nix
index cd0f81665..f964c3f50 100644
--- a/nix/dev-shell.nix
+++ b/nix/dev-shell.nix
@@ -1,66 +1,70 @@
 { mkShell
 , stdenv
 , lib
 , amqp-cpp
 , arcanist
 , cargo
 , cmake
 , cryptopp
 , darwin
 , grpc
 , libuv
 , nodejs-16_x
 , pkg-config
 , protobuf_3_15_cmake
 , python2
 , python3
 , watchman
 , rustfmt
 , yarn
 }:
 
 mkShell {
 
   # programs which are meant to be executed should go here
   nativeBuildInputs = [
     # generic development
     arcanist
 
     # node development
     nodejs-16_x
     yarn
     watchman # react native
     python2
     python3
 
     # native dependencies
     # C/CXX toolchains are already brought in with mkShell
     # Identity Service
     cargo # includes rustc
     rustfmt
 
     # Tunnelbroker + CMake
     amqp-cpp
     cryptopp
     cmake
     libuv
     pkg-config
     protobuf_3_15_cmake
     grpc
 
   ];
 
   # include any libraries buildInputs
   buildInputs = [
     protobuf_3_15_cmake # exposes both a library and a command, thus should appear in both inputs
   ] ++ lib.optionals stdenv.isDarwin (with darwin.apple_sdk.frameworks; [
     CoreFoundation
     CoreServices
     Security
   ]);
 
   # shell commands to be ran upon entering shell
   shellHook = ''
+    if [[ "$OSTYPE" == 'linux'* ]]; then
+      export MYSQL_UNIX_PORT=''${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR:-/run/user/$UID}/mysql-socket/mysql.sock
+    fi
+
     echo "Welcome to Comm dev environment! :)"
   '';
 }
diff --git a/nix/mysql-down-linux.nix b/nix/mysql-down-linux.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3173bf920
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix/mysql-down-linux.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{ lib
+, writeShellScriptBin
+}:
+
+# writeShellScriptBin is a "writer helper" which
+# will create an executable shell script located in $out/bin/<name>
+# This shell script will be used to allow for impure+stateful actions
+writeShellScriptBin "mysql-down" ''
+  set -euo pipefail
+
+  echo "Attempting to stop user MySQL server instance" >&2
+  systemctl stop --user comm-mysql
+
+  echo "Succesfully killed" >&2
+''
diff --git a/nix/mysql-up-linux.nix b/nix/mysql-up-linux.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9f35ec229
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix/mysql-up-linux.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+{ lib
+, writeShellScriptBin
+, writeTextFile
+, mysql57
+}:
+
+let
+  # This will create a comm-mysql.service meant to be consumed by systemd as a user unit file
+  # Settings:
+  #  port = 3306
+  #  datadir = ~/.cache/mysql
+  #  socket = /run/user/1000/mysql-socket/mysql.sock
+  mysql-user-service-unit = writeTextFile {
+    name = "comm-mysql";
+    text = ''
+      [Unit]
+      Description=MySQL Server
+
+      [Service]
+      ExecStart=${lib.getBin mysql57}/bin/mysqld --port 3306 --datadir=%h/.cache/mysql --socket=%t/mysql-socket/mysql.sock
+      Restart=on-failure
+      ProtectHome=read-only
+      ProtectSystem=strict
+      PrivateTmp=true
+
+      [Install]
+      WantedBy=default.target
+    '';
+    destination = "/comm-mysql.service";
+
+  };
+in
+
+# writeShellScriptBin is a "writer helper" which
+# will create an executable shell script located in $out/bin/<name>
+# This shell script will be used to allow for impure+stateful actions
+writeShellScriptBin "mysql-up" ''
+  set -euo pipefail
+
+  mkdir -p ''${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/mysql ''${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR:-/run/user/$UID}/mysql-socket
+
+  if [[ ! -d ''${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/mysql/mysql ]]; then
+    # ~/.cache/mysql/mysql should exist if mysql has been initialized
+    echo "Initializing MySQL database at ''${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/mysql" >&2
+    ${lib.getBin mysql57}/bin/mysqld --initialize-insecure --datadir=''${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/mysql
+  fi
+
+  needsReload=
+
+  # check if service was installed
+  if [[ ! -r "''${XDG_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.config}/systemd/user/comm-mysql.service" ]]; then
+    needsReload=1
+  fi
+
+  # Install the service unit file into the default systemd location
+  ln -sf ${mysql-user-service-unit}/comm-mysql.service ''${XDG_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.config}/systemd/user/comm-mysql.service
+
+  # Conditionally enable unit file
+  [[ -n "$needsReload" ]] && systemctl --user daemon-reload
+
+  # Start mysql
+  echo "Starting MySQL server as user service: comm-mysql"
+  systemctl start --user comm-mysql.service
+
+  # Initialize Comm user and database for MySQL
+  userCount=$(mysql -u root --password="" -Bse "SELECT COUNT(1) FROM mysql.user WHERE user = 'comm';")
+  if [[ "''$userCount" -eq 0 ]]; then
+    echo "Creating comm user and database for mysql" >&2
+    echo -n "Please enter a password for new comm user: " >&2
+    read -rs password
+
+    mysql -u root --password="" -e"CREATE DATABASE comm; CREATE USER comm@localhost IDENTIFIED BY '"$password"'; GRANT ALL ON comm.* TO comm@localhost;"
+    echo "Comm user and database has been created!" >&2
+  fi
+
+  echo "" >&2
+  echo "View MySQL Logs: journalctl -f --user-unit comm-mysql" >&2
+  echo "Kill MySQL server: nix run .#mysql-down" >&2
+''
diff --git a/nix/overlay.nix b/nix/overlay.nix
index 7697939c7..376f79f69 100644
--- a/nix/overlay.nix
+++ b/nix/overlay.nix
@@ -1,19 +1,23 @@
 # An overlay allows for a package set to be extended with new or modified packages
 
 # `final` refers to the package set with all overlays applied.
 # This allows for added or modified packages to be referenced with
 # all relevant changes
 final:
 
 # `prev` refers to the previous package set before this current overlay is applied.
 # This is cheaper for nix to evaluate, thus should be prefered over final when possible.
 prev:
 
 {
   # add packages meant for just this repository
   amqp-cpp = prev.callPackage ./amqp-cpp.nix { };
 
   protobuf_3_15_cmake = prev.callPackage ./protobuf_3_15.nix { };
 
   devShell = final.callPackage ./dev-shell.nix { };
+
+  mysql-down = prev.callPackage ./mysql-down-linux.nix { };
+
+  mysql-up = prev.callPackage ./mysql-up-linux.nix { };
 }