diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/pull-request.yml
similarity index 69%
rename from .github/workflows/ci.yml
rename to .github/workflows/pull-request.yml
index a4d6a76..138853e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pull-request.yml
@@ -15,11 +15,17 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
+      - uses: KengoTODA/actions-setup-docker-compose@v1
+        with:
+          version: '2.29.1'
+
       # This enables task distribution via Nx Cloud
       # Run this command as early as possible, before dependencies are installed
       # Learn more at https://nx.dev/ci/reference/nx-cloud-cli#npx-nxcloud-startcirun
       - run: npx nx-cloud start-ci-run --distribute-on="3 linux-medium-js" --stop-agents-after="build"
 
+      - run: docker-compose up -d
+
       # Cache node_modules
       - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
@@ -29,7 +35,4 @@ jobs:
       - run: npm ci --legacy-peer-deps
       - uses: nrwl/nx-set-shas@v4
 
-      # Prepend any command with "nx-cloud record --" to record its logs to Nx Cloud
-      # - run: npx nx-cloud record -- echo Hello World
-      # Nx Affected runs only tasks affected by the changes in this PR/commit. Learn more: https://nx.dev/ci/features/affected
-      - run: npx nx affected -t lint test build
+      - run: npx nx affected -t lint 'test --coverage --passWithNoTests' build
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fdce0d1..b682664 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -38,3 +38,6 @@ schema:
 //   test runs (the only time we let TypeORM modify the DB schema).
 ```
 
+This codebase connects to the database running in the `wri-terramatch-api` docker container. The docker-compose
+file included in this repo is used only for setting up the database needed for running unit tests in Github Actions.
+
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f99ac5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+version: "3"
+services:
+  mariadb:
+    build:
+      context: "."
+      dockerfile: "docker/mariadb.Dockerfile"
+    ports:
+      - "3360:3306"
+    networks:
+      - "default"
+    environment:
+      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: "root"
+      MYSQL_DATABASE: "terramatch_microservices_test"
+      MYSQL_USER: "wri"
+      MYSQL_PASSWORD: "wri"
diff --git a/docker/mariadb.Dockerfile b/docker/mariadb.Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0301945
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/mariadb.Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# MARIADB
+FROM mariadb:10.3 AS mariadb
+COPY docker/override.cnf /etc/mysql/mariadb.conf.d/override.cnf
diff --git a/docker/override.cnf b/docker/override.cnf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4b75bb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/override.cnf
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[client]
+default-character-set=utf8mb4
+
+[mysql]
+default-character-set=utf8mb4
+
+[mysqld]
+collation-server = utf8mb4_unicode_520_ci
+init-connect='SET NAMES utf8mb4'
+character-set-server = utf8mb4