Cleans up config formatting

.editorconfig

@@ -39,3 +39,6 @@ max_line_length = off
 
 [Dockerfile*]
 indent_style = space
+
+[*.toml]
+indent_style = space

docs/configuration.md

@@ -51,137 +51,163 @@ matcher.
 ### Database
 
 By default, Paperless uses **SQLite** with a database stored at `data/db.sqlite3`.
-To switch to **PostgreSQL** or **MariaDB**, set [`PAPERLESS_DBHOST`](#PAPERLESS_DBHOST) and optionally configure other
+For multi-user or higher-throughput deployments, **PostgreSQL** (recommended) or
-database-related environment variables.
+**MariaDB** can be used instead by setting [`PAPERLESS_DBENGINE`](#PAPERLESS_DBENGINE)
+and the relevant connection variables.
+
+#### [`PAPERLESS_DBENGINE=<engine>`](#PAPERLESS_DBENGINE) {#PAPERLESS_DBENGINE}
+
+: Specifies the database engine to use. Accepted values are `sqlite`, `postgresql`,
+and `mariadb`.
+
+    Defaults to `sqlite` if not set.
+
+    PostgreSQL and MariaDB both require [`PAPERLESS_DBHOST`](#PAPERLESS_DBHOST) to be
+    set. SQLite does not use any other connection variables; the database file is always
+    located at `<PAPERLESS_DATA_DIR>/db.sqlite3`.
+
+    !!! warning
+        Using MariaDB comes with some caveats.
+        See [MySQL Caveats](advanced_usage.md#mysql-caveats).
 
 #### [`PAPERLESS_DBHOST=<hostname>`](#PAPERLESS_DBHOST) {#PAPERLESS_DBHOST}
 
-: If unset, Paperless uses **SQLite** by default.
+: Hostname of the PostgreSQL or MariaDB database server. Required when
-
+`PAPERLESS_DBENGINE` is `postgresql` or `mariadb`.
-    Set `PAPERLESS_DBHOST` to switch to PostgreSQL or MariaDB instead.
-
-#### [`PAPERLESS_DBENGINE=<engine_name>`](#PAPERLESS_DBENGINE) {#PAPERLESS_DBENGINE}
-
-: Optional. Specifies the database engine to use when connecting to a remote database.
-Available options are `postgresql` and `mariadb`.
-
-    Defaults to `postgresql` if `PAPERLESS_DBHOST` is set.
-
-    !!! warning
-
-        Using MariaDB comes with some caveats. See [MySQL Caveats](advanced_usage.md#mysql-caveats).
 
 #### [`PAPERLESS_DBPORT=<port>`](#PAPERLESS_DBPORT) {#PAPERLESS_DBPORT}
 
 : Port to use when connecting to PostgreSQL or MariaDB.
 
-    Default is `5432` for PostgreSQL and `3306` for MariaDB.
+    Defaults to `5432` for PostgreSQL and `3306` for MariaDB.
 
 #### [`PAPERLESS_DBNAME=<name>`](#PAPERLESS_DBNAME) {#PAPERLESS_DBNAME}
 
-: Name of the database to connect to when using PostgreSQL or MariaDB.
+: Name of the PostgreSQL or MariaDB database to connect to.
 
-    Defaults to "paperless".
+    Defaults to `paperless`.
 
-#### [`PAPERLESS_DBUSER=<name>`](#PAPERLESS_DBUSER) {#PAPERLESS_DBUSER}
+#### [`PAPERLESS_DBUSER=<user>`](#PAPERLESS_DBUSER) {#PAPERLESS_DBUSER}
 
 : Username for authenticating with the PostgreSQL or MariaDB database.
 
-    Defaults to "paperless".
+    Defaults to `paperless`.
 
 #### [`PAPERLESS_DBPASS=<password>`](#PAPERLESS_DBPASS) {#PAPERLESS_DBPASS}
 
 : Password for the PostgreSQL or MariaDB database user.
 
-    Defaults to "paperless".
+    Defaults to `paperless`.
 
-#### [`PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE=<mode>`](#PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE) {#PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE}
+#### [`PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS=<options>`](#PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS) {#PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS}
 
-: SSL mode to use when connecting to PostgreSQL or MariaDB.
+: Advanced database connection options as a semicolon-delimited key-value string.
+Keys and values are separated by `=`. Dot-notation produces nested option
+dictionaries; for example, `pool.max_size=20` sets
+`OPTIONS["pool"]["max_size"] = 20`.
 
-    See [the official documentation about
+    Options specified here are merged over the engine defaults. Unrecognised keys
-    sslmode for PostgreSQL](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/libpq-ssl.html).
+    are passed through to the underlying database driver without validation, so a
+    typo will be silently ignored rather than producing an error.
 
-    See [the official documentation about
+    Refer to your database driver's documentation for the full set of accepted keys:
-    sslmode for MySQL and MariaDB](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/connection-options.html#option_general_ssl-mode).
 
-    *Note*: SSL mode values differ between PostgreSQL and MariaDB.
+    - PostgreSQL: [libpq connection parameters](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/libpq-connect.html#LIBPQ-PARAMKEYWORDS)
+    - MariaDB: [MariaDB Connector/Python](https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-connector-python/)
+    - SQLite: [SQLite PRAGMA statements](https://www.sqlite.org/pragma.html)
 
-    Default is `prefer` for PostgreSQL and `PREFERRED` for MariaDB.
+    **Examples:**
 
-#### [`PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT=<ca-path>`](#PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT) {#PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT}
+```bash
+    # PostgreSQL: require SSL, set a custom CA certificate, and limit the pool size
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="sslmode=require;sslrootcert=/certs/ca.pem;pool.max_size=5"
 
-: Path to the SSL root certificate used to verify the database server.
+    # MariaDB: require SSL with a custom CA certificate
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="ssl_mode=REQUIRED;ssl.ca=/certs/ca.pem"
 
-    See [the official documentation about
+    # PostgreSQL: set a connection timeout
-    sslmode for PostgreSQL](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/libpq-ssl.html).
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="connect_timeout=10"
-    Changes the location of `root.crt`.
+```
 
-    See [the official documentation about
+    !!! note "PostgreSQL connection pooling"
-    sslmode for MySQL and MariaDB](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/connection-options.html#option_general_ssl-ca).
+        Pool size is controlled via `pool.min_size` and `pool.max_size`. When
+        configuring pooling, ensure your PostgreSQL `max_connections` is large enough
+        to handle all pool connections across all workers:
+        `(web_workers + celery_workers) * pool.max_size + safety_margin`.
 
-    Defaults to unset, using the standard location in the home directory.
+#### ~~[`PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE`](#PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE)~~ {#PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE}
 
-#### [`PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT=<client-cert-path>`](#PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT) {#PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT}
+!!! failure "Removed in v3"
+Use [`PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS`](#PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS) instead.
 
-: Path to the client SSL certificate used when connecting securely.
+```bash
+    # PostgreSQL
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="sslmode=require"
 
-    See [the official documentation about
+    # MariaDB
-    sslmode for PostgreSQL](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/libpq-ssl.html).
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="ssl_mode=REQUIRED"
+```
 
-    See [the official documentation about
+#### ~~[`PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT`](#PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT)~~ {#PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT}
-    sslmode for MySQL and MariaDB](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/connection-options.html#option_general_ssl-cert).
 
-    Changes the location of `postgresql.crt`.
+!!! failure "Removed in v3"
+Use [`PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS`](#PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS) instead.
 
-    Defaults to unset, using the standard location in the home directory.
+```bash
+    # PostgreSQL
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="sslrootcert=/path/to/ca.pem"
 
-#### [`PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY=<client-cert-key>`](#PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY) {#PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY}
+    # MariaDB
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="ssl.ca=/path/to/ca.pem"
+```
 
-: Path to the client SSL private key used when connecting securely.
+#### ~~[`PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT`](#PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT)~~ {#PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT}
 
-    See [the official documentation about
+!!! failure "Removed in v3"
-    sslmode for PostgreSQL](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/libpq-ssl.html).
+Use [`PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS`](#PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS) instead.
 
-    See [the official documentation about
+```bash
-    sslmode for MySQL and MariaDB](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/connection-options.html#option_general_ssl-key).
+    # PostgreSQL
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="sslcert=/path/to/client.crt"
 
-    Changes the location of `postgresql.key`.
+    # MariaDB
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="ssl.cert=/path/to/client.crt"
+```
 
-    Defaults to unset, using the standard location in the home directory.
+#### ~~[`PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY`](#PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY)~~ {#PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY}
 
-#### [`PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT=<int>`](#PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT) {#PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT}
+!!! failure "Removed in v3"
+Use [`PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS`](#PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS) instead.
 
-: Sets how long a database connection should wait before timing out.
+```bash
+    # PostgreSQL
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="sslkey=/path/to/client.key"
 
-    For SQLite, this sets how long to wait if the database is locked.
+    # MariaDB
-    For PostgreSQL or MariaDB, this sets the connection timeout.
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="ssl.key=/path/to/client.key"
+```
 
-    Defaults to unset, which uses Django’s built-in defaults.
+#### ~~[`PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT`](#PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT)~~ {#PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT}
 
-#### [`PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE=<int>`](#PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE) {#PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE}
+!!! failure "Removed in v3"
+Use [`PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS`](#PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS) instead.
 
-: Defines the maximum number of database connections to keep in the pool.
+```bash
+    # SQLite
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="timeout=30"
 
-    Only applies to PostgreSQL. This setting is ignored for other database engines.
+    # PostgreSQL or MariaDB
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="connect_timeout=30"
+```
 
-    The value must be greater than or equal to 1 to be used.
+#### ~~[`PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE`](#PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE)~~ {#PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE}
-    Defaults to unset, which disables connection pooling.
 
-    !!! note
+!!! failure "Removed in v3"
+Use [`PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS`](#PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS) instead.
 
-        A pool of 8-10 connections per worker is typically sufficient.
+```bash
-        If you encounter error messages such as `couldn't get a connection`
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="pool.max_size=10"
-        or database connection timeouts, you probably need to increase the pool size.
+```
-
-    !!! warning
-        Make sure your PostgreSQL `max_connections` setting is large enough to handle the connection pools:
-        `(NB_PAPERLESS_WORKERS + NB_CELERY_WORKERS) × POOL_SIZE + SAFETY_MARGIN`. For example, with
-        4 Paperless workers and 2 Celery workers, and a pool size of 8:``(4 + 2) × 8 + 10 = 58`,
-        so `max_connections = 60` (or even more) is appropriate.
-
-        This assumes only Paperless-ngx connects to your PostgreSQL instance. If you have other applications,
-        you should increase `max_connections` accordingly.
 
 #### [`PAPERLESS_DB_READ_CACHE_ENABLED=<bool>`](#PAPERLESS_DB_READ_CACHE_ENABLED) {#PAPERLESS_DB_READ_CACHE_ENABLED}
 

docs/migration.md

@@ -48,3 +48,58 @@ The `CONSUMER_BARCODE_SCANNER` setting has been removed. zxing-cpp is now the on
     reliability.
 -   The `libzbar0` / `libzbar-dev` system packages are no longer required and can be removed from any custom Docker
     images or host installations.
+
+## Database Engine
+
+`PAPERLESS_DBENGINE` is now required to use PostgreSQL or MariaDB. Previously, the
+engine was inferred from the presence of `PAPERLESS_DBHOST`, with `PAPERLESS_DBENGINE`
+only needed to select MariaDB over PostgreSQL.
+
+SQLite users require no changes, though they may explicitly set their engine if desired.
+
+#### Action Required
+
+PostgreSQL and MariaDB users must add `PAPERLESS_DBENGINE` to their environment:
+
+```yaml
+# v2 (PostgreSQL inferred from PAPERLESS_DBHOST)
+PAPERLESS_DBHOST: postgres
+
+# v3 (engine must be explicit)
+PAPERLESS_DBENGINE: postgresql
+PAPERLESS_DBHOST: postgres
+```
+
+See [`PAPERLESS_DBENGINE`](configuration.md#PAPERLESS_DBENGINE) for accepted values.
+
+## Database Advanced Options
+
+The individual SSL, timeout, and pooling variables have been removed in favour of a
+single [`PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS`](configuration.md#PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS) string. This
+consolidates a growing set of engine-specific variables into one place, and allows
+any option supported by the underlying database driver to be set without requiring a
+dedicated environment variable for each.
+
+The removed variables and their replacements are:
+
+| Removed Variable          | Replacement in `PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS`                                        |
+| ------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE`     | `sslmode=<value>` (PostgreSQL) or `ssl_mode=<value>` (MariaDB)               |
+| `PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT` | `sslrootcert=<path>` (PostgreSQL) or `ssl.ca=<path>` (MariaDB)               |
+| `PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT`     | `sslcert=<path>` (PostgreSQL) or `ssl.cert=<path>` (MariaDB)                 |
+| `PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY`      | `sslkey=<path>` (PostgreSQL) or `ssl.key=<path>` (MariaDB)                   |
+| `PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE`   | `pool.max_size=<value>` (PostgreSQL only)                                    |
+| `PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT`    | `timeout=<value>` (SQLite) or `connect_timeout=<value>` (PostgreSQL/MariaDB) |
+
+The deprecated variables will continue to function for now but will be removed in a
+future release. A deprecation warning is logged at startup for each deprecated variable
+that is still set.
+
+#### Action Required
+
+Users with any of the deprecated variables set should migrate to `PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS`.
+Multiple options are combined in a single value:
+
+```bash
+PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS="sslmode=require;sslrootcert=/certs/ca.pem;pool.max_size=10"
+```

src/paperless/checks.py

@@ -202,3 +202,43 @@ def audit_log_check(app_configs, **kwargs):
         )
 
     return result
+
+
+@register()
+def check_deprecated_db_settings(
+    app_configs: object,
+    **kwargs: object,
+) -> list[Warning]:
+    """Check for deprecated database environment variables.
+
+    Detects legacy advanced options that should be migrated to
+    PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS. Returns one Warning per deprecated variable found.
+    """
+    deprecated_vars: dict[str, str] = {
+        "PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT": "timeout",
+        "PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE": "pool.min_size / pool.max_size",
+        "PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE": "sslmode",
+        "PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT": "sslrootcert",
+        "PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT": "sslcert",
+        "PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY": "sslkey",
+    }
+
+    warnings: list[Warning] = []
+
+    for var_name, db_option_key in deprecated_vars.items():
+        if not os.getenv(var_name):
+            continue
+        warnings.append(
+            Warning(
+                f"Deprecated environment variable: {var_name}",
+                hint=(
+                    f"{var_name} is no longer supported and will be removed in v3.2. "
+                    f"Set the equivalent option via PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS instead. "
+                    f'Example: PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS=\'{{"{db_option_key}": "<value>"}}\'. '
+                    "See https://docs.paperless-ngx.com/migration/ for the full reference."
+                ),
+                id="paperless.W001",
+            ),
+        )
+
+    return warnings

src/paperless/settings/__init__.py

@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ from dateparser.languages.loader import LocaleDataLoader
 from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _
 from dotenv import load_dotenv
 
+from paperless.settings.custom import parse_db_settings
+
 logger = logging.getLogger("paperless.settings")
 
 # Tap paperless.conf if it's available
@@ -722,83 +724,8 @@ EMAIL_CERTIFICATE_FILE = __get_optional_path("PAPERLESS_EMAIL_CERTIFICATE_LOCATI
 ###############################################################################
 # Database                                                                    #
 ###############################################################################
-def _parse_db_settings() -> dict:
-    databases = {
-        "default": {
-            "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
-            "NAME": DATA_DIR / "db.sqlite3",
-            "OPTIONS": {},
-        },
-    }
-    if os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBHOST"):
-        # Have sqlite available as a second option for management commands
-        # This is important when migrating to/from sqlite
-        databases["sqlite"] = databases["default"].copy()
 
-        databases["default"] = {
+DATABASES = parse_db_settings(DATA_DIR)
-            "HOST": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBHOST"),
-            "NAME": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBNAME", "paperless"),
-            "USER": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBUSER", "paperless"),
-            "PASSWORD": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBPASS", "paperless"),
-            "OPTIONS": {},
-        }
-        if os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBPORT"):
-            databases["default"]["PORT"] = os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBPORT")
-
-        # Leave room for future extensibility
-        if os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBENGINE") == "mariadb":
-            engine = "django.db.backends.mysql"
-            # Contrary to Postgres, Django does not natively support connection pooling for MariaDB.
-            # However, since MariaDB uses threads instead of forks, establishing connections is significantly faster
-            # compared to PostgreSQL, so the lack of pooling is not an issue
-            options = {
-                "read_default_file": "/etc/mysql/my.cnf",
-                "charset": "utf8mb4",
-                "ssl_mode": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE", "PREFERRED"),
-                "ssl": {
-                    "ca": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT", None),
-                    "cert": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT", None),
-                    "key": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY", None),
-                },
-            }
-
-        else:  # Default to PostgresDB
-            engine = "django.db.backends.postgresql"
-            options = {
-                "sslmode": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE", "prefer"),
-                "sslrootcert": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT", None),
-                "sslcert": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT", None),
-                "sslkey": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY", None),
-            }
-            if int(os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE", 0)) > 0:
-                options.update(
-                    {
-                        "pool": {
-                            "min_size": 1,
-                            "max_size": int(os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE")),
-                        },
-                    },
-                )
-
-        databases["default"]["ENGINE"] = engine
-        databases["default"]["OPTIONS"].update(options)
-
-    if os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT") is not None:
-        if databases["default"]["ENGINE"] == "django.db.backends.sqlite3":
-            databases["default"]["OPTIONS"].update(
-                {"timeout": int(os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT"))},
-            )
-        else:
-            databases["default"]["OPTIONS"].update(
-                {"connect_timeout": int(os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT"))},
-            )
-            databases["sqlite"]["OPTIONS"].update(
-                {"timeout": int(os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT"))},
-            )
-    return databases
-
-
-DATABASES = _parse_db_settings()
 
 if os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBENGINE") == "mariadb":
     # Silence Django error on old MariaDB versions.

src/paperless/settings/custom.py

@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any
+
+from paperless.settings.parsers import get_choice_from_env
+from paperless.settings.parsers import get_int_from_env
+from paperless.settings.parsers import parse_dict_from_str
+
+
+def parse_db_settings(data_dir: Path) -> dict[str, dict[str, Any]]:
+    """Parse database settings from environment variables.
+
+    Core connection variables (no deprecation):
+    - PAPERLESS_DBENGINE (sqlite/postgresql/mariadb)
+    - PAPERLESS_DBHOST, PAPERLESS_DBPORT
+    - PAPERLESS_DBNAME, PAPERLESS_DBUSER, PAPERLESS_DBPASS
+
+    Advanced options can be set via:
+    - Legacy individual env vars (deprecated in v3.0, removed in v3.2)
+    - PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS (recommended v3+ approach)
+
+    Args:
+        data_dir: The data directory path for SQLite database location.
+
+    Returns:
+        A databases dict suitable for Django DATABASES setting.
+    """
+    engine = get_choice_from_env(
+        "PAPERLESS_DBENGINE",
+        {"sqlite", "postgresql", "mariadb"},
+        default="sqlite",
+    )
+
+    db_config: dict[str, Any]
+    base_options: dict[str, Any]
+
+    match engine:
+        case "sqlite":
+            db_config = {
+                "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                "NAME": str((data_dir / "db.sqlite3").resolve()),
+            }
+            base_options = {}
+
+        case "postgresql":
+            db_config = {
+                "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.postgresql",
+                "HOST": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBHOST"),
+                "NAME": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBNAME", "paperless"),
+                "USER": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBUSER", "paperless"),
+                "PASSWORD": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBPASS", "paperless"),
+            }
+
+            base_options = {
+                "sslmode": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE", "prefer"),
+                "sslrootcert": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT"),
+                "sslcert": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT"),
+                "sslkey": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY"),
+            }
+
+            if (pool_size := get_int_from_env("PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE")) is not None:
+                base_options["pool"] = {
+                    "min_size": 1,
+                    "max_size": pool_size,
+                }
+
+        case "mariadb":
+            db_config = {
+                "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.mysql",
+                "HOST": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBHOST"),
+                "NAME": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBNAME", "paperless"),
+                "USER": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBUSER", "paperless"),
+                "PASSWORD": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBPASS", "paperless"),
+            }
+
+            base_options = {
+                "read_default_file": "/etc/mysql/my.cnf",
+                "charset": "utf8mb4",
+                "collation": "utf8mb4_unicode_ci",
+                "ssl_mode": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE", "PREFERRED"),
+                "ssl": {
+                    "ca": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT"),
+                    "cert": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT"),
+                    "key": os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY"),
+                },
+            }
+        case _:  # pragma: no cover
+            raise NotImplementedError(engine)
+
+    # Handle port setting for external databases
+    if (
+        engine in ("postgresql", "mariadb")
+        and (port := get_int_from_env("PAPERLESS_DBPORT")) is not None
+    ):
+        db_config["PORT"] = port
+
+    # Handle timeout setting (common across all engines, different key names)
+    if (timeout := get_int_from_env("PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT")) is not None:
+        timeout_key = "timeout" if engine == "sqlite" else "connect_timeout"
+        base_options[timeout_key] = timeout
+
+    # Apply PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS overrides
+    db_config["OPTIONS"] = parse_dict_from_str(
+        os.getenv("PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS"),
+        defaults=base_options,
+        separator=";",
+        type_map={
+            # SQLite options
+            "timeout": int,
+            # Postgres/MariaDB options
+            "connect_timeout": int,
+            "pool.min_size": int,
+            "pool.max_size": int,
+        },
+    )
+
+    databases = {"default": db_config}
+
+    # Add SQLite fallback for PostgreSQL/MariaDB
+    # TODO: Is this really useful/used?
+    if engine in ("postgresql", "mariadb"):
+        databases["sqlite"] = {
+            "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+            "NAME": str((data_dir / "db.sqlite3").resolve()),
+            "OPTIONS": {},
+        }
+
+    return databases

src/paperless/settings/parsers.py

@@ -0,0 +1,192 @@
+import copy
+import os
+from collections.abc import Callable
+from collections.abc import Mapping
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any
+from typing import TypeVar
+from typing import overload
+
+T = TypeVar("T")
+
+
+def str_to_bool(value: str) -> bool:
+    """
+    Converts a string representation of truth to a boolean value.
+
+    Recognizes 'true', '1', 't', 'y', 'yes' as True, and
+    'false', '0', 'f', 'n', 'no' as False. Case-insensitive.
+
+    Args:
+        value: The string to convert.
+
+    Returns:
+        The boolean representation of the string.
+
+    Raises:
+        ValueError: If the string is not a recognized boolean value.
+    """
+    val_lower = value.strip().lower()
+    if val_lower in ("true", "1", "t", "y", "yes"):
+        return True
+    elif val_lower in ("false", "0", "f", "n", "no"):
+        return False
+    raise ValueError(f"Cannot convert '{value}' to a boolean.")
+
+
+@overload
+def get_int_from_env(key: str) -> int | None: ...
+
+
+@overload
+def get_int_from_env(key: str, default: None) -> int | None: ...
+
+
+@overload
+def get_int_from_env(key: str, default: int) -> int: ...
+
+
+def get_int_from_env(key: str, default: int | None = None) -> int | None:
+    """
+    Return an integer value based on the environment variable.
+    If default is provided, returns that value when key is missing.
+    If default is None, returns None when key is missing.
+    """
+    if key not in os.environ:
+        return default
+
+    return int(os.environ[key])
+
+
+def parse_dict_from_str(
+    env_str: str | None,
+    defaults: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+    type_map: Mapping[str, Callable[[str], Any]] | None = None,
+    separator: str = ",",
+) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    """
+    Parses a key-value string into a dictionary, applying defaults and casting types.
+
+    Supports nested keys via dot-notation, e.g.:
+        "database.host=localhost,database.port=5432"
+
+    Args:
+        env_str: The string from the environment variable (e.g., "port=9090,debug=true").
+        defaults: A dictionary of default values (can contain nested dicts).
+        type_map: A dictionary mapping keys (dot-notation allowed) to a type or a parsing
+                  function (e.g., {'port': int, 'debug': bool, 'database.port': int}).
+                  The special `bool` type triggers custom boolean parsing.
+        separator: The character used to separate key-value pairs. Defaults to ','.
+
+    Returns:
+        A dictionary with the parsed and correctly-typed settings.
+
+    Raises:
+        ValueError: If a value cannot be cast to its specified type.
+    """
+
+    def _set_nested(d: dict, keys: list[str], value: Any) -> None:
+        """Set a nested value, creating intermediate dicts as needed."""
+        cur = d
+        for k in keys[:-1]:
+            if k not in cur or not isinstance(cur[k], dict):
+                cur[k] = {}
+            cur = cur[k]
+        cur[keys[-1]] = value
+
+    def _get_nested(d: dict, keys: list[str]) -> Any:
+        """Get nested value or raise KeyError if not present."""
+        cur = d
+        for k in keys:
+            if not isinstance(cur, dict) or k not in cur:
+                raise KeyError
+            cur = cur[k]
+        return cur
+
+    def _has_nested(d: dict, keys: list[str]) -> bool:
+        try:
+            _get_nested(d, keys)
+            return True
+        except KeyError:
+            return False
+
+    settings: dict[str, Any] = copy.deepcopy(defaults) if defaults else {}
+    _type_map = type_map if type_map else {}
+
+    if not env_str:
+        return settings
+
+    # Parse the environment string using the specified separator
+    pairs = [p.strip() for p in env_str.split(separator) if p.strip()]
+    for pair in pairs:
+        if "=" not in pair:
+            # ignore malformed pairs
+            continue
+        key, val = pair.split("=", 1)
+        key = key.strip()
+        val = val.strip()
+        if not key:
+            continue
+        parts = key.split(".")
+        _set_nested(settings, parts, val)
+
+    # Apply type casting to the updated settings (supports nested keys in type_map)
+    for key, caster in _type_map.items():
+        key_parts = key.split(".")
+        if _has_nested(settings, key_parts):
+            raw_val = _get_nested(settings, key_parts)
+            # Only cast if it's a string (i.e. from env parsing). If defaults already provided
+            # a different type we leave it as-is.
+            if isinstance(raw_val, str):
+                try:
+                    if caster is bool:
+                        parsed = str_to_bool(raw_val)
+                    elif caster is Path:
+                        parsed = Path(raw_val).resolve()
+                    else:
+                        parsed = caster(raw_val)
+                except (ValueError, TypeError) as e:
+                    caster_name = getattr(caster, "__name__", repr(caster))
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        f"Error casting key '{key}' with value '{raw_val}' "
+                        f"to type '{caster_name}'",
+                    ) from e
+                _set_nested(settings, key_parts, parsed)
+
+    return settings
+
+
+def get_choice_from_env(
+    env_key: str,
+    choices: set[str],
+    default: str | None = None,
+) -> str:
+    """
+    Gets and validates an environment variable against a set of allowed choices.
+
+    Args:
+        env_key: The environment variable key to validate
+        choices: Set of valid choices for the environment variable
+        default: Optional default value if environment variable is not set
+
+    Returns:
+        The validated environment variable value
+
+    Raises:
+        ValueError: If the environment variable value is not in choices
+                             or if no default is provided and env var is missing
+    """
+    value = os.environ.get(env_key, default)
+
+    if value is None:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Environment variable '{env_key}' is required but not set.",
+        )
+
+    if value not in choices:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Environment variable '{env_key}' has invalid value '{value}'. "
+            f"Valid choices are: {', '.join(sorted(choices))}",
+        )
+
+    return value

src/paperless/tests/test_checks.py

@@ -2,13 +2,17 @@ import os
 from pathlib import Path
 from unittest import mock
 
+import pytest
+from django.core.checks import Warning
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.test import override_settings
+from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
 
 from documents.tests.utils import DirectoriesMixin
 from documents.tests.utils import FileSystemAssertsMixin
 from paperless.checks import audit_log_check
 from paperless.checks import binaries_check
+from paperless.checks import check_deprecated_db_settings
 from paperless.checks import debug_mode_check
 from paperless.checks import paths_check
 from paperless.checks import settings_values_check
@@ -237,3 +241,157 @@ class TestAuditLogChecks(TestCase):
                     ("auditlog table was found but audit log is disabled."),
                     msg.msg,
                 )
+
+
+DEPRECATED_VARS: dict[str, str] = {
+    "PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT": "timeout",
+    "PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE": "pool.min_size / pool.max_size",
+    "PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE": "sslmode",
+    "PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT": "sslrootcert",
+    "PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT": "sslcert",
+    "PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY": "sslkey",
+}
+
+
+class TestDeprecatedDbSettings:
+    """Test suite for the check_deprecated_db_settings system check."""
+
+    def test_no_deprecated_vars_returns_empty(
+        self,
+        mocker: MockerFixture,
+    ) -> None:
+        """No warnings when none of the deprecated vars are present."""
+        # clear=True ensures vars from the outer test environment do not leak in
+        mocker.patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True)
+        result = check_deprecated_db_settings(None)
+        assert result == []
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("env_var", "db_option_key"),
+        [
+            ("PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT", "timeout"),
+            ("PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE", "pool.min_size / pool.max_size"),
+            ("PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE", "sslmode"),
+            ("PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT", "sslrootcert"),
+            ("PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT", "sslcert"),
+            ("PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY", "sslkey"),
+        ],
+        ids=[
+            "db-timeout",
+            "db-poolsize",
+            "ssl-mode",
+            "ssl-rootcert",
+            "ssl-cert",
+            "ssl-key",
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_single_deprecated_var_produces_one_warning(
+        self,
+        mocker: MockerFixture,
+        env_var: str,
+        db_option_key: str,
+    ) -> None:
+        """Each deprecated var in isolation produces exactly one warning."""
+        mocker.patch.dict(os.environ, {env_var: "some_value"}, clear=True)
+        result = check_deprecated_db_settings(None)
+
+        assert len(result) == 1
+        warning = result[0]
+        assert isinstance(warning, Warning)
+        assert warning.id == "paperless.W001"
+        assert env_var in warning.hint
+        assert db_option_key in warning.hint
+
+    def test_multiple_deprecated_vars_produce_one_warning_each(
+        self,
+        mocker: MockerFixture,
+    ) -> None:
+        """Each deprecated var present in the environment gets its own warning."""
+        set_vars = {
+            "PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT": "30",
+            "PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE": "10",
+            "PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE": "require",
+        }
+        mocker.patch.dict(os.environ, set_vars, clear=True)
+        result = check_deprecated_db_settings(None)
+
+        assert len(result) == len(set_vars)
+        assert all(isinstance(w, Warning) for w in result)
+        assert all(w.id == "paperless.W001" for w in result)
+        all_hints = " ".join(w.hint for w in result)
+        for var_name in set_vars:
+            assert var_name in all_hints
+
+    def test_all_deprecated_vars_produces_one_warning_each(
+        self,
+        mocker: MockerFixture,
+    ) -> None:
+        """All deprecated vars set simultaneously produces one warning per var."""
+        all_vars = {var: "some_value" for var in DEPRECATED_VARS}
+        mocker.patch.dict(os.environ, all_vars, clear=True)
+        result = check_deprecated_db_settings(None)
+
+        assert len(result) == len(DEPRECATED_VARS)
+        assert all(isinstance(w, Warning) for w in result)
+        assert all(w.id == "paperless.W001" for w in result)
+
+    def test_unset_vars_not_mentioned_in_warnings(
+        self,
+        mocker: MockerFixture,
+    ) -> None:
+        """Vars absent from the environment do not appear in any warning."""
+        mocker.patch.dict(
+            os.environ,
+            {"PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT": "30"},
+            clear=True,
+        )
+        result = check_deprecated_db_settings(None)
+
+        assert len(result) == 1
+        assert "PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT" in result[0].hint
+        unset_vars = [v for v in DEPRECATED_VARS if v != "PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT"]
+        for var_name in unset_vars:
+            assert var_name not in result[0].hint
+
+    def test_empty_string_var_not_treated_as_set(
+        self,
+        mocker: MockerFixture,
+    ) -> None:
+        """A var set to an empty string is not flagged as a deprecated setting."""
+        mocker.patch.dict(
+            os.environ,
+            {"PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT": ""},
+            clear=True,
+        )
+        result = check_deprecated_db_settings(None)
+        assert result == []
+
+    def test_warning_mentions_migration_target(
+        self,
+        mocker: MockerFixture,
+    ) -> None:
+        """Each warning hints at PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS as the migration target."""
+        mocker.patch.dict(
+            os.environ,
+            {"PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE": "require"},
+            clear=True,
+        )
+        result = check_deprecated_db_settings(None)
+
+        assert len(result) == 1
+        assert "PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS" in result[0].hint
+
+    def test_warning_message_identifies_var(
+        self,
+        mocker: MockerFixture,
+    ) -> None:
+        """The warning message (not just the hint) identifies the offending var."""
+        mocker.patch.dict(
+            os.environ,
+            {"PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT": "/path/to/cert.pem"},
+            clear=True,
+        )
+        result = check_deprecated_db_settings(None)
+
+        assert len(result) == 1
+        assert "PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT" in result[0].msg

src/paperless/tests/test_settings.py

@@ -1,19 +1,21 @@
 import datetime
 import os
+from pathlib import Path
 from unittest import TestCase
 from unittest import mock
 
 import pytest
 from celery.schedules import crontab
+from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
 
 from paperless.settings import _parse_base_paths
 from paperless.settings import _parse_beat_schedule
 from paperless.settings import _parse_dateparser_languages
-from paperless.settings import _parse_db_settings
 from paperless.settings import _parse_ignore_dates
 from paperless.settings import _parse_paperless_url
 from paperless.settings import _parse_redis_url
 from paperless.settings import default_threads_per_worker
+from paperless.settings.custom import parse_db_settings
 
 
 class TestIgnoreDateParsing(TestCase):
@@ -378,62 +380,302 @@ class TestCeleryScheduleParsing(TestCase):
         )
 
 
-class TestDBSettings(TestCase):
+class TestParseDbSettings:
-    def test_db_timeout_with_sqlite(self) -> None:
+    """Test suite for parse_db_settings function."""
-        """
-        GIVEN:
-            - PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT is set
-        WHEN:
-            - Settings are parsed
-        THEN:
-            - PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT set for sqlite
-        """
-        with mock.patch.dict(
-            os.environ,
-            {
-                "PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT": "10",
-            },
-        ):
-            databases = _parse_db_settings()
 
-            self.assertDictEqual(
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("env_vars", "expected_database_settings"),
+        [
+            pytest.param(
+                {},
                 {
-                    "timeout": 10.0,
+                    "default": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                        "NAME": None,  # Will be replaced with tmp_path
+                        "OPTIONS": {},
+                    },
                 },
-                databases["default"]["OPTIONS"],
+                id="default-sqlite",
-            )
+            ),
-
+            pytest.param(
-    def test_db_timeout_with_not_sqlite(self) -> None:
-        """
-        GIVEN:
-            - PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT is set but db is not sqlite
-        WHEN:
-            - Settings are parsed
-        THEN:
-            - PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT set correctly in non-sqlite db & for fallback sqlite db
-        """
-        with mock.patch.dict(
-            os.environ,
-            {
-                "PAPERLESS_DBHOST": "127.0.0.1",
-                "PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT": "10",
-            },
-        ):
-            databases = _parse_db_settings()
-
-            self.assertDictEqual(
-                databases["default"]["OPTIONS"],
-                databases["default"]["OPTIONS"]
-                | {
-                    "connect_timeout": 10.0,
-                },
-            )
-            self.assertDictEqual(
                 {
-                    "timeout": 10.0,
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBENGINE": "sqlite",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS": "timeout=30",
                 },
-                databases["sqlite"]["OPTIONS"],
+                {
+                    "default": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                        "NAME": None,  # Will be replaced with tmp_path
+                        "OPTIONS": {
+                            "timeout": 30,
+                        },
+                    },
+                },
+                id="sqlite-with-timeout-override",
+            ),
+            pytest.param(
+                {
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBENGINE": "postgresql",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBHOST": "localhost",
+                },
+                {
+                    "default": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.postgresql",
+                        "HOST": "localhost",
+                        "NAME": "paperless",
+                        "USER": "paperless",
+                        "PASSWORD": "paperless",
+                        "OPTIONS": {
+                            "sslmode": "prefer",
+                            "sslrootcert": None,
+                            "sslcert": None,
+                            "sslkey": None,
+                        },
+                    },
+                    "sqlite": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                        "NAME": None,  # Will be replaced with tmp_path
+                        "OPTIONS": {},
+                    },
+                },
+                id="postgresql-defaults",
+            ),
+            pytest.param(
+                {
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBENGINE": "postgresql",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBHOST": "paperless-db-host",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBPORT": "1111",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBNAME": "customdb",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBUSER": "customuser",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBPASS": "custompass",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS": "pool.max_size=50;pool.min_size=2;sslmode=require",
+                },
+                {
+                    "default": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.postgresql",
+                        "HOST": "paperless-db-host",
+                        "PORT": 1111,
+                        "NAME": "customdb",
+                        "USER": "customuser",
+                        "PASSWORD": "custompass",
+                        "OPTIONS": {
+                            "sslmode": "require",
+                            "sslrootcert": None,
+                            "sslcert": None,
+                            "sslkey": None,
+                            "pool": {
+                                "min_size": 2,
+                                "max_size": 50,
+                            },
+                        },
+                    },
+                    "sqlite": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                        "NAME": None,  # Will be replaced with tmp_path
+                        "OPTIONS": {},
+                    },
+                },
+                id="postgresql-overrides",
+            ),
+            pytest.param(
+                {
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBENGINE": "postgresql",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBHOST": "pghost",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DB_POOLSIZE": "10",
+                },
+                {
+                    "default": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.postgresql",
+                        "HOST": "pghost",
+                        "NAME": "paperless",
+                        "USER": "paperless",
+                        "PASSWORD": "paperless",
+                        "OPTIONS": {
+                            "sslmode": "prefer",
+                            "sslrootcert": None,
+                            "sslcert": None,
+                            "sslkey": None,
+                            "pool": {
+                                "min_size": 1,
+                                "max_size": 10,
+                            },
+                        },
+                    },
+                    "sqlite": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                        "NAME": None,  # Will be replaced with tmp_path
+                        "OPTIONS": {},
+                    },
+                },
+                id="postgresql-legacy-poolsize",
+            ),
+            pytest.param(
+                {
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBENGINE": "postgresql",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBHOST": "pghost",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE": "require",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT": "/certs/ca.crt",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT": "30",
+                },
+                {
+                    "default": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.postgresql",
+                        "HOST": "pghost",
+                        "NAME": "paperless",
+                        "USER": "paperless",
+                        "PASSWORD": "paperless",
+                        "OPTIONS": {
+                            "sslmode": "require",
+                            "sslrootcert": "/certs/ca.crt",
+                            "sslcert": None,
+                            "sslkey": None,
+                            "connect_timeout": 30,
+                        },
+                    },
+                    "sqlite": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                        "NAME": None,  # Will be replaced with tmp_path
+                        "OPTIONS": {},
+                    },
+                },
+                id="postgresql-legacy-ssl-and-timeout",
+            ),
+            pytest.param(
+                {
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBENGINE": "mariadb",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBHOST": "localhost",
+                },
+                {
+                    "default": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.mysql",
+                        "HOST": "localhost",
+                        "NAME": "paperless",
+                        "USER": "paperless",
+                        "PASSWORD": "paperless",
+                        "OPTIONS": {
+                            "read_default_file": "/etc/mysql/my.cnf",
+                            "charset": "utf8mb4",
+                            "collation": "utf8mb4_unicode_ci",
+                            "ssl_mode": "PREFERRED",
+                            "ssl": {
+                                "ca": None,
+                                "cert": None,
+                                "key": None,
+                            },
+                        },
+                    },
+                    "sqlite": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                        "NAME": None,  # Will be replaced with tmp_path
+                        "OPTIONS": {},
+                    },
+                },
+                id="mariadb-defaults",
+            ),
+            pytest.param(
+                {
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBENGINE": "mariadb",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBHOST": "paperless-mariadb-host",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBPORT": "5555",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBUSER": "my-cool-user",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBPASS": "my-secure-password",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DB_OPTIONS": "ssl.ca=/path/to/ca.pem;ssl_mode=REQUIRED",
+                },
+                {
+                    "default": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.mysql",
+                        "HOST": "paperless-mariadb-host",
+                        "PORT": 5555,
+                        "NAME": "paperless",
+                        "USER": "my-cool-user",
+                        "PASSWORD": "my-secure-password",
+                        "OPTIONS": {
+                            "read_default_file": "/etc/mysql/my.cnf",
+                            "charset": "utf8mb4",
+                            "collation": "utf8mb4_unicode_ci",
+                            "ssl_mode": "REQUIRED",
+                            "ssl": {
+                                "ca": "/path/to/ca.pem",
+                                "cert": None,
+                                "key": None,
+                            },
+                        },
+                    },
+                    "sqlite": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                        "NAME": None,  # Will be replaced with tmp_path
+                        "OPTIONS": {},
+                    },
+                },
+                id="mariadb-overrides",
+            ),
+            pytest.param(
+                {
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBENGINE": "mariadb",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBHOST": "mariahost",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBSSLMODE": "REQUIRED",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBSSLROOTCERT": "/certs/ca.pem",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBSSLCERT": "/certs/client.pem",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DBSSLKEY": "/certs/client.key",
+                    "PAPERLESS_DB_TIMEOUT": "25",
+                },
+                {
+                    "default": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.mysql",
+                        "HOST": "mariahost",
+                        "NAME": "paperless",
+                        "USER": "paperless",
+                        "PASSWORD": "paperless",
+                        "OPTIONS": {
+                            "read_default_file": "/etc/mysql/my.cnf",
+                            "charset": "utf8mb4",
+                            "collation": "utf8mb4_unicode_ci",
+                            "ssl_mode": "REQUIRED",
+                            "ssl": {
+                                "ca": "/certs/ca.pem",
+                                "cert": "/certs/client.pem",
+                                "key": "/certs/client.key",
+                            },
+                            "connect_timeout": 25,
+                        },
+                    },
+                    "sqlite": {
+                        "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
+                        "NAME": None,  # Will be replaced with tmp_path
+                        "OPTIONS": {},
+                    },
+                },
+                id="mariadb-legacy-ssl-and-timeout",
+            ),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_parse_db_settings(
+        self,
+        tmp_path: Path,
+        mocker: MockerFixture,
+        env_vars: dict[str, str],
+        expected_database_settings: dict[str, dict],
+    ) -> None:
+        """Test various database configurations with defaults and overrides."""
+        # Clear environment and set test vars
+        mocker.patch.dict(os.environ, env_vars, clear=True)
+
+        # Update expected paths with actual tmp_path
+        if (
+            "default" in expected_database_settings
+            and expected_database_settings["default"]["NAME"] is None
+        ):
+            expected_database_settings["default"]["NAME"] = str(
+                tmp_path / "db.sqlite3",
             )
+        if "sqlite" in expected_database_settings:
+            expected_database_settings["sqlite"]["NAME"] = str(
+                tmp_path / "db.sqlite3",
+            )
+
+        settings = parse_db_settings(tmp_path)
+
+        assert settings == expected_database_settings
 
 
 class TestPaperlessURLSettings(TestCase):

zensical.toml

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ repo_name = "paperless-ngx/paperless-ngx"
 nav = [
   "index.md",
   "setup.md",
+  "migration.md",
   "usage.md",
   "configuration.md",
   "administration.md",