diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-package.yml b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
index 8fd3a91e6..4bca9dab3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
@@ -96,7 +96,9 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run S3 tracking server tests
         run: |
-          python -m pytest tests/tracking/test_bip0042_s3_buffering.py -v
+          python -m pytest \
+            tests/tracking/test_bip0042_s3_buffering.py \
+            tests/tracking/test_s3_initialize_db.py -v
 
   test-bedrock:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/burr/tracking/server/s3/initialize_db.py b/burr/tracking/server/s3/initialize_db.py
index e06528bd4..cfe31f5f9 100644
--- a/burr/tracking/server/s3/initialize_db.py
+++ b/burr/tracking/server/s3/initialize_db.py
@@ -15,19 +15,16 @@
 # specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
 
-import os
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from tortoise import Tortoise, run_async
 
 from burr.tracking.server.s3 import settings
 
-DB_PATH = Path("~/.burr_server/db.sqlite3").expanduser()
-
 
 async def connect():
-    if not os.path.exists(DB_PATH):
-        os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(DB_PATH), exist_ok=True)
+    db_path = Path(settings.DB_PATH).expanduser()
+    db_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
     await Tortoise.init(
         config=settings.TORTOISE_ORM,
     )
diff --git a/tests/tracking/test_s3_initialize_db.py b/tests/tracking/test_s3_initialize_db.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..197587c72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tracking/test_s3_initialize_db.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+# or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+# distributed with this work for additional information
+# regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+# to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+# "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+# with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+# software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+# "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+# KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+# specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+import asyncio
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock
+
+import pytest
+
+pytest.importorskip("tortoise")
+from burr.tracking.server.s3 import initialize_db, settings
+
+
+def test_connect_uses_configured_database_path(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    db_path = tmp_path / "nested" / "custom.sqlite3"
+    tortoise_config = {"connections": {"default": f"sqlite:///{db_path}"}, "apps": {}}
+    tortoise_init = AsyncMock()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(settings, "DB_PATH", str(db_path))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(settings, "TORTOISE_ORM", tortoise_config)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(initialize_db.Tortoise, "init", tortoise_init)
+
+    asyncio.run(initialize_db.connect())
+
+    assert db_path.parent.is_dir()
+    tortoise_init.assert_awaited_once_with(config=tortoise_config)