diff --git a/.changeset/khaki-clocks-own.md b/.changeset/khaki-clocks-own.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b60de7a1ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/khaki-clocks-own.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/backend-test-utils': patch
+---
+
+Make MySQL pool settings a bit more lax
diff --git a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/database/mysql.ts b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/database/mysql.ts
index ab130dc5c8..b27edb7f9d 100644
--- a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/database/mysql.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/database/mysql.ts
@@ -235,7 +235,11 @@ export class MysqlEngine implements Engine {
       client: this.#properties.driver,
       connection,
       pool: {
-        acquireTimeoutMillis: 10000,
+        min: 0,
+        max: 1,
+        acquireTimeoutMillis: 20_000,
+        createTimeoutMillis: 20_000,
+        createRetryIntervalMillis: 1_000,
       },
     });
   }