diff --git a/lib/databases/mysql b/lib/databases/mysql
index 4d0f5f3e45..4e3cc72bdb 100644
--- a/lib/databases/mysql
+++ b/lib/databases/mysql
@@ -15,15 +15,17 @@ MYSQL_DRIVER=${MYSQL_DRIVER:-PyMySQL}
 
 register_database mysql
 
-MYSQL_SERVICE_NAME=mysql
-if is_fedora && ! is_oraclelinux; then
-    MYSQL_SERVICE_NAME=mariadb
-elif is_suse && systemctl list-unit-files | grep -q 'mariadb\.service'; then
-    # Older mariadb packages on SLES 12 provided mysql.service.  The
-    # newer ones on SLES 12 and 15 use mariadb.service; they also
-    # provide a mysql.service symlink for backwards-compatibility, but
-    # let's not rely on that.
-    MYSQL_SERVICE_NAME=mariadb
+if [[ -z "$MYSQL_SERVICE_NAME" ]]; then
+    MYSQL_SERVICE_NAME=mysql
+    if is_fedora && ! is_oraclelinux; then
+        MYSQL_SERVICE_NAME=mariadb
+    elif is_suse && systemctl list-unit-files | grep -q 'mariadb\.service'; then
+        # Older mariadb packages on SLES 12 provided mysql.service.  The
+        # newer ones on SLES 12 and 15 use mariadb.service; they also
+        # provide a mysql.service symlink for backwards-compatibility, but
+        # let's not rely on that.
+        MYSQL_SERVICE_NAME=mariadb
+    fi
 fi
 
 # Functions
@@ -92,8 +94,23 @@ function configure_database_mysql {
     # because the package might have been installed already.
     sudo mysqladmin -u root password $DATABASE_PASSWORD || true
 
+    # In case of Mariadb, giving hostname in arguments causes permission
+    # problems as it expects connection through socket
+    if is_ubuntu && [ "$MYSQL_SERVICE_NAME" == "mariadb" ]; then
+        local cmd_args="-uroot -p$DATABASE_PASSWORD "
+    else
+        local cmd_args="-uroot -p$DATABASE_PASSWORD -h127.0.0.1 "
+    fi
+
+    # In mariadb e.g. on Ubuntu socket plugin is used for authentication
+    # as root so it works only as sudo. To restore old "mysql like" behaviour,
+    # we need to change auth plugin for root user
+    if [ "$MYSQL_SERVICE_NAME" == "mariadb" ]; then
+        sudo mysql $cmd_args -e "UPDATE mysql.user SET plugin='' WHERE user='$DATABASE_USER' AND host='localhost';"
+        sudo mysql $cmd_args -e "FLUSH PRIVILEGES;"
+    fi
     # Update the DB to give user '$DATABASE_USER'@'%' full control of the all databases:
-    sudo mysql -uroot -p$DATABASE_PASSWORD -h127.0.0.1 -e "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO '$DATABASE_USER'@'%' identified by '$DATABASE_PASSWORD';"
+    sudo mysql $cmd_args -e "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO '$DATABASE_USER'@'%' identified by '$DATABASE_PASSWORD';"
 
     # Now update ``my.cnf`` for some local needs and restart the mysql service
 
@@ -148,8 +165,11 @@ MYSQL_PRESEED
 [client]
 user=$DATABASE_USER
 password=$DATABASE_PASSWORD
-host=$MYSQL_HOST
 EOF
+
+        if ! is_ubuntu || [ "$MYSQL_SERVICE_NAME" != "mariadb" ]; then
+            echo "host=$MYSQL_HOST" >> $HOME/.my.cnf
+        fi
         chmod 0600 $HOME/.my.cnf
     fi
     # Install mysql-server
@@ -159,7 +179,7 @@ EOF
         install_package mariadb-server
         sudo systemctl enable $MYSQL_SERVICE_NAME
     elif is_ubuntu; then
-        install_package mysql-server
+        install_package $MYSQL_SERVICE_NAME-server
     else
         exit_distro_not_supported "mysql installation"
     fi