diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 865603b34..9e7d6c57c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1834,11 +1834,14 @@ set_src(ANTIBOT_SRC GLOB src/antibot
   antibot_null.cpp
 )
 
-set_src(ENGINE_SERVER GLOB src/engine/server
+set_src(ENGINE_SERVER GLOB_RECURSE src/engine/server
   antibot.cpp
   antibot.h
   authmanager.cpp
   authmanager.h
+  databases/connection.h
+  databases/mysql.cpp
+  databases/mysql.h
   name_ban.cpp
   name_ban.h
   register.cpp
diff --git a/src/engine/server/databases/connection.h b/src/engine/server/databases/connection.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8a5d990b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/server/databases/connection.h
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#ifndef ENGINE_SERVER_DATABASES_CONNECTION_H
+#define ENGINE_SERVER_DATABASES_CONNECTION_H
+
+#include <base/system.h>
+
+// can hold one PreparedStatement with Results
+class IDbConnection
+{
+public:
+	IDbConnection(const char *pPrefix)
+	{
+		str_copy(m_aPrefix, pPrefix, sizeof(m_aPrefix));
+	}
+	virtual ~IDbConnection() {}
+
+	// copies the credentials, not the active connection
+	virtual IDbConnection *Copy() = 0;
+
+	// returns the database prefix
+	const char *GetPrefix() { return m_aPrefix; }
+
+	enum Status
+	{
+		IN_USE,
+		SUCCESS,
+		ERROR,
+	};
+	// returns true if connection was established
+	virtual Status Connect() = 0;
+	virtual void Disconnect() = 0;
+
+	// get exclusive read/write access to the database
+	virtual void Lock() = 0;
+	virtual void Unlock() = 0;
+
+	// ? for Placeholders, connection has to be established, can overwrite previous prepared statements
+	virtual void PrepareStatement(const char *pStmt) = 0;
+
+	// PrepareStatement has to be called beforehand,
+	virtual void BindString(int Idx, const char *pString) = 0;
+	virtual void BindInt(int Idx, int Value) = 0;
+
+	virtual void Execute() = 0;
+
+	// if true if another result row exists and selects it
+	virtual bool Step() = 0;
+
+	virtual int GetInt(int Col) const = 0;
+	// ensures that the string is null terminated
+	virtual void GetString(int Col, char *pBuffer, int BufferSize) const = 0;
+	// returns number of bytes read into the buffer
+	virtual int GetBlob(int Col, unsigned char *pBuffer, int BufferSize) const = 0;
+
+protected:
+	char m_aPrefix[64];
+};
+
+#endif // ENGINE_SERVER_DATABASES_CONNECTION_H
diff --git a/src/engine/server/databases/mysql.cpp b/src/engine/server/databases/mysql.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cebce7127
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/server/databases/mysql.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+#include "mysql.h"
+
+#include <cppconn/driver.h>
+
+CMysqlConnection::CMysqlConnection(
+		const char *pDatabase,
+		const char *pPrefix,
+		const char *pUser,
+		const char *pPass,
+		const char *pIp,
+		int Port,
+		bool Setup) :
+	IDbConnection(pPrefix),
+	m_pDriver(nullptr),
+	m_Port(Port),
+	m_Setup(Setup),
+	m_InUse(false)
+{
+	str_copy(m_aDatabase, pDatabase, sizeof(m_aDatabase));
+	str_copy(m_aUser, pUser, sizeof(m_aUser));
+	str_copy(m_aPass, pPass, sizeof(m_aPass));
+	str_copy(m_aIp, pIp, sizeof(m_aIp));
+}
+
+CMysqlConnection::~CMysqlConnection()
+{
+}
+
+CMysqlConnection *CMysqlConnection::Copy()
+{
+	return new CMysqlConnection(m_aDatabase, m_aPrefix, m_aUser, m_aPass, m_aIp, m_Port, m_Setup);
+}
+
+IDbConnection::Status CMysqlConnection::Connect()
+{
+	if(m_InUse.exchange(true))
+		return Status::IN_USE;
+
+	return Status::ERROR;
+}
+
+void CMysqlConnection::Disconnect()
+{
+	m_InUse.store(false);
+}
+
+void CMysqlConnection::Lock()
+{
+}
+
+void CMysqlConnection::Unlock()
+{
+}
+
+void CMysqlConnection::PrepareStatement(const char *pStmt)
+{
+}
+
+void CMysqlConnection::BindString(int Idx, const char *pString)
+{
+}
+
+void CMysqlConnection::BindInt(int Idx, int Value)
+{
+}
+
+void CMysqlConnection::Execute()
+{
+}
+
+bool CMysqlConnection::Step()
+{
+	return false;
+}
+
+int CMysqlConnection::GetInt(int Col) const
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
+void CMysqlConnection::GetString(int Col, char *pBuffer, int BufferSize) const
+{
+}
+
+int CMysqlConnection::GetBlob(int Col, unsigned char *pBuffer, int BufferSize) const
+{
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/engine/server/databases/mysql.h b/src/engine/server/databases/mysql.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f9885569b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/server/databases/mysql.h
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#ifndef ENGINE_SERVER_DATABASES_MYSQL_H
+#define ENGINE_SERVER_DATABASES_MYSQL_H
+
+#include "connection.h"
+#include <atomic>
+#include <memory>
+
+#include <cppconn/exception.h>
+#include <cppconn/prepared_statement.h>
+#include <cppconn/statement.h>
+
+namespace sql {
+class Driver;
+} /* namespace sql */
+
+class CMysqlConnection : public IDbConnection
+{
+public:
+	CMysqlConnection(
+			const char *pDatabase,
+			const char *pPrefix,
+			const char *pUser,
+			const char *pPass,
+			const char *pIp,
+			int Port,
+			bool Setup);
+	virtual ~CMysqlConnection();
+
+	virtual CMysqlConnection *Copy();
+
+	virtual Status Connect();
+	virtual void Disconnect();
+
+	virtual void Lock();
+	virtual void Unlock();
+
+	virtual void PrepareStatement(const char *pStmt);
+
+	virtual void BindString(int Idx, const char *pString);
+	virtual void BindInt(int Idx, int Value);
+
+	virtual void Execute();
+
+	virtual bool Step();
+
+	virtual int GetInt(int Col) const;
+	virtual void GetString(int Col, char *pBuffer, int BufferSize) const;
+	virtual int GetBlob(int Col, unsigned char *pBuffer, int BufferSize) const;
+
+private:
+	std::unique_ptr<sql::Connection> m_pConnection;
+	sql::Driver *m_pDriver;
+	std::unique_ptr<sql::PreparedStatement> m_pPreparedStmt;
+	std::unique_ptr<sql::ResultSet> m_pResults;
+
+	// copy of config vars
+	char m_aDatabase[64];
+	char m_aUser[64];
+	char m_aPass[64];
+	char m_aIp[64];
+	int m_Port;
+	bool m_Setup;
+
+	std::atomic_bool m_InUse;
+};
+
+#endif // ENGINE_SERVER_DATABASES_MYSQL_H