diff --git a/srv/energyDB.py b/srv/energyDB.py
index 3677e6e..ddb7a85 100644
--- a/srv/energyDB.py
+++ b/srv/energyDB.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from fastapi import FastAPI, Header, HTTPException
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 import datetime
 import databases
+import os
 import sqlalchemy
 from sqlite3 import OperationalError
 
@@ -11,9 +12,6 @@ API_VERSION_MINOR = 0
 
 REST_API_ROOT = f"/energy/v{API_VERSION_MAJOR}/"
 
-DATABASE_URL = "sqlite:///./energyDB.sqlite"
-# DATABASE_URL = "sqlite://"
-db = databases.Database(DATABASE_URL)
 metadata = sqlalchemy.MetaData()
 energy = sqlalchemy.Table(
     "energy",
@@ -23,9 +21,14 @@ energy = sqlalchemy.Table(
     sqlalchemy.Column("value", sqlalchemy.Float),
     sqlalchemy.UniqueConstraint("timestamp"),
 )
+
+# DATABASE_URL = "sqlite:///./energyDB.sqlite"
+DATABASE_URL = os.getenv("DATABASE_URL", default="sqlite://")
+print(f"DB URL: {DATABASE_URL}")
+db = databases.Database(DATABASE_URL)
 engine = sqlalchemy.create_engine(
-    DATABASE_URL, connect_args={"check_same_thread": False}
-)
+    DATABASE_URL,
+    connect_args={"check_same_thread": False})
 metadata.create_all(engine)
 
 class EnergyValue(BaseModel):
@@ -85,8 +88,11 @@ async def getBulkEnergyData(bulkDataRequest: BulkDataRequest):
                           .where(energy.c.channel_id == ch) \
                           .where(energy.c.timestamp >= bulkDataRequest.fromTime) \
                           .where(energy.c.timestamp <= bulkDataRequest.tillTime)
-        data = await db.fetch_all(query)
-        bulkData.append({"channel_id": ch, "data": data})
+        try:
+            data = await db.fetch_all(query)
+            bulkData.append({"channel_id": ch, "data": data})
+        except OperationalError as e:
+            raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail="Database error")
 
     return {
         "bulk": bulkData,
diff --git a/start_server.sh b/start_server.sh
index 689dae1..7f4e37e 100755
--- a/start_server.sh
+++ b/start_server.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,6 @@ fi
 ARG_HTTP_PORT=${HTTP_PORT:-8000}
 ARG_IP_ADDRESS=${IP_ADDRESS:-127.0.0.1}
 
-export DB_URL=${DATABASE_URL:-sqlite://}
+export DATABASE_URL
 
 /usr/bin/env uvicorn --port $ARG_HTTP_PORT --host $ARG_IP_ADDRESS ${UVICORN_ARGS} srv:energyDB
diff --git a/test/test_EnergyDB.py b/test/test_EnergyDB.py
index 39fd002..2d20b30 100644
--- a/test/test_EnergyDB.py
+++ b/test/test_EnergyDB.py
@@ -3,8 +3,14 @@ import pytest
 
 from datetime import datetime
 import json
+import os
 import urllib.parse
 
+#TODO Use in-memory DB to test the case that there is no table
+#TODO Add helper function to fill the in-memory DB before test
+
+os.environ["DATABASE_URL"] = "sqlite:///./energyDB.sqlite"
+
 from srv import energyDB
 
 class Test_energyDb:
@@ -66,6 +72,7 @@ class Test_energyDb:
         assert response.status_code == 200
 
     def test_bulkData_get(self):
+        print(f"DB_URL: {os.getenv('DATABASE_URL')}")
         # response = self.client.put("/energy/bulkData", json=self.bulkTestData);
         fromTimestamp = datetime.fromisoformat("2020-12-11T12:30:00")
         tillTimestamp = datetime.fromisoformat("2020-12-11T12:30:59")