diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 61731dd..e0c71e7 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -9,15 +9,25 @@ cache:
     - .m2/repository/
     - target/
 
-build:
-  stage: build
+stages:
+  - compile
+  - test
+  - package
+
+compile:
+  stage: compile
   script:
-    - "mvn --batch-mode package"
-  artifacts:
-    paths:
-      - target/netneutrality-jar-with-dependencies.jar
+    - "mvn --batch-mode compile"
 
 test:
   stage: test
   script:
     - "mvn --batch-mode test"
+
+package:
+  stage: package
+  script:
+    - "mvn --batch-mode package"
+  artifacts:
+    paths:
+      - target/netneutrality-jar-with-dependencies.jar
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 99ea899..ead73f4 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -108,9 +108,9 @@
 		</dependency>
 
 		<dependency>
-			<groupId>org.mariadb.jdbc</groupId>
-			<artifactId>mariadb-java-client</artifactId>
-			<version>2.7.4</version>
+			<groupId>mysql</groupId>
+			<artifactId>mysql-connector-java</artifactId>
+			<version>8.0.26</version>
 		</dependency>
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>commons-logging</groupId>
 			<artifactId>commons-logging</artifactId>
-			<version>1.1.1</version>
+			<version>1.2</version>
 		</dependency>
 
 		<dependency>
diff --git a/src/main/java/netneutrality/db/MysqlConnector.java b/src/main/java/netneutrality/db/MysqlConnector.java
index b892f41..1f6034a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/netneutrality/db/MysqlConnector.java
+++ b/src/main/java/netneutrality/db/MysqlConnector.java
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package netneutrality.db;
 
-
-import org.mariadb.jdbc.MariaDbPoolDataSource;
+import com.mysql.cj.jdbc.MysqlDataSource;
 
 import java.sql.Connection;
 import java.sql.SQLException;
@@ -27,14 +26,16 @@ public class MysqlConnector {
 	 * @return {@link MysqlConnector}
 	 */
 	public MysqlConnector connect() throws SQLException {
-
-		MariaDbPoolDataSource dataSource = new MariaDbPoolDataSource();
+		MysqlDataSource dataSource = new MysqlDataSource();
 		dataSource.setUser(dbUser);
 		dataSource.setPassword(dbPass);
 		dataSource.setServerName(dbHost);
 		dataSource.setPort(3306);
 		dataSource.setDatabaseName(dbName);
+		dataSource.setAutoReconnect(true);
+		dataSource.setAutoReconnectForPools(true);
 		c = dataSource.getConnection();
+
 		return this;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/netneutrality/db/MysqlDatabase.java b/src/main/java/netneutrality/db/MysqlDatabase.java
index 39a8484..bb0f00a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/netneutrality/db/MysqlDatabase.java
+++ b/src/main/java/netneutrality/db/MysqlDatabase.java
@@ -8,9 +8,7 @@ import java.sql.SQLException;
 import java.sql.Statement;
 import java.sql.Timestamp;
 import java.sql.Types;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Calendar;
-import java.util.List;
 
 import netneutrality.MusicBot;
 import netneutrality.db.entities.EntityInterface;
@@ -24,13 +22,13 @@ import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 public class MysqlDatabase {
 
 	private final static Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(MysqlDatabase.class);
-	private Connection connection;
+	protected Connection connection;
 	private final String dbName;
 
 	protected enum CommandType {
 		SELECT("SELECT"), INSERT("INSERT"), UPDATE("UPDATE"), DELETE("DELETE");
 
-		private String type;
+		private final String type;
 
 		CommandType(String type) {
 			this.type = type;
@@ -49,10 +47,10 @@ public class MysqlDatabase {
 		String dbHost = Settings.getInstance().get("mysql.host");
 
 		try {
-			logger.info("Connecting to database...");
+			logger.info(String.format("Connecting to database '%1$s' at %2$s:3306", dbName, dbHost));
 			connection = new MysqlConnector(dbName, dbUser, dbHost, dbPass).connect().getConnection();
 		} catch (SQLException e) {
-			logger.error("Error connecting to database. Shutting down..");
+			logger.error("Error connecting to database. Shutting down..", e);
 			MusicBot.shutdown();
 		}
 	}
@@ -114,13 +112,9 @@ public class MysqlDatabase {
 		return executeUpdate(sql, params);
 	}
 
-	public synchronized boolean exists(String table, String key, String value) {
-		ResultSet rs = prepareAndExecute("SELECT 1 FROM " + table + " WHERE " + key + " = ?", value);
-		try {
-			return rs.next();
-		} catch (SQLException e) {
-			return false;
-		}
+	public boolean exists(String table, String key, String value) {
+		return prepareAndExecuteAsync("SELECT 1 FROM " + table + " WHERE " + key + " = ?", value).blocking().isEmpty();
+
 	}
 
 	private synchronized int executeUpdate(String sql, Object[] params) {
diff --git a/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml b/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml
index 9bc2e7f..c27bace 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml
+++ b/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@
 <Configuration status="WARN" xmlns="http://logging.apache.org/log4j/2.0/config">
     <Appenders>
         <Console name="Console" target="SYSTEM_OUT">
-            <PatternLayout pattern="%d{${LOG_DATEFORMAT_PATTERN:-yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS}} %highlight{${LOG_LEVEL_PATTERN:-%5p}}{FATAL=red blink, ERROR=red, WARN=yellow bold, INFO=green, DEBUG=green bold, TRACE=blue} [%15.15t] %style{%-40.40C}{cyan} : %m%n" />
+            <PatternLayout pattern="%d{yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS} [%thread] %highlight{%-5level}{STYLE=Logback} %logger - %msg%n" />
         </Console>
     </Appenders>
     <Loggers>
-        <Logger name="netneutrality" level="trace" additivity="false">
+        <Logger name="netneutrality" level="info" additivity="false">
             <AppenderRef ref="Console"/>
         </Logger>
         <Root level="error">