diff --git a/internal/cmd/base/servers.go b/internal/cmd/base/servers.go
index 8f24868d73..13a4bda17e 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/base/servers.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/base/servers.go
@@ -462,5 +462,7 @@ func (b *Server) DestroyDevDatabase() error {
 	if b.DevDatabaseCleanupFunc != nil {
 		return b.DevDatabaseCleanupFunc()
 	}
-	return errors.New("no dev database cleanup function found")
+	// allow the use of out-of-tree databases such as external dev
+	// database instances not forked by the underlying testing lib
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/servers/controller/testing.go b/internal/servers/controller/testing.go
index b73c0b1d83..7df478512a 100644
--- a/internal/servers/controller/testing.go
+++ b/internal/servers/controller/testing.go
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@ type TestControllerOpts struct {
 	// DisableDatabaseCreation can be set true to disable creating a dev
 	// database
 	DisableDatabaseCreation bool
+
+	// DatabaseURL can be optionally set to point the dev server at an external
+	// database instance. This is overwritten if DisableDatabaseCreation is false.
+	DatabaseURL string
 }
 
 func NewTestController(t *testing.T, opts *TestControllerOpts) *TestController {
@@ -170,6 +174,10 @@ func NewTestController(t *testing.T, opts *TestControllerOpts) *TestController {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	if opts.DatabaseURL != "" {
+		tc.b.DevDatabaseUrl = opts.DatabaseURL
+	}
+
 	if !opts.DisableDatabaseCreation {
 		if err := tc.b.CreateDevDatabase("postgres"); err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/testing/controller/controller.go b/testing/controller/controller.go
index 43f16b965b..d9a6442a98 100644
--- a/testing/controller/controller.go
+++ b/testing/controller/controller.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ type option struct {
 	setWithConfigText          bool
 	setDisableDatabaseCreation bool
 	setDefaultOrgId            bool
+	setDatabaseURL             bool
 }
 
 type Option func(*option) error
@@ -89,6 +90,18 @@ func WithDefaultOrgId(id string) Option {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithDatabaseURL sets the database URL if running externally
+func WithDatabaseURL(url string) Option {
+	return func(c *option) error {
+		if c.setDatabaseURL {
+			return fmt.Errorf("WithDatabaseURL provided more than once.")
+		}
+		c.setDatabaseURL = true
+		c.tcOptions.DatabaseURL = url
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
 // NewTestController blocks until a new TestController is created, returns the url for the TestController and a function
 // that can be called to tear down the controller after it has been used for testing.
 func NewTestController(t *testing.T, opt ...Option) *TestController {