diff --git a/scripts/s3_media_upload b/scripts/s3_media_upload
index 40a5772..42ba3c3 100755
--- a/scripts/s3_media_upload
+++ b/scripts/s3_media_upload
@@ -394,13 +394,46 @@ def get_sqlite_conn(parser):
 
     return sqlite_conn
 
+def get_homeserver_db_conn(parser):
+    """Attempt to get a connection based on homeserver.yaml to Synapse's
+    database, or exit.
+    """
 
-def get_synapse_db_conn(parser):
+    try:
+        with open("homeserver.yaml") as f:
+            homeserver_yaml = yaml.safe_load(f)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        parser.error("Could not find homeserver.yaml")
+    except yaml.YAMLError as e:
+        parser.error("homeserver.yaml is not valid yaml: %s" % (e,))
+
+    try:
+        database_name = homeserver_yaml["database"]["name"]
+        database_args = homeserver_yaml["database"]["args"]
+        if database_name == "sqlite3":
+            synapse_db_conn = sqlite3.connect(database=database_args["database"])
+        else:
+            synapse_db_conn = psycopg2.connect(
+                user=database_args["user"],
+                password=database_args["password"],
+                database=database_args["database"],
+                host=database_args["host"],
+            )
+    except sqlite3.OperationalError as e:
+        parser.error("Could not connect to sqlite3 database: %s" % (e,))
+    except psycopg2.Error as e:
+        parser.error("Could not connect to postgres database: %s" % (e,))
+
+    return synapse_db_conn
+
+def get_database_db_conn(parser):
     """Attempt to get a connection based on database.yaml to Synapse's
     database, or exit.
     """
+
     try:
-        database_yaml = yaml.safe_load(open("database.yaml"))
+        with open("database.yaml") as f:
+            database_yaml = yaml.safe_load(f)
     except FileNotFoundError:
         parser.error("Could not find database.yaml")
     except yaml.YAMLError as e:
@@ -420,6 +453,17 @@ def get_synapse_db_conn(parser):
 
     return synapse_db_conn
 
+def get_synapse_db_conn(parser):
+    """Attempt to get a connection based on database.yaml or homeserver.yaml 
+    to Synapse's database, or exit.
+    """
+
+    if os.path.isfile("database.yaml"):
+        conn = get_database_db_conn(parser)
+    else:
+        conn = get_homeserver_db_conn(parser)
+
+    return conn
 
 def main():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog="s3_media_upload")