diff --git a/docker-compose-dev-mysql.yml b/docker-compose-dev-mysql.yml
index ea760937f9c..8f654b533b0 100644
--- a/docker-compose-dev-mysql.yml
+++ b/docker-compose-dev-mysql.yml
@@ -38,19 +38,24 @@ services:
     build:
       context: grafana/
     ports:
-      - 3001:3000
+      - ${GRAFANA_HOST_PORT:-3001}:3000
     volumes:
       - grafana-storage:/var/lib/grafana
       - ./grafana/dashboards/mysql:/etc/grafana/dashboards:ro
     environment:
-      GF_SERVER_ROOT_URL: "http://localhost:4001/grafana"
+      GF_SERVER_ROOT_URL: "${GRAFANA_ROOT_URL:-http://localhost:4001/grafana}"
       GF_USERS_DEFAULT_THEME: "light"
-      DATABASE_TYPE: mysql
-      DATABASE_HOST: mysql
-      DATABASE_PORT: 3306
-      DATABASE_NAME: lake
-      DATABASE_USER: merico
-      DATABASE_PASSWORD: merico
+      DATABASE_TYPE: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_TYPE:-mysql}"
+      DATABASE_HOST: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_HOST:-mysql}"
+      DATABASE_PORT: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_PORT:-3306}"
+      DATABASE_NAME: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_NAME:-lake}"
+      DATABASE_USER: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_USER:-merico}"
+      DATABASE_PASSWORD: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_PASSWORD:-merico}"
+      # Legacy vars for older dashboard images; kept in sync with generic vars above.
+      MYSQL_URL: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_HOST:-mysql}:${GRAFANA_DATABASE_PORT:-3306}"
+      MYSQL_DATABASE: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_NAME:-lake}"
+      MYSQL_USER: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_USER:-merico}"
+      MYSQL_PASSWORD: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_PASSWORD:-merico}"
       TZ: UTC
     restart: always
     depends_on:
diff --git a/docker-compose-dev-postgresql.yml b/docker-compose-dev-postgresql.yml
index 17af7a422c8..2a3826f2369 100644
--- a/docker-compose-dev-postgresql.yml
+++ b/docker-compose-dev-postgresql.yml
@@ -34,19 +34,24 @@ services:
     build:
       context: grafana/
     ports:
-      - 3002:3000
+      - ${GRAFANA_HOST_PORT:-3002}:3000
     volumes:
       - grafana-storage:/var/lib/grafana
       - ./grafana/dashboards/postgresql:/etc/grafana/dashboards:ro
     environment:
-      GF_SERVER_ROOT_URL: "http://localhost:4000/grafana"
+      GF_SERVER_ROOT_URL: "${GRAFANA_ROOT_URL:-http://localhost:4000/grafana}"
       GF_USERS_DEFAULT_THEME: "light"
-      DATABASE_TYPE: postgresql
-      DATABASE_HOST: postgres
-      DATABASE_PORT: 5432
-      DATABASE_NAME: lake
-      DATABASE_USER: merico
-      DATABASE_PASSWORD: merico
+      DATABASE_TYPE: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_TYPE:-postgresql}"
+      DATABASE_HOST: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_HOST:-postgres}"
+      DATABASE_PORT: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_PORT:-5432}"
+      DATABASE_NAME: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_NAME:-lake}"
+      DATABASE_USER: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_USER:-merico}"
+      DATABASE_PASSWORD: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_PASSWORD:-merico}"
+      # Legacy vars for older dashboard images; kept in sync with generic vars above.
+      POSTGRES_URL: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_HOST:-postgres}:${GRAFANA_DATABASE_PORT:-5432}"
+      POSTGRES_DATABASE: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_NAME:-lake}"
+      POSTGRES_USER: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_USER:-merico}"
+      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: "${GRAFANA_DATABASE_PASSWORD:-merico}"
       TZ: UTC
     restart: always
     depends_on:
diff --git a/env.example b/env.example
index 292f127983c..cdb296821cb 100755
--- a/env.example
+++ b/env.example
@@ -27,6 +27,20 @@
 # Uncomment and set it (e.g. docker.io) to pull directly from Docker Hub.
 # DEVLAKE_IMAGE_REGISTRY=devlake.docker.scarf.sh
 
+# Grafana overrides for the docker-compose-dev-*.yml files. Same pattern as
+# above: the defaults live in the compose files, keep these commented out
+# unless you need them. The GRAFANA_DATABASE_* values point the dashboards at
+# a different database than the bundled one. Values shown are the MySQL
+# defaults (PostgreSQL: port 3002/4000, type postgresql, host postgres, 5432).
+# GRAFANA_HOST_PORT=3001
+# GRAFANA_ROOT_URL=http://localhost:4001/grafana
+# GRAFANA_DATABASE_TYPE=mysql
+# GRAFANA_DATABASE_HOST=mysql
+# GRAFANA_DATABASE_PORT=3306
+# GRAFANA_DATABASE_NAME=lake
+# GRAFANA_DATABASE_USER=merico
+# GRAFANA_DATABASE_PASSWORD=merico
+
 # Lake plugin dir, absolute path or relative path
 PLUGIN_DIR=bin/plugins
 REMOTE_PLUGIN_DIR=python/plugins