diff --git a/backend/mempool-config.sample.json b/backend/mempool-config.sample.json
index 6372dede5..8d7da31e6 100644
--- a/backend/mempool-config.sample.json
+++ b/backend/mempool-config.sample.json
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   "DB_USER": "mempool",
   "DB_PASSWORD": "mempool",
   "DB_DATABASE": "mempool",
+  "DB_DISABLED": false,
   "API_ENDPOINT": "/api/v1/",
   "ELECTRS_POLL_RATE_MS": 2000,
   "MEMPOOL_REFRESH_RATE_MS": 2000,
diff --git a/backend/src/api/fee-api.ts b/backend/src/api/fee-api.ts
index dfca7f96a..d3def77f9 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/fee-api.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/fee-api.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import projectedBlocks from './mempool-blocks';
-import { DB } from '../database';
 
 class FeeApi {
   constructor() { }
@@ -28,20 +27,6 @@ class FeeApi {
       'hourFee': thirdMedianFee,
     };
   }
-
-  public async $getTransactionsForBlock(blockHeight: number): Promise<any[]> {
-    try {
-      const connection = await DB.pool.getConnection();
-      const query = `SELECT feePerVsize AS fpv FROM transactions WHERE blockheight = ? ORDER BY feePerVsize ASC`;
-      const [rows] = await connection.query<any>(query, [blockHeight]);
-      connection.release();
-      return rows;
-    } catch (e) {
-      console.log('$getTransactionsForBlock() error', e);
-      return [];
-    }
-  }
-
 }
 
 export default new FeeApi();
diff --git a/backend/src/database.ts b/backend/src/database.ts
index a151ced49..9f30254ec 100644
--- a/backend/src/database.ts
+++ b/backend/src/database.ts
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ export class DB {
 export async function checkDbConnection() {
   try {
     const connection = await DB.pool.getConnection();
-    console.log('MySQL connection established.');
+    console.log('Database connection established.');
     connection.release();
   } catch (e) {
-    console.log('Could not connect to MySQL.');
+    console.log('Could not connect to database.');
     console.log(e);
     process.exit(1);
   }
diff --git a/backend/src/index.ts b/backend/src/index.ts
index 09371d54a..f5894f6c0 100644
--- a/backend/src/index.ts
+++ b/backend/src/index.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import * as http from 'http';
 import * as https from 'https';
 import * as WebSocket from 'ws';
 
+import { checkDbConnection } from './database';
 import routes from './routes';
 import blocks from './api/blocks';
 import memPool from './api/mempool';
@@ -43,11 +44,15 @@ class Server {
       this.wss = new WebSocket.Server({ server: this.server });
     }
 
+    if (!config.DB_DISABLED) {
+      checkDbConnection();
+      statistics.startStatistics();
+    }
+
     this.setUpHttpApiRoutes();
     this.setUpWebsocketHandling();
     this.runMempoolIntervalFunctions();
 
-    statistics.startStatistics();
     fiatConversion.startService();
     diskCache.loadMempoolCache();