diff --git a/cmd/action/apply.go b/cmd/action/apply.go
index e51ecb82bde..de001a962dc 100644
--- a/cmd/action/apply.go
+++ b/cmd/action/apply.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func CmdApplyRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		schemaCmd.PrintErrln("The Atlas UI is not available in this release.")
 		return
 	}
-	d, err := defaultMux.OpenAtlas(ApplyFlags.URL)
+	d, err := DefaultMux.OpenAtlas(ApplyFlags.URL)
 	cobra.CheckErr(err)
 	applyRun(d, ApplyFlags.URL, ApplyFlags.File, ApplyFlags.DryRun, ApplyFlags.AutoApprove)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/action/diff.go b/cmd/action/diff.go
index df5dbd41120..1eeae816614 100644
--- a/cmd/action/diff.go
+++ b/cmd/action/diff.go
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ func init() {
 // cmdDiffRun connects to the given databases, and prints an SQL plan to get from
 // the "from" schema to the "to" schema.
 func cmdDiffRun(cmd *cobra.Command, flags *diffCmdOpts) {
-	fromDriver, err := defaultMux.OpenAtlas(flags.fromURL)
+	fromDriver, err := DefaultMux.OpenAtlas(flags.fromURL)
 	cobra.CheckErr(err)
-	toDriver, err := defaultMux.OpenAtlas(flags.toURL)
+	toDriver, err := DefaultMux.OpenAtlas(flags.toURL)
 	cobra.CheckErr(err)
 	fromName, err := SchemaNameFromURL(flags.fromURL)
 	cobra.CheckErr(err)
diff --git a/cmd/action/inspect.go b/cmd/action/inspect.go
index 3ce496443e3..b17058fcd34 100644
--- a/cmd/action/inspect.go
+++ b/cmd/action/inspect.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func CmdInspectRun(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) {
 		schemaCmd.PrintErrln("The Atlas UI is not available in this release.")
 		return
 	}
-	d, err := defaultMux.OpenAtlas(InspectFlags.URL)
+	d, err := DefaultMux.OpenAtlas(InspectFlags.URL)
 	cobra.CheckErr(err)
 	inspectRun(d, InspectFlags.URL)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/action/mux.go b/cmd/action/mux.go
index 8d49c9ebb76..0cbaeea9f49 100644
--- a/cmd/action/mux.go
+++ b/cmd/action/mux.go
@@ -43,8 +43,9 @@ func NewMux() *Mux {
 }
 
 var (
-	defaultMux = NewMux()
-	inMemory   = regexp.MustCompile("^file:.*:memory:$|:memory:|^file:.*mode=memory.*")
+	// DefaultMux is the default Mux that is used by the different commands.
+	DefaultMux = NewMux()
+	reMemMode  = regexp.MustCompile("^file:.*:memory:$|:memory:|^file:.*mode=memory.*")
 )
 
 // RegisterProvider is used to register a Driver provider by key.
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ func schemaName(dsn string) (string, error) {
 }
 
 func sqliteFileExists(dsn string) error {
-	if !inMemory.MatchString(dsn) {
+	if !reMemMode.MatchString(dsn) {
 		return fileExists(dsn)
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -163,3 +164,32 @@ func fileExists(dsn string) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func mysqlDSN(d string) (string, error) {
+	cfg, err := mysql.ParseDSN(d)
+	// A standard MySQL DSN.
+	if err == nil {
+		return d, nil
+	}
+	u, err := url.Parse("mysql://" + d)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", nil
+	}
+	schema := strings.TrimPrefix(u.Path, "/")
+	// In case of a URL (non-standard DSN),
+	// parse the options from query string.
+	if u.RawQuery != "" {
+		cfg, err = mysql.ParseDSN(fmt.Sprintf("/%s?%s", schema, u.RawQuery))
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+	} else {
+		cfg = mysql.NewConfig()
+	}
+	cfg.Net = "tcp"
+	cfg.Addr = u.Host
+	cfg.User = u.User.Username()
+	cfg.Passwd, _ = u.User.Password()
+	cfg.DBName = schema
+	return cfg.FormatDSN(), nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/action/mux_test.go b/cmd/action/mux_test.go
index 3fe55252e6f..56ac5e82192 100644
--- a/cmd/action/mux_test.go
+++ b/cmd/action/mux_test.go
@@ -5,12 +5,16 @@
 package action_test
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"log"
+	"net"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
 
 	"ariga.io/atlas/cmd/action"
 
+	mysqld "github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql"
 	_ "github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
@@ -153,3 +157,41 @@ func Test_PostgresSchemaDSN(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestMux_OpenAtlas(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("MySQL", func(t *testing.T) {
+		for _, u := range []string{
+			"mysql://root:pass@tcp(%s)/",
+			"mysql://root:pass@tcp(%s)/test",
+			"mysql://root:pass@%s",
+			"mysql://root:pass@%s/",
+			"mysql://root:pass@%s/test",
+			"mysql://%s/test",
+		} {
+			calls, l := mockServer(t)
+			require.NoError(t, mysqld.SetLogger(log.New(ioutil.Discard, "", 1)))
+			_, err := action.DefaultMux.OpenAtlas(fmt.Sprintf(u, l.Addr()))
+			require.Error(t, err, "mock server rejects all incoming connections")
+			require.NotZero(t, *calls)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+func mockServer(t *testing.T) (*int, net.Listener) {
+	var (
+		calls  int
+		l, err = net.Listen("tcp", "localhost:")
+	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			conn, err := l.Accept()
+			if err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+			calls++
+			require.NoError(t, conn.Close())
+		}
+	}()
+	return &calls, l
+}
diff --git a/cmd/action/provider.go b/cmd/action/provider.go
index f3290bbe255..33e380e4930 100644
--- a/cmd/action/provider.go
+++ b/cmd/action/provider.go
@@ -13,14 +13,18 @@ import (
 )
 
 func init() {
-	defaultMux.RegisterProvider("mysql", mysqlProvider)
-	defaultMux.RegisterProvider("mariadb", mysqlProvider)
-	defaultMux.RegisterProvider("postgres", postgresProvider)
-	defaultMux.RegisterProvider("sqlite", sqliteProvider)
+	DefaultMux.RegisterProvider("mysql", mysqlProvider)
+	DefaultMux.RegisterProvider("mariadb", mysqlProvider)
+	DefaultMux.RegisterProvider("postgres", postgresProvider)
+	DefaultMux.RegisterProvider("sqlite", sqliteProvider)
 }
 
 func mysqlProvider(dsn string) (*Driver, error) {
-	db, err := sql.Open("mysql", dsn)
+	d, err := mysqlDSN(dsn)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	db, err := sql.Open("mysql", d)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -34,9 +38,10 @@ func mysqlProvider(dsn string) (*Driver, error) {
 		Unmarshaler: mysql.UnmarshalHCL,
 	}, nil
 }
+
 func postgresProvider(dsn string) (*Driver, error) {
-	url := "postgres://" + dsn
-	db, err := sql.Open("postgres", url)
+	u := "postgres://" + dsn
+	db, err := sql.Open("postgres", u)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/atlas/main.go b/cmd/atlas/main.go
index d856e3a001a..cdb277ce2e2 100644
--- a/cmd/atlas/main.go
+++ b/cmd/atlas/main.go
@@ -8,11 +8,10 @@ import (
 	_ "github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql"
 	_ "github.com/lib/pq"
 	_ "github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3"
-	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
 func main() {
-	cobra.OnInitialize(initConfig)
+	action.RootCmd.SetOut(os.Stdout)
 	err := action.RootCmd.Execute()
 	// Print error from command
 	if err != nil {
@@ -26,8 +25,3 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 }
-
-// initConfig reads in config file and ENV variables if set.
-func initConfig() {
-	action.RootCmd.SetOut(os.Stdout)
-}