diff --git a/dockers/docker-database/Dockerfile.j2 b/dockers/docker-database/Dockerfile.j2
index 9ec3926de6fb..acb5e013fb84 100644
--- a/dockers/docker-database/Dockerfile.j2
+++ b/dockers/docker-database/Dockerfile.j2
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ RUN apt-get clean -y                                  && \
              s/^client-output-buffer-limit pubsub [0-9]+mb [0-9]+mb [0-9]+/client-output-buffer-limit pubsub 0 0 0/ \
             ' /etc/redis/redis.conf
 
-COPY ["supervisord.conf", "/etc/supervisor/conf.d/"]
+COPY ["supervisord.conf.j2", "/usr/share/sonic/templates/"]
+COPY ["docker-database-init.sh", "/usr/local/bin/"]
+COPY ["ping_pong_db_insts", "/usr/local/bin/"]
+COPY ["database_config.json", "/etc/default/sonic-db/"]
 
-ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/bin/supervisord"]
+ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/local/bin/docker-database-init.sh"]
diff --git a/dockers/docker-database/database_config.json b/dockers/docker-database/database_config.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6725af38c5ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dockers/docker-database/database_config.json
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+{
+    "INSTANCES": {
+        "redis":{
+            "port": 6379,
+            "socket": "/var/run/redis/redis.sock"
+        }
+    },
+    "DATABASES" : {
+        "APPL_DB" : {
+            "id" : 0,
+            "instance" : "redis"
+        },
+        "ASIC_DB" : {
+            "id" : 1,
+            "instance" : "redis"
+        },
+        "COUNTERS_DB" : {
+            "id" : 2,
+            "instance" : "redis"
+        },
+        "LOGLEVEL_DB" : {
+            "id" : 3,
+            "instance" : "redis"
+        },
+        "CONFIG_DB" : {
+            "id" : 4,
+            "instance" : "redis"
+        },
+        "PFC_WD_DB" : {
+            "id" : 5,
+            "instance" : "redis"
+        },
+        "FLEX_COUNTER_DB" : {
+            "id" : 5,
+            "instance" : "redis"
+        },
+        "STATE_DB" : {
+            "id" : 6,
+            "instance" : "redis"
+        }
+    },
+    "VERSION" : "1.0"
+}
diff --git a/dockers/docker-database/docker-database-init.sh b/dockers/docker-database/docker-database-init.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..ebdcc6abb694
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dockers/docker-database/docker-database-init.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+mkdir -p /var/run/redis/sonic-db
+if [ -f /etc/sonic/database_config.json ]; then
+    cp /etc/sonic/database_config.json /var/run/redis/sonic-db
+else
+    cp /etc/default/sonic-db/database_config.json /var/run/redis/sonic-db
+fi
+
+mkdir -p /etc/supervisor/conf.d/
+# generate all redis server supervisord configuration file
+sonic-cfggen -j /var/run/redis/sonic-db/database_config.json -t /usr/share/sonic/templates/supervisord.conf.j2 > /etc/supervisor/conf.d/supervisord.conf
+
+exec /usr/bin/supervisord
diff --git a/dockers/docker-database/ping_pong_db_insts b/dockers/docker-database/ping_pong_db_insts
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..484d4da0cfb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dockers/docker-database/ping_pong_db_insts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+import json
+import os
+import subprocess
+import time
+import syslog
+
+def ping_redis(cmd):
+    output = ''
+    while True:
+        try:
+            output = subprocess.check_output(cmd, shell=True)
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+            syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_ERR, 'ping redis failed, cmd : {}'.format(cmd))
+
+        if 'PONG' in output:
+            break
+        syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_ERR, 'ping response : {}'.format(output))
+        time.sleep(1)
+
+database_config_file = "/var/run/redis/sonic-db/database_config.json"
+
+data = {}
+while True:
+    if os.path.isfile(database_config_file):
+        with open(database_config_file, "r") as read_file:
+            data = json.load(read_file)
+        break
+    time.sleep(1)
+    syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_ERR, 'config file {} does not exist right now'.format(database_config_file))
+
+while True:
+    if 'INSTANCES' in data:
+        for inst in data["INSTANCES"]:
+            port = data["INSTANCES"][inst]["port"]
+            cmd = "redis-cli -p " + str(port) + " ping"
+            ping_redis(cmd)
+        break
+    time.sleep(1)
+    syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_ERR, 'config file {} does not have INSTANCES'.format(database_config_file))
diff --git a/dockers/docker-database/supervisord.conf b/dockers/docker-database/supervisord.conf
deleted file mode 100644
index 798fedd0c895..000000000000
--- a/dockers/docker-database/supervisord.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-[supervisord]
-logfile_maxbytes=1MB
-logfile_backups=2
-nodaemon=true
-
-[program:rsyslogd]
-command=/bin/bash -c "rm -f /var/run/rsyslogd.pid && /usr/sbin/rsyslogd -n"
-priority=1
-autostart=true
-autorestart=false
-stdout_logfile=syslog
-stderr_logfile=syslog
-
-[program:redis-server]
-command=/bin/bash -c "{ [[ -s /var/lib/redis/dump.rdb ]] || rm -f /var/lib/redis/dump.rdb; } && exec /usr/bin/redis-server /etc/redis/redis.conf"
-priority=2
-autostart=true
-autorestart=false
-stdout_logfile=syslog
-stderr_logfile=syslog
-
diff --git a/dockers/docker-database/supervisord.conf.j2 b/dockers/docker-database/supervisord.conf.j2
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9e4a42d6b3a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dockers/docker-database/supervisord.conf.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+[supervisord]
+logfile_maxbytes=1MB
+logfile_backups=2
+nodaemon=true
+
+[program:rsyslogd]
+command=/bin/bash -c "rm -f /var/run/rsyslogd.pid && /usr/sbin/rsyslogd -n"
+priority=1
+autostart=true
+autorestart=false
+stdout_logfile=syslog
+stderr_logfile=syslog
+
+{% if INSTANCES %}
+{%     for redis_inst, redis_items in INSTANCES.iteritems() %}
+[program: {{ redis_inst }}]
+command=/bin/bash -c "{ [[ -s /var/lib/{{ redis_inst }}/dump.rdb ]] || rm -f /var/lib/{{ redis_inst }}/dump.rdb; } && mkdir -p /var/lib/{{ redis_inst }} && exec /usr/bin/redis-server /etc/redis/redis.conf --port {{ redis_items['port'] }} --unixsocket {{ redis_items['socket'] }} --pidfile /var/run/redis/{{ redis_inst }}.pid --dir /var/lib/{{ redis_inst }}"
+priority=2
+autostart=true
+autorestart=false
+stdout_logfile=syslog
+stderr_logfile=syslog
+{%     endfor %}
+{% endif %}
diff --git a/files/build_templates/database.service.j2 b/files/build_templates/database.service.j2
index efa98b168beb..472b9d328b7d 100644
--- a/files/build_templates/database.service.j2
+++ b/files/build_templates/database.service.j2
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 Description=Database container
 Requires=docker.service
 After=docker.service
+After=rc-local.service
 
 [Service]
 User=root
diff --git a/files/build_templates/docker_image_ctl.j2 b/files/build_templates/docker_image_ctl.j2
index 9966728988bd..756ce16a2bc0 100644
--- a/files/build_templates/docker_image_ctl.j2
+++ b/files/build_templates/docker_image_ctl.j2
@@ -71,10 +71,7 @@ function postStartAction()
 {
 {%- if docker_container_name == "database" %}
     # Wait until redis starts
-    REDIS_SOCK="/var/run/redis/redis.sock"
-    until [[ $(/usr/bin/docker exec database redis-cli -s $REDIS_SOCK ping | grep -c PONG) -gt 0 ]]; do
-        sleep 1;
-    done
+    /usr/bin/docker exec database ping_pong_db_insts
     if [[ ("$BOOT_TYPE" == "warm" || "$BOOT_TYPE" == "fastfast") && -f $WARM_DIR/dump.rdb ]]; then
         rm -f $WARM_DIR/dump.rdb
     else
@@ -163,6 +160,11 @@ start() {
 
 {%- if docker_container_name == "database" %}
     echo "Creating new {{docker_container_name}} container"
+    # if database_config exists in old_config, use it; otherwise use the default one in new image
+    if [ -f /etc/sonic/old_config/database_config.json ]; then
+        echo "Use database_config.json from old system..."
+        mv /etc/sonic/old_config/database_config.json /etc/sonic/
+    fi
 {%- else %}
     echo "Creating new {{docker_container_name}} container with HWSKU $HWSKU"
 {%- endif %}