diff --git a/.github/workflows/_container.yml b/.github/workflows/_container.yml
index 7735d08..eb07873 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/_container.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/_container.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build and export to Docker local cache
         uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
         with:
-          build-args: DATABASE_URL=mysql+pymysql://root:rootpassword@localhost/ispyb_build
+          build-args: DATABASE_URL=mysql+aiomysql://root:rootpassword@localhost/ispyb_build
           context: .
           # Need load and tags so we can test it below
           load: true
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ jobs:
         # This does not build the image again, it will find the image in the
         # Docker cache and publish it
         with:
-          build-args: DATABASE_URL=mysql+pymysql://root:rootpassword@localhost/ispyb_build
+          build-args: DATABASE_URL=mysql+aiomysql://root:rootpassword@localhost/ispyb_build
           context: .
           push: true
           tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/_dist.yml b/.github/workflows/_dist.yml
index 0941876..9db1152 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/_dist.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/_dist.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ jobs:
         options: >
           --health-cmd "/usr/local/bin/healthcheck.sh --defaults-file=/ispyb/.my.cnf --connect"
     env:
-      DATABASE_URL: mysql+pymysql://root:rootpassword@localhost/ispyb_build
+      DATABASE_URL: mysql+aiomysql://root:rootpassword@localhost/ispyb_build
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/_schema.yml b/.github/workflows/_schema.yml
index 0b9dea2..c07c2b6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/_schema.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/_schema.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ jobs:
         options: >
           --health-cmd "/usr/local/bin/healthcheck.sh --defaults-file=/ispyb/.my.cnf --connect"
     env:
-      DATABASE_URL: mysql+pymysql://root:rootpassword@localhost/ispyb_build
+      DATABASE_URL: mysql+aiomysql://root:rootpassword@localhost/ispyb_build
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/_test.yml b/.github/workflows/_test.yml
index 93eda2a..4ac692a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/_test.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ jobs:
         options: >
           --health-cmd "/usr/local/bin/healthcheck.sh --defaults-file=/ispyb/.my.cnf --connect"
     env:
-      DATABASE_URL: mysql+pymysql://root:rootpassword@localhost/ispyb_build
+      DATABASE_URL: mysql+aiomysql://root:rootpassword@localhost/ispyb_build
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/_tox.yml b/.github/workflows/_tox.yml
index e5ad358..d800ecf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/_tox.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/_tox.yml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ jobs:
         options: >
           --health-cmd "/usr/local/bin/healthcheck.sh --defaults-file=/ispyb/.my.cnf --connect"
     env:
-      DATABASE_URL: mysql+pymysql://root:rootpassword@localhost/ispyb_build
+      DATABASE_URL: mysql+aiomysql://root:rootpassword@localhost/ispyb_build
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 6300f83..68ec502 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ requires = [
     "setuptools_scm[toml]>=6.2",
     "sqlacodegen-v2",
     "sqlalchemy",
-    "pymysql",
+    "aiomysql",
 ]
 build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "uvicorn",
     "starlette",
     "strawberry-graphql[asgi]",
-    "sqlalchemy",
+    "sqlalchemy[asyncio]",
     "aiomysql",
     "opentelemetry-api",
     "opentelemetry-sdk",
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 3e7760c..7c7d58e 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,14 +1,26 @@
+import asyncio
 import os
 
 import setuptools
 from sqlacodegen_v2.generators import DeclarativeGenerator
-from sqlalchemy import MetaData, create_engine
+from sqlalchemy import MetaData
+from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import create_async_engine
 
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    engine = create_engine(os.environ["DATABASE_URL"])
+
+async def generate_models():
+    engine = create_async_engine(os.environ["DATABASE_URL"])
     metadata = MetaData()
-    metadata.reflect(engine, only=["EnergyScan"])
-    generator = DeclarativeGenerator(metadata, engine, set())
+    async with engine.begin() as connection:
+        await connection.run_sync(
+            lambda connection: metadata.reflect(connection, only=["EnergyScan"])
+        )
+        generator = await connection.run_sync(
+            lambda connection: DeclarativeGenerator(metadata, connection, set())
+        )
     with open("src/graph_energy_scan/models.py", "w") as models_file:
         models_file.write(generator.generate())
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    asyncio.run(generate_models())
     setuptools.setup()