diff --git a/aws/rds.yaml b/aws/rds.yaml
index 346efd5..69f29b8 100644
--- a/aws/rds.yaml
+++ b/aws/rds.yaml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Parameters:
   dbEngineMajorVer:
     Description: "The mysql major version.  WARNING: only change during planned major version upgrades"
     Type: String
-    Default: "8.0"
+    Default: "8.4"
   charSet:
     Description:  "What character set to use? Default to utf8"
     Type: String
@@ -139,12 +139,6 @@ Resources:
   dbParamGroup:
     Type: "AWS::RDS::DBParameterGroup"
     Properties:
-      DBParameterGroupName:
-        Fn::Sub:
-          - "mysql${ver}-${app}-${env}"
-          - ver: !Select [0, !Split [".", !Ref dbEngineMajorVer]]
-            app: !Ref appName
-            env: !Ref envType
       Description: !Sub "DB Parameter group for ${appName}-${envType}"
       Family: !Sub "mysql${dbEngineMajorVer}"
       Parameters:
@@ -244,7 +238,7 @@ Resources:
       MultiAZ: false
       #NetworkType: IPV4
       EngineVersion: !Ref dbEngineMajorVer 
-      AllowMajorVersionUpgrade: false
+      AllowMajorVersionUpgrade: true
       AutoMinorVersionUpgrade: true
       LicenseModel: "general-public-license"
       PubliclyAccessible: false
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index c4af332..f351e13 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ version: '3'
 services:
   mysql:
     # need to support arm64 so need Oracle
-    image: mysql:8.0.34-oracle
+    image: mysql:8.4.5-oracle
     ports:
       - 3306:3306
     environment:
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 96bc293..9e7527d 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>com.mysql</groupId>
             <artifactId>mysql-connector-j</artifactId>
+            <version>8.4.0</version>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>uk.ac.ox.ctl</groupId>