diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0230429..734a45d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ heroku git:remote -r staging -a your-staging-app
 heroku git:remote -r production -a your-production-app
 ```
 * There is a `config/database.yml` file that can be parsed as YAML for
-  `['development']['database']`.
+  `['development']['database']` or `['development']['url']`.
 
 Pipelines
 ---------
diff --git a/lib/parity/backup.rb b/lib/parity/backup.rb
index 45c870b..d81ab47 100644
--- a/lib/parity/backup.rb
+++ b/lib/parity/backup.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ class Backup
     DATABASE_YML_RELATIVE_PATH = "config/database.yml".freeze
     DEVELOPMENT_ENVIRONMENT_KEY_NAME = "development".freeze
     DATABASE_KEY_NAME = "database".freeze
+    DATABASE_URL_KEY_NAME = "url".freeze
 
     def initialize(args)
       @from, @to = args.values_at(:from, :to)
@@ -108,9 +109,14 @@ def remote_db_backup_url
     end
 
     def development_db
-      YAML.load(database_yaml_file).
-        fetch(DEVELOPMENT_ENVIRONMENT_KEY_NAME).
-        fetch(DATABASE_KEY_NAME)
+      environment_block = YAML.safe_load(database_yaml_file).
+        fetch(DEVELOPMENT_ENVIRONMENT_KEY_NAME)
+      if environment_block.key?(DATABASE_KEY_NAME)
+        environment_block.fetch(DATABASE_KEY_NAME)
+      elsif environment_block.key?(DATABASE_URL_KEY_NAME)
+        url = environment_block.fetch(DATABASE_URL_KEY_NAME)
+        URI(url).path.tr("/", "")
+      end
     end
 
     def database_yaml_file