diff --git a/conf/defaults.ini b/conf/defaults.ini
index df02e01235b..d77f980f806 100644
--- a/conf/defaults.ini
+++ b/conf/defaults.ini
@@ -106,6 +106,18 @@ path = grafana.db
 # For "sqlite3" only. cache mode setting used for connecting to the database
 cache_mode = private
 
+#################################### Cache server #############################
+[cache_server]
+# Either "memory", "redis", "memcache" or "database" default is "database"
+type = database
+
+# cache connectionstring options
+# memory: no config required. Should only be used on single install grafana.
+# database: will use Grafana primary database.
+# redis: config like redis server e.g. `addr=127.0.0.1:6379,pool_size=100,db=grafana`
+# memcache: 127.0.0.1:11211
+connstr =
+
 #################################### Session #############################
 [session]
 # Either "memory", "file", "redis", "mysql", "postgres", "memcache", default is "file"
diff --git a/pkg/infra/distcache/database_storage_integration_test.go b/pkg/infra/distcache/database_storage_integration_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index fac430e7e8d..00000000000
--- a/pkg/infra/distcache/database_storage_integration_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-package distcache
-
-import "testing"
-
-func TestIntegrationDatabaseCacheStorage(t *testing.T) {
-	runTestsForClient(t, createTestClient(t, "database"))
-}
diff --git a/pkg/infra/distcache/distcache.go b/pkg/infra/distcache/distcache.go
index d21ada1e6a3..ee824ae4c52 100644
--- a/pkg/infra/distcache/distcache.go
+++ b/pkg/infra/distcache/distcache.go
@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
+
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/log"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/sqlstore"
-	redis "gopkg.in/redis.v2"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/registry"
 )
@@ -25,30 +26,21 @@ func init() {
 func (ds *DistributedCache) Init() error {
 	ds.log = log.New("distributed.cache")
 
-	ds.Client = createClient(CacheOpts{}, ds.SQLStore)
+	ds.Client = createClient(ds.Cfg.CacheOptions, ds.SQLStore)
 
 	return nil
 }
 
-type CacheOpts struct {
-	name string
-}
-
-func createClient(opts CacheOpts, sqlstore *sqlstore.SqlStore) cacheStorage {
-	if opts.name == "redis" {
-		opt := &redis.Options{
-			Network: "tcp",
-			Addr:    "localhost:6379",
-		}
-
-		return newRedisStorage(redis.NewClient(opt))
+func createClient(opts *setting.CacheOpts, sqlstore *sqlstore.SqlStore) cacheStorage {
+	if opts.Name == "redis" {
+		return newRedisStorage(opts)
 	}
 
-	if opts.name == "memcache" {
-		return newMemcacheStorage("localhost:11211")
+	if opts.Name == "memcache" {
+		return newMemcacheStorage(opts)
 	}
 
-	if opts.name == "memory" {
+	if opts.Name == "memory" {
 		return newMemoryStorage()
 	}
 
@@ -60,6 +52,7 @@ type DistributedCache struct {
 	log      log.Logger
 	Client   cacheStorage
 	SQLStore *sqlstore.SqlStore `inject:""`
+	Cfg      *setting.Cfg       `inject:""`
 }
 
 type cachedItem struct {
diff --git a/pkg/infra/distcache/distcache_test.go b/pkg/infra/distcache/distcache_test.go
index 33a6d2c9c7b..f6ed13d4f06 100644
--- a/pkg/infra/distcache/distcache_test.go
+++ b/pkg/infra/distcache/distcache_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/bmizerany/assert"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/sqlstore"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
 )
 
 type CacheableStruct struct {
@@ -19,11 +20,34 @@ func init() {
 	gob.Register(CacheableStruct{})
 }
 
-func createTestClient(t *testing.T, name string) cacheStorage {
+func createTestClient(t *testing.T, opts *setting.CacheOpts, sqlstore *sqlstore.SqlStore) cacheStorage {
 	t.Helper()
 
-	sqlstore := sqlstore.InitTestDB(t)
-	return createClient(CacheOpts{name: name}, sqlstore)
+	dc := &DistributedCache{
+		SQLStore: sqlstore,
+		Cfg: &setting.Cfg{
+			CacheOptions: opts,
+		},
+	}
+
+	err := dc.Init()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to init client for test. error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return dc.Client
+}
+
+func TestCachedBasedOnConfig(t *testing.T) {
+
+	cfg := setting.NewCfg()
+	cfg.Load(&setting.CommandLineArgs{
+		HomePath: "../../../",
+	})
+
+	client := createTestClient(t, cfg.CacheOptions, sqlstore.InitTestDB(t))
+
+	runTestsForClient(t, client)
 }
 
 func runTestsForClient(t *testing.T, client cacheStorage) {
diff --git a/pkg/infra/distcache/memcached_storage.go b/pkg/infra/distcache/memcached_storage.go
index 7f97a043628..df1346bf350 100644
--- a/pkg/infra/distcache/memcached_storage.go
+++ b/pkg/infra/distcache/memcached_storage.go
@@ -4,15 +4,16 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/bradfitz/gomemcache/memcache"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
 )
 
 type memcacheStorage struct {
 	c *memcache.Client
 }
 
-func newMemcacheStorage(connStr string) *memcacheStorage {
+func newMemcacheStorage(opts *setting.CacheOpts) *memcacheStorage {
 	return &memcacheStorage{
-		c: memcache.New(connStr),
+		c: memcache.New(opts.ConnStr),
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/infra/distcache/memcached_storage_test.go b/pkg/infra/distcache/memcached_storage_test.go
index de784730e4a..3f885700cb4 100644
--- a/pkg/infra/distcache/memcached_storage_test.go
+++ b/pkg/infra/distcache/memcached_storage_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 package distcache
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
+)
 
 func TestMemcachedCacheStorage(t *testing.T) {
-	runTestsForClient(t, createTestClient(t, "memcache"))
+	opts := &setting.CacheOpts{Name: "memcache", ConnStr: "localhost:11211"}
+	runTestsForClient(t, createTestClient(t, opts, nil))
 }
diff --git a/pkg/infra/distcache/memory_storage_test.go b/pkg/infra/distcache/memory_storage_test.go
index cbf4c3790af..5318b7c19b8 100644
--- a/pkg/infra/distcache/memory_storage_test.go
+++ b/pkg/infra/distcache/memory_storage_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 package distcache
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
+)
 
 func TestMemoryCacheStorage(t *testing.T) {
-	runTestsForClient(t, createTestClient(t, "memory"))
+	opts := &setting.CacheOpts{Name: "memory"}
+	runTestsForClient(t, createTestClient(t, opts, nil))
 }
diff --git a/pkg/infra/distcache/redis_storage.go b/pkg/infra/distcache/redis_storage.go
index bb21b26473e..4e6a8b6d325 100644
--- a/pkg/infra/distcache/redis_storage.go
+++ b/pkg/infra/distcache/redis_storage.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package distcache
 import (
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
 	redis "gopkg.in/redis.v2"
 )
 
@@ -10,8 +11,12 @@ type redisStorage struct {
 	c *redis.Client
 }
 
-func newRedisStorage(c *redis.Client) *redisStorage {
-	return &redisStorage{c: c}
+func newRedisStorage(opts *setting.CacheOpts) *redisStorage {
+	opt := &redis.Options{
+		Network: "tcp",
+		Addr:    opts.ConnStr,
+	}
+	return &redisStorage{c: redis.NewClient(opt)}
 }
 
 // Set sets value to given key in session.
diff --git a/pkg/infra/distcache/redis_storage_test.go b/pkg/infra/distcache/redis_storage_test.go
index b33d2b22e53..7c63ce46b38 100644
--- a/pkg/infra/distcache/redis_storage_test.go
+++ b/pkg/infra/distcache/redis_storage_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 package distcache
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
+)
 
 func TestRedisCacheStorage(t *testing.T) {
-	runTestsForClient(t, createTestClient(t, "redis"))
+
+	opts := &setting.CacheOpts{Name: "redis", ConnStr: "localhost:6379"}
+	runTestsForClient(t, createTestClient(t, opts, nil))
 }
diff --git a/pkg/setting/setting.go b/pkg/setting/setting.go
index 5d44a3585dc..f25f2211b40 100644
--- a/pkg/setting/setting.go
+++ b/pkg/setting/setting.go
@@ -240,6 +240,9 @@ type Cfg struct {
 
 	// User
 	EditorsCanOwn bool
+
+	// DistributedCache
+	CacheOptions *CacheOpts
 }
 
 type CommandLineArgs struct {
@@ -779,9 +782,22 @@ func (cfg *Cfg) Load(args *CommandLineArgs) error {
 	enterprise := iniFile.Section("enterprise")
 	cfg.EnterpriseLicensePath = enterprise.Key("license_path").MustString(filepath.Join(cfg.DataPath, "license.jwt"))
 
+	cacheServer := iniFile.Section("cache_server")
+	//cfg.DistCacheType = cacheServer.Key("type").MustString("database")
+	//cfg.DistCacheConnStr = cacheServer.Key("connstr").MustString("")
+	cfg.CacheOptions = &CacheOpts{
+		Name:    cacheServer.Key("type").MustString("database"),
+		ConnStr: cacheServer.Key("connstr").MustString(""),
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
+type CacheOpts struct {
+	Name    string
+	ConnStr string
+}
+
 func (cfg *Cfg) readSessionConfig() {
 	sec := cfg.Raw.Section("session")
 	SessionOptions = session.Options{}