diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 13f9d4d76..066f95ea2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -84,13 +84,6 @@ jobs:
           python-version: 3.9
       - name: Install tox
         run: pip install -U tox
-      - name: Prep mssql driver
-        if: ${{ matrix.tox-environment == 'docker-tests' }}
-        run: | 
-          curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo apt-key add -
-          sudo sh -c "echo 'deb [arch=amd64,armhf,arm64] https://packages.microsoft.com/ubuntu/20.04/prod focal main' >  /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mssql-release.list"
-          sudo apt-get update
-          sudo ACCEPT_EULA=Y apt-get install -y msodbcsql17
       - name: Install libsnappy-dev
         if: ${{ matrix.tox-environment == 'lint' }}
         run: sudo apt-get install -y libsnappy-dev
diff --git a/tests/opentelemetry-docker-tests/tests/check_availability.py b/tests/opentelemetry-docker-tests/tests/check_availability.py
index 28cd47ab7..2ec8e4337 100644
--- a/tests/opentelemetry-docker-tests/tests/check_availability.py
+++ b/tests/opentelemetry-docker-tests/tests/check_availability.py
@@ -110,14 +110,27 @@ def check_redis_connection():
     connection.hgetall("*")
 
 
-@retryable
-def check_mssql_connection():
+def new_mssql_connection() -> pyodbc.Connection:
     connection = pyodbc.connect(
         f"DRIVER={{ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server}};SERVER={MSSQL_HOST},"
-        f"{MSSQL_PORT};DATABASE={MSSQL_DB_NAME};UID={MSSQL_USER};"
-        f"PWD={MSSQL_PASSWORD}"
+        f"{MSSQL_PORT};DATABASE=master;UID={MSSQL_USER};"
+        f"PWD={MSSQL_PASSWORD}",
+        autocommit=True,
     )
-    connection.close()
+    return connection
+
+
+@retryable
+def check_mssql_connection():
+    conn = new_mssql_connection()
+    conn.close()
+
+
+def setup_mssql_db():
+    conn = new_mssql_connection()
+    cur = conn.cursor()
+    cur.execute(f"CREATE DATABASE [{MSSQL_DB_NAME}]")
+    conn.close()
 
 
 def check_docker_services_availability():
@@ -127,6 +140,7 @@ def check_docker_services_availability():
     check_postgres_connection()
     check_redis_connection()
     check_mssql_connection()
+    setup_mssql_db()
 
 
 check_docker_services_availability()
diff --git a/tests/opentelemetry-docker-tests/tests/docker-compose.yml b/tests/opentelemetry-docker-tests/tests/docker-compose.yml
index 047a27177..8a33adb79 100644
--- a/tests/opentelemetry-docker-tests/tests/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/tests/opentelemetry-docker-tests/tests/docker-compose.yml
@@ -46,4 +46,4 @@ services:
     environment:
       ACCEPT_EULA: "Y"
       SA_PASSWORD: "yourStrong(!)Password"
-    command: /bin/sh -c "sleep 10s && /opt/mssql-tools/bin/sqlcmd -S localhost -U sa -P yourStrong\(!\)Password -d master -Q 'CREATE DATABASE [opentelemetry-tests]' & /opt/mssql/bin/sqlservr"
+    command: /opt/mssql/bin/sqlservr