SQLSTATE\[HY000\] \[2002\] Connection refused - Rocketeers

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SQLSTATE\[HY000\] \[2002\] Connection refused
=============================================

### [\#Databases](http://rocketee.rs/index.php/databases)

This error means your application could not even reach the MySQL server. Unlike access denied, the credentials were never checked, the host or port is wrong or the database is not running.

 Published by Mark van Eijk on June 23, 2026 · 1 minute read

1. [About the error](#content-about-the-error)
2. [Why do I see this error](#content-why-do-i-see-this-error)
3. [Solution](#content-solution)

[\#](#content-about-the-error "Permalink")About the error
---------------------------------------------------------

You'll see one of these two variants:

 ```
SQLSTATE[HY000] [2002] Connection refused
SQLSTATE[HY000] [2002] No such file or directory

```

This is different from a [1045 Access denied](/sqlstate-hy000-1045-access-denied-for-user) error. There the server rejected your login. Here the server was never reached at all, so it never got as far as checking a username or password.

[\#](#content-why-do-i-see-this-error "Permalink")Why do I see this error
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

- MySQL isn't running.
- `DB_HOST` or `DB_PORT` points to the wrong place.
- The classic mix-up: `Connection refused` over TCP versus `No such file or directory` over a socket.

The two messages are a useful hint:

- **Connection refused** means the app tried to reach MySQL over TCP (a host and port) and nothing was listening there.
- **No such file or directory** means the app tried to use a Unix socket and the socket file wasn't where it expected.

[\#](#content-solution "Permalink")Solution
-------------------------------------------

First, make sure MySQL is actually running:

 ```
systemctl status mysql
systemctl start mysql

```

Then check your host and port. Using `127.0.0.1` forces a TCP connection, while `localhost` makes MySQL use a Unix socket, which is a frequent source of confusion:

 ```
DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306

```

Confirm MySQL is listening on that port:

 ```
ss -tlnp | grep 3306

```

Test the connection independently of your app:

 ```
mysql -u forge -p -h 127.0.0.1 -P 3306

```

If you're running MySQL in **Docker**, `127.0.0.1` from inside another container points at the container itself, not the database. Use the service name from your compose file as the host instead:

 ```
DB_HOST=mysql

```

After changing anything in `.env`, clear the cached config:

 ```
php artisan config:clear

```

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