diff --git a/phpBB/phpbb/db/driver/mysqli.php b/phpBB/phpbb/db/driver/mysqli.php
index 8fc306b2cc..2ed08211ad 100644
--- a/phpBB/phpbb/db/driver/mysqli.php
+++ b/phpBB/phpbb/db/driver/mysqli.php
@@ -61,7 +61,11 @@ class mysqli extends \phpbb\db\driver\mysql_base
 		}
 
 		$this->db_connect_id = mysqli_init();
-		@mysqli_real_connect($this->db_connect_id, $this->server, $this->user, $sqlpassword, $this->dbname, $port, $socket, MYSQLI_CLIENT_FOUND_ROWS);
+
+		if (!@mysqli_real_connect($this->db_connect_id, $this->server, $this->user, $sqlpassword, $this->dbname, $port, $socket, MYSQLI_CLIENT_FOUND_ROWS))
+		{
+			$this->db_connect_id = '';
+		}
 
 		if ($this->db_connect_id && $this->dbname != '')
 		{