diff --git a/src/umbraco.datalayer/DataLayerHelper.cs b/src/umbraco.datalayer/DataLayerHelper.cs
index c17bdd2057..a6f14de0b9 100644
--- a/src/umbraco.datalayer/DataLayerHelper.cs
+++ b/src/umbraco.datalayer/DataLayerHelper.cs
@@ -7,10 +7,9 @@
  ***********************************************************************************/
 
 using System;
+using System.Configuration;
 using System.Data.Common;
 using System.Reflection;
-using umbraco.DataLayer.SqlHelpers.SqlServer;
-using umbraco.DataLayer.SqlHelpers.MySql;
 
 namespace umbraco.DataLayer
 {
@@ -19,6 +18,8 @@ namespace umbraco.DataLayer
     /// </summary>
     public class DataLayerHelper
     {
+        private static string _dataHelperTypeName;
+        private static string _dataHelperAssemblyName;
 
         #region Private Constants
 
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ namespace umbraco.DataLayer
         /// <summary>Name of the default data layer, that is used when nothing is specified.</summary>
         private const string DefaultDataHelperName = "SqlServer";
         /// <summary>Format used when the SQL helper is qualified by its simple name, instead of the full class name.</summary>
-        private const string DefaultDataHelperFormat = "umbraco.DataLayer.SqlHelpers.{0}.{0}Helper"; 
+        private const string DefaultDataHelperFormat = "umbraco.DataLayer.SqlHelpers.{0}.{0}Helper";
 
         #endregion
 
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ namespace umbraco.DataLayer
         public static ISqlHelper CreateSqlHelper(string connectionString)
         {
             /* check arguments */
-            if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(connectionString))
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(connectionString))
                 throw new ArgumentNullException("connectionString");
 
             if (IsEmbeddedDatabase(connectionString) && connectionString.ToLower().Contains("SQLCE4Umbraco".ToLower()) == false)
@@ -53,8 +54,9 @@ namespace umbraco.DataLayer
                 connectionString = connectionString.Insert(connectionString.LastIndexOf('|') + 1, "\\");
                 connectionString = string.Format("datalayer=SQLCE4Umbraco.SqlCEHelper,SQLCE4Umbraco;{0}", connectionString);
             }
+
             /* try to parse connection string */
-            DbConnectionStringBuilder connectionStringBuilder = new DbConnectionStringBuilder();
+            var connectionStringBuilder = new DbConnectionStringBuilder();
             try
             {
                 connectionStringBuilder.ConnectionString = connectionString;
@@ -64,56 +66,49 @@ namespace umbraco.DataLayer
                 throw new ArgumentException("Bad connection string.", "connectionString", ex);
             }
 
-            // get the data layer type and parse it
-            string datalayerType = String.Empty;
-            if (connectionStringBuilder.ContainsKey(ConnectionStringDataLayerIdentifier))
-            {
-                datalayerType = connectionStringBuilder[ConnectionStringDataLayerIdentifier].ToString();
-                connectionStringBuilder.Remove(ConnectionStringDataLayerIdentifier);
-            }
-            
-            string[] datalayerTypeParts = datalayerType.Split(",".ToCharArray());
-            string helperTypeName = datalayerTypeParts[0].Trim();
-            string helperAssemblyName = datalayerTypeParts.Length < 2 ? String.Empty
-                                                                      : datalayerTypeParts[1].Trim();
-            if (datalayerTypeParts.Length > 2 || (helperTypeName.Length == 0 && helperAssemblyName.Length > 0))
-                throw new ArgumentException("Illegal format of data layer property. Should be 'DataLayer = Full_Type_Name [, Assembly_Name]'.", "connectionString");
+            var databaseSettings = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings[Umbraco.Core.Configuration.GlobalSettings.UmbracoConnectionName];
+
+            if (databaseSettings != null)
+                SetDataHelperNames(databaseSettings.ProviderName);
+            else
+                SetDataHelperNamesLegacyConnectionString(connectionStringBuilder);
 
             /* create the helper */
-
             // find the right assembly
-            Assembly helperAssembly = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
-            if (datalayerTypeParts.Length == 2)
+            var helperAssembly = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
+            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_dataHelperAssemblyName) == false)
             {
                 try
                 {
-                    helperAssembly = Assembly.Load(helperAssemblyName);
+                    helperAssembly = Assembly.Load(_dataHelperAssemblyName);
                 }
                 catch (Exception exception)
                 {
-                    throw new UmbracoException(String.Format("Could not load assembly {0}.", helperAssemblyName), exception);
+                    throw new UmbracoException(String.Format("Could not load assembly {0}.", _dataHelperAssemblyName), exception);
                 }
             }
 
             // find the right type
             Type helperType;
-            if (helperTypeName == String.Empty)
-                helperTypeName = DefaultDataHelperName;
-            if (!helperTypeName.Contains("."))
-                helperTypeName = String.Format(DefaultDataHelperFormat, helperTypeName);
+            if (_dataHelperTypeName == string.Empty)
+                _dataHelperTypeName = DefaultDataHelperName;
+
+            if (_dataHelperTypeName.Contains(".") == false)
+                _dataHelperTypeName = string.Format(DefaultDataHelperFormat, _dataHelperTypeName);
+
             try
             {
-                helperType = helperAssembly.GetType(helperTypeName, true, true);
+                helperType = helperAssembly.GetType(_dataHelperTypeName, true, true);
             }
             catch (Exception exception)
             {
-                throw new UmbracoException(String.Format("Could not load type {0} ({1}).", helperTypeName, helperAssembly.FullName), exception);
+                throw new UmbracoException(String.Format("Could not load type {0} ({1}).", _dataHelperTypeName, helperAssembly.FullName), exception);
             }
 
             // find the right constructor
-            ConstructorInfo constructor = helperType.GetConstructor(new Type[] { typeof(string) });
+            var constructor = helperType.GetConstructor(new[] { typeof(string) });
             if (constructor == null)
-                throw new UmbracoException(String.Format("Could not find constructor that takes a connection string as parameter. ({0}, {1}).", helperTypeName, helperAssembly.FullName));
+                throw new UmbracoException(String.Format("Could not find constructor that takes a connection string as parameter. ({0}, {1}).", _dataHelperTypeName, helperAssembly.FullName));
 
             // finally, return the helper
             try
@@ -122,15 +117,50 @@ namespace umbraco.DataLayer
             }
             catch (Exception exception)
             {
-                throw new UmbracoException(String.Format("Could not execute constructor of type {0} ({1}).", helperTypeName, helperAssembly.FullName), exception);
+                throw new UmbracoException(String.Format("Could not execute constructor of type {0} ({1}).", _dataHelperTypeName, helperAssembly.FullName), exception);
             }
         }
 
+        private static void SetDataHelperNames(string providerName)
+        {
+            if (providerName.StartsWith("MySql"))
+            {
+                _dataHelperTypeName = "MySql";
+            }
+            
+            if (providerName.StartsWith("System.Data.SqlServerCe"))
+            {
+                _dataHelperTypeName = "SQLCE4Umbraco.SqlCEHelper";
+                _dataHelperAssemblyName = "SQLCE4Umbraco";
+            }
+        }
+
+        private static void SetDataHelperNamesLegacyConnectionString(DbConnectionStringBuilder connectionStringBuilder)
+        {
+            // get the data layer type and parse it
+            var datalayerType = String.Empty;
+            if (connectionStringBuilder.ContainsKey(ConnectionStringDataLayerIdentifier))
+            {
+                datalayerType = connectionStringBuilder[ConnectionStringDataLayerIdentifier].ToString();
+                connectionStringBuilder.Remove(ConnectionStringDataLayerIdentifier);
+            }
+
+            var datalayerTypeParts = datalayerType.Split(",".ToCharArray());
+
+            _dataHelperTypeName = datalayerTypeParts[0].Trim();
+            _dataHelperAssemblyName = datalayerTypeParts.Length < 2
+                                          ? string.Empty
+                                          : datalayerTypeParts[1].Trim();
+
+            if (datalayerTypeParts.Length > 2 || (_dataHelperTypeName.Length == 0 && _dataHelperAssemblyName.Length > 0))
+                throw new ArgumentException("Illegal format of data layer property. Should be 'DataLayer = Full_Type_Name [, Assembly_Name]'.", "connectionString");
+        }
+
         public static bool IsEmbeddedDatabase(string connectionString)
         {
             return connectionString.ToLower().Contains("|DataDirectory|".ToLower());
         }
 
         #endregion
-    }   
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/umbraco.datalayer/umbraco.datalayer.csproj b/src/umbraco.datalayer/umbraco.datalayer.csproj
index e0a225bca1..8130c877a4 100644
--- a/src/umbraco.datalayer/umbraco.datalayer.csproj
+++ b/src/umbraco.datalayer/umbraco.datalayer.csproj
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@
       <HintPath>..\packages\MySQL.Data.5.1.2.2\lib\MySql.Data.dll</HintPath>
     </Reference>
     <Reference Include="System" />
+    <Reference Include="System.Configuration" />
     <Reference Include="System.Core">
       <RequiredTargetFramework>3.5</RequiredTargetFramework>
     </Reference>