diff --git a/doc/update/6.x-or-7.x-to-7.4.md b/doc/update/6.x-or-7.x-to-7.4.md
index e923060223b7bd5172d3f2d079034ccd21fc8e93..5d2264c108b16fcfd9cd9e86c6558f1cc7226752 100644
--- a/doc/update/6.x-or-7.x-to-7.4.md
+++ b/doc/update/6.x-or-7.x-to-7.4.md
@@ -196,6 +196,76 @@ When using Google omniauth login, changes of the Google account required.
 Ensure that `Contacts API` and the `Google+ API` are enabled in the [Google Developers Console](https://console.developers.google.com/).
 More details can be found at the [integration documentation](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/blob/master/doc/integration/google.md).
 
+## 12. Optional optimizations for GitLab setups with MySQL databases
+
+Only applies if running MySQL database created with GitLab 6.7 or earlier. If you are not experiencing any issues you may not need the following instructions however following them will bring your database in line with the latest recommended installation configuration and help avoid future issues. Be sure to follow these directions exactly. These directions should be safe for any MySQL instance but to be sure make a current MySQL database backup beforehand.
+
+```
+# Stop GitLab
+sudo service gitlab stop
+
+# Secure your MySQL installation (added in GitLab 6.2)
+sudo mysql_secure_installation
+
+# Login to MySQL
+mysql -u root -p
+
+# do not type the 'mysql>', this is part of the prompt
+
+# Convert all tables to use the InnoDB storage engine (added in GitLab 6.8)
+SELECT CONCAT('ALTER TABLE gitlabhq_production.', table_name, ' ENGINE=InnoDB;') AS 'Copy & run these SQL statements:' FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_schema = 'gitlabhq_production' AND `ENGINE` <> 'InnoDB' AND `TABLE_TYPE` = 'BASE TABLE';
+
+# If previous query returned results, copy & run all outputed SQL statements
+
+# Convert all tables to correct character set
+SET foreign_key_checks = 0;
+SELECT CONCAT('ALTER TABLE gitlabhq_production.', table_name, ' CONVERT TO CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_general_ci;') AS 'Copy & run these SQL statements:' FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_schema = 'gitlabhq_production' AND `TABLE_COLLATION` <> 'utf8_unicode_ci' AND `TABLE_TYPE` = 'BASE TABLE';
+
+# If previous query returned results, copy & run all outputed SQL statements
+
+# turn foreign key checks back on
+SET foreign_key_checks = 1;
+
+# Find MySQL users
+mysql> SELECT user FROM mysql.user WHERE user LIKE '%git%';
+
+# If git user exists and gitlab user does not exist 
+# you are done with the database cleanup tasks
+mysql> \q
+
+# If both users exist skip to Delete gitlab user
+
+# Create new user for GitLab (changed in GitLab 6.4)
+# change $password in the command below to a real password you pick
+mysql> CREATE USER 'git'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY '$password';
+
+# Grant the git user necessary permissions on the database
+mysql> GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, DROP, INDEX, ALTER, LOCK TABLES ON `gitlabhq_production`.* TO 'git'@'localhost';
+
+# Delete the old gitlab user
+mysql> DELETE FROM mysql.user WHERE user='gitlab';
+
+# Quit the database session
+mysql> \q
+
+# Try connecting to the new database with the new user
+sudo -u git -H mysql -u git -p -D gitlabhq_production
+
+# Type the password you replaced $password with earlier
+
+# You should now see a 'mysql>' prompt
+
+# Quit the database session
+mysql> \q
+
+# Update database configuration details
+# See config/database.yml.mysql for latest recommended configuration details
+#   Remove the reaping_frequency setting line if it exists (removed in GitLab 6.8)
+#   Set production -> pool: 10 (updated in GitLab 5.3)
+#   Set production -> username: git
+#   Set production -> password: the password your replaced $password with earlier
+sudo -u git -H editor /home/git/gitlab/config/database.yml
+
 ## Things went south? Revert to previous version (6.0)
 
 ### 1. Revert the code to the previous version