diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 08186140f..e61a7a013 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     "commitlint": "^18.4.3",
     "coveralls": "^3.0.3",
     "jest": "^29.2.1",
+    "jiti": "^2.4.2",
     "lefthook": "^1.5.5",
     "lerna": "^7.4.2",
     "madge": "^4.0.0",
diff --git a/packages/core/src/core.ts b/packages/core/src/core.ts
index 2df7ab9dc..96570336b 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/core.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/core.ts
@@ -901,3 +901,7 @@ export function assertDefined<T>(value: T): asserts value is NonNullable<T> {
         throw new Error(`Value is not defined`);
     }
 }
+
+export function isEsm(): boolean {
+    return typeof require === 'undefined';
+}
diff --git a/packages/sql/package.json b/packages/sql/package.json
index 0f344020c..8d87eb6ea 100644
--- a/packages/sql/package.json
+++ b/packages/sql/package.json
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@
     "@deepkit/logger": "^1.0.1",
     "@deepkit/orm": "^1.0.1",
     "@deepkit/stopwatch": "^1.0.1",
-    "@deepkit/type": "^1.0.1"
+    "@deepkit/type": "^1.0.1",
+    "jiti": "^2.4.2"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@types/sqlstring": "^2.2.1",
diff --git a/packages/sql/src/cli/base-command.ts b/packages/sql/src/cli/base-command.ts
index 2bd371d80..9ca109d08 100644
--- a/packages/sql/src/cli/base-command.ts
+++ b/packages/sql/src/cli/base-command.ts
@@ -5,4 +5,9 @@ export class BaseCommand {
      * @description Sets the migration directory.
      */
     protected migrationDir: string & Flag = '';
+
+    /**
+     * @description Sets the database path
+     */
+    protected path?: string & Flag;
 }
diff --git a/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-create-command.ts b/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-create-command.ts
index 6d5470a74..96fb13335 100644
--- a/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-create-command.ts
+++ b/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-create-command.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ export class MigrationCreateController extends BaseCommand implements Command {
         empty: boolean & Flag = false,
     ): Promise<void> {
         if (this.migrationDir) this.provider.setMigrationDir(this.migrationDir);
+        if (this.path) await this.provider.addDatabase(this.path);
 
         if (!this.provider.databases.getDatabases().length) {
             this.logger.error('No databases detected. Use --path path/to/database.ts');
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ export class MigrationCreateController extends BaseCommand implements Command {
             let migrationName = '';
             const date = new Date;
 
-            const { format } = require('date-fns');
+            const { format } = await import('date-fns');
             for (let i = 1; i < 100; i++) {
                 migrationName = format(date, 'yyyyMMdd-HHmm');
                 if (i > 1) migrationName += '_' + i;
diff --git a/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-down-command.ts b/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-down-command.ts
index 963442aa7..1836f57dd 100644
--- a/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-down-command.ts
+++ b/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-down-command.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ export class MigrationDownCommand extends BaseCommand {
         fake: boolean & Flag = false,
     ): Promise<void> {
         if (this.migrationDir) this.provider.setMigrationDir(this.migrationDir);
+        if (this.path) await this.provider.addDatabase(this.path);
 
         const migrationsPerDatabase = await this.provider.getMigrationsPerDatabase(database);
 
diff --git a/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-pending-command.ts b/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-pending-command.ts
index 8233e3ebb..41d5905f5 100644
--- a/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-pending-command.ts
+++ b/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-pending-command.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ export class MigrationPendingCommand extends BaseCommand {
         database?: string & Flag<{ char: 'db' }>,
     ): Promise<void> {
         if (this.migrationDir) this.provider.setMigrationDir(this.migrationDir);
+        if (this.path) await this.provider.addDatabase(this.path);
 
         const migrationsPerDatabase = await this.provider.getMigrationsPerDatabase(database);
 
diff --git a/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-up-command.ts b/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-up-command.ts
index bfbe344a4..3d70f88c2 100644
--- a/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-up-command.ts
+++ b/packages/sql/src/cli/migration-up-command.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ export class MigrationUpCommand extends BaseCommand {
         all: boolean & Flag = false,
     ): Promise<void> {
         if (this.migrationDir) this.provider.setMigrationDir(this.migrationDir);
+        if (this.path) await this.provider.addDatabase(this.path);
 
         const migrationsPerDatabase = await this.provider.getMigrationsPerDatabase(database);
 
diff --git a/packages/sql/src/migration/migration-provider.ts b/packages/sql/src/migration/migration-provider.ts
index 8aa4940ba..534511d09 100644
--- a/packages/sql/src/migration/migration-provider.ts
+++ b/packages/sql/src/migration/migration-provider.ts
@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@
  *
  * You should have received a copy of the MIT License along with this program.
  */
-
-import { ClassType } from '@deepkit/core';
+import { ClassType, isEsm } from '@deepkit/core';
 import { Database, DatabaseRegistry } from '@deepkit/orm';
 import glob from 'fast-glob';
 import { basename, join } from 'path';
@@ -18,10 +17,7 @@ export class MigrationProvider {
     protected databaseMap = new Map<string, Database<any>>();
     protected migrationDir: string = 'migrations/';
 
-    constructor(
-        public databases: DatabaseRegistry,
-    ) {
-    }
+    constructor(public databases: DatabaseRegistry) {}
 
     getMigrationDir(): string {
         return this.migrationDir;
@@ -51,22 +47,66 @@ export class MigrationProvider {
         return migrationsPerDatabase;
     }
 
+    private async createJiti() {
+        const esm = isEsm();
+        const { createJiti } = await import('jiti');
+        return createJiti(
+            esm
+                ? // @ts-expect-error esm only
+                  import.meta.url
+                : __filename,
+        );
+    }
+
+    async addDatabase(path: string): Promise<void> {
+        const jiti = await this.createJiti();
+        const exports = Object.values((await jiti.import(join(process.cwd(), path))) || {});
+        if (!exports.length) {
+            throw new Error(`No database found in path ${path}`);
+        }
+
+        let databaseInstance: Database | undefined;
+        let foundDatabaseClass: ClassType<Database> | undefined;
+
+        for (const value of exports) {
+            if (value instanceof Database) {
+                databaseInstance = value;
+                break;
+            }
+            if (Object.getPrototypeOf(value) instanceof Database) {
+                foundDatabaseClass = value as ClassType<Database>;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (!databaseInstance) {
+            if (foundDatabaseClass) {
+                throw new Error(
+                    `Found database class ${foundDatabaseClass.name} in path ${path} but it has to be instantiated an exported. export const database = new ${foundDatabaseClass.name}(/* ... */);`,
+                );
+            }
+            throw new Error(`No database found in path ${path}`);
+        }
+
+        this.databases.addDatabaseInstance(databaseInstance);
+    }
+
     async getMigrations(migrationDir: string): Promise<Migration[]> {
-        let migrations: Migration[] = [];
+        const jiti = await this.createJiti();
 
-        const files = await glob('**/*.ts', { cwd: migrationDir });
+        const files = await glob('**/!(*.d).+(ts|js)', { cwd: migrationDir });
+        let migrations: Migration[] = [];
 
         for (const file of files) {
             const path = join(process.cwd(), migrationDir, file);
-            const name = basename(file.replace('.ts', ''));
-            const migration = await import(path);
-            if (migration && migration.SchemaMigration) {
-                const jo = new class extends (migration.SchemaMigration as ClassType<Migration>) {
+            const name = basename(file.replace('.ts', '').replace('.js', ''));
+            const { SchemaMigration } = (await jiti.import<{ SchemaMigration?: ClassType<Migration> }>(path)) || {};
+            if (SchemaMigration) {
+                const jo = new (class extends (SchemaMigration as ClassType<Migration>) {
                     constructor() {
                         super();
                         if (!this.name) this.name = name;
                     }
-                };
+                })();
                 migrations.push(jo);
             }
         }
diff --git a/website/src/pages/documentation/orm/migrations.md b/website/src/pages/documentation/orm/migrations.md
index d4adc1974..d4389e10a 100644
--- a/website/src/pages/documentation/orm/migrations.md
+++ b/website/src/pages/documentation/orm/migrations.md
@@ -24,11 +24,14 @@ import { SQLiteDatabaseAdapter } from '@deepkit/sqlite';
 import { User } from './models';
 
 export class SQLiteDatabase extends Database {
-    name = 'default';
-    constructor() {
-        super(new SQLiteDatabaseAdapter('/tmp/myapp.sqlite'), [User]);
-    }
+  name = 'default';
+
+  constructor() {
+    super(new SQLiteDatabaseAdapter('/tmp/myapp.sqlite'), [User]);
+  }
 }
+
+export const database = new SQLiteDatabase();
 ```
 
 ```sh
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 2b1df8f61..27d821824 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -3774,6 +3774,7 @@ __metadata:
     "@deepkit/orm": ^1.0.1
     "@deepkit/stopwatch": ^1.0.1
     "@deepkit/type": ^1.0.1
+    jiti: ^2.4.2
   bin:
     deepkit-sql: ./bin/deepkit-sql.js
   languageName: unknown
@@ -16603,6 +16604,15 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"jiti@npm:^2.4.2":
+  version: 2.4.2
+  resolution: "jiti@npm:2.4.2"
+  bin:
+    jiti: lib/jiti-cli.mjs
+  checksum: 4ceac133a08c8faff7eac84aabb917e85e8257f5ad659e843004ce76e981c457c390a220881748ac67ba1b940b9b729b30fb85cbaf6e7989f04b6002c94da331
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "jpeg-js@npm:^0.4.4":
   version: 0.4.4
   resolution: "jpeg-js@npm:0.4.4"
@@ -22300,6 +22310,7 @@ __metadata:
     commitlint: "npm:^18.4.3"
     coveralls: "npm:^3.0.3"
     jest: "npm:^29.2.1"
+    jiti: "npm:^2.4.2"
     lefthook: "npm:^1.5.5"
     lerna: "npm:^7.4.2"
     madge: "npm:^4.0.0"