diff --git a/stac_api/app.py b/stac_api/app.py
index ebd940a5f..7a821c005 100644
--- a/stac_api/app.py
+++ b/stac_api/app.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
 from . import settings
 from .resources import mgmt, collection, conformance, item
-from .utils import dependencies
 
 
 app = FastAPI()
@@ -18,18 +17,18 @@
 @app.on_event("startup")
 async def on_startup():
     """Create database engines and sessions on startup"""
-    dependencies.ENGINE_READER = create_engine(settings.SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_READER)
-    dependencies.ENGINE_WRITER = create_engine(settings.SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_WRITER)
-    dependencies.DB_READER = sessionmaker(
-        autocommit=False, autoflush=False, bind=dependencies.ENGINE_READER
+    app.state.ENGINE_READER = create_engine(settings.SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_READER)
+    app.state.ENGINE_WRITER = create_engine(settings.SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_WRITER)
+    app.state.DB_READER = sessionmaker(
+        autocommit=False, autoflush=False, bind=app.state.ENGINE_READER
     )
-    dependencies.DB_WRITER = sessionmaker(
-        autocommit=False, autoflush=False, bind=dependencies.ENGINE_WRITER
+    app.state.DB_WRITER = sessionmaker(
+        autocommit=False, autoflush=False, bind=app.state.ENGINE_WRITER
     )
 
 
 @app.on_event("shutdown")
 async def on_shutdown():
     """Dispose of database engines and sessions on app shutdown"""
-    dependencies.ENGINE_READER.dispose()
-    dependencies.ENGINE_WRITER.dispose()
+    app.state.ENGINE_READER.dispose()
+    app.state.ENGINE_WRITER.dispose()
diff --git a/stac_api/utils/dependencies.py b/stac_api/utils/dependencies.py
index 892bff856..bb7e0823f 100644
--- a/stac_api/utils/dependencies.py
+++ b/stac_api/utils/dependencies.py
@@ -1,17 +1,10 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass
-from typing import Callable, List, Optional
+from typing import Callable, List
 
-from sqlalchemy.engine import Engine
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
 from starlette.requests import Request
 
 
-ENGINE_READER: Optional[Engine] = None
-ENGINE_WRITER: Optional[Engine] = None
-DB_READER: Optional[Session] = None
-DB_WRITER: Optional[Session] = None
-
-
 @dataclass
 class DatabaseConnectionError(Exception):
     message: str
@@ -32,27 +25,19 @@ def _parse(request: Request):
     return _parse
 
 
-def database_reader_factory() -> Session:
+def database_reader_factory(request: Request) -> Session:
     """Instantiate the database reader session"""
     try:
-        if not DB_READER:
-            raise DatabaseConnectionError(
-                message="Database engine has not been created"
-            )
-        db = DB_READER()
+        db = request.app.state.DB_READER()
         yield db
     finally:
         db.close()
 
 
-def database_writer_factory() -> Session:
+def database_writer_factory(request: Request) -> Session:
     """Instantiate the database writer session"""
     try:
-        if not DB_WRITER:
-            raise DatabaseConnectionError(
-                message="Database engine has not been created"
-            )
-        db = DB_WRITER()
+        db = request.app.state.DB_WRITER()
         yield db
     finally:
         db.close()