diff --git a/config/mongodb.go b/config/mongodb.go
index 91a87ea1..2409d40e 100644
--- a/config/mongodb.go
+++ b/config/mongodb.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/artie-labs/reader/constants"
-	"github.com/artie-labs/transfer/lib/stringutil"
 )
 
 func (s StreamingSettings) Validate() error {
@@ -27,9 +26,7 @@ type StreamingSettings struct {
 }
 
 type MongoDB struct {
-	Host              string            `yaml:"host"`
-	Username          string            `yaml:"username,omitempty"`
-	Password          string            `yaml:"password,omitempty"`
+	URI               string            `yaml:"uri"`
 	Database          string            `yaml:"database"`
 	Collections       []Collection      `yaml:"collections"`
 	StreamingSettings StreamingSettings `yaml:"streamingSettings,omitempty"`
@@ -38,6 +35,11 @@ type MongoDB struct {
 	// DisableFullDocumentBeforeChange - This is relevant if you're connecting to Document DB.
 	// BSON field '$changeStream.fullDocumentBeforeChange' is an unknown field.
 	DisableFullDocumentBeforeChange bool `yaml:"disableFullDocumentBeforeChange,omitempty"`
+
+	// Deprecated - use [MongoDB.URI] instead.
+	Host     string `yaml:"host"`
+	Username string `yaml:"username,omitempty"`
+	Password string `yaml:"password,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type Collection struct {
@@ -60,8 +62,12 @@ func (m MongoDB) GetStreamingBatchSize() int32 {
 }
 
 func (m MongoDB) Validate() error {
-	if stringutil.Empty(m.Host, m.Database) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("one of the MongoDB settings is empty: host or database")
+	if m.Host == "" && m.URI == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("either host or URI must be passed in")
+	}
+
+	if m.Database == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("database is empty")
 	}
 
 	if len(m.Collections) == 0 {
diff --git a/lib/mongo/config.go b/lib/mongo/config.go
index 3430026e..f955f070 100644
--- a/lib/mongo/config.go
+++ b/lib/mongo/config.go
@@ -2,22 +2,32 @@ package mongo
 
 import (
 	"crypto/tls"
+	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/artie-labs/reader/config"
 	"go.mongodb.org/mongo-driver/mongo/options"
 )
 
-func OptsFromConfig(cfg config.MongoDB) *options.ClientOptions {
-	opts := options.Client().ApplyURI(cfg.Host)
-	if !cfg.DisableTLS {
-		opts = opts.SetTLSConfig(&tls.Config{})
+func OptsFromConfig(cfg config.MongoDB) (*options.ClientOptions, error) {
+	opts := options.Client()
+
+	if cfg.URI != "" {
+		opts = opts.ApplyURI(cfg.URI)
+	} else if cfg.Host != "" {
+		opts = opts.ApplyURI(cfg.Host)
+		if cfg.Username != "" && cfg.Password != "" {
+			opts = opts.SetAuth(options.Credential{
+				Username: cfg.Username,
+				Password: cfg.Password,
+			})
+		}
+	} else {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("mongoDB requires a URI or host")
 	}
 
-	if cfg.Username != "" && cfg.Password != "" {
-		opts = opts.SetAuth(options.Credential{
-			Username: cfg.Username,
-			Password: cfg.Password,
-		})
+	if !cfg.DisableTLS {
+		opts = opts.SetTLSConfig(&tls.Config{})
 	}
 
-	return opts
+	return opts, nil
 }
diff --git a/lib/mongo/config_test.go b/lib/mongo/config_test.go
index 19bdaa30..4a9ed487 100644
--- a/lib/mongo/config_test.go
+++ b/lib/mongo/config_test.go
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 package mongo
 
 import (
+	"testing"
+
 	"github.com/artie-labs/reader/config"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-	"testing"
 )
 
 func TestOptsFromConfig(t *testing.T) {
@@ -14,7 +15,8 @@ func TestOptsFromConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			Password: "password",
 		}
 
-		opts := OptsFromConfig(cfg)
+		opts, err := OptsFromConfig(cfg)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.NotNil(t, opts.TLSConfig)
 		assert.Equal(t, "user", opts.Auth.Username)
 		assert.Equal(t, "password", opts.Auth.Password)
@@ -25,7 +27,8 @@ func TestOptsFromConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			Host: "localhost",
 		}
 
-		opts := OptsFromConfig(cfg)
+		opts, err := OptsFromConfig(cfg)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.Nil(t, opts.Auth)
 	}
 	{
@@ -35,7 +38,20 @@ func TestOptsFromConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			DisableTLS: true,
 		}
 
-		opts := OptsFromConfig(cfg)
+		opts, err := OptsFromConfig(cfg)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.Nil(t, opts.TLSConfig)
 	}
+	{
+		// Using URI:
+		cfg := config.MongoDB{
+			URI: "mongodb://user:pass@localhost",
+		}
+
+		opts, err := OptsFromConfig(cfg)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.NotNil(t, opts.TLSConfig)
+		assert.Equal(t, "user", opts.Auth.Username)
+		assert.Equal(t, "pass", opts.Auth.Password)
+	}
 }
diff --git a/sources/mongo/mongo.go b/sources/mongo/mongo.go
index 21fbc070..cd7f132c 100644
--- a/sources/mongo/mongo.go
+++ b/sources/mongo/mongo.go
@@ -20,7 +20,15 @@ type Source struct {
 }
 
 func Load(ctx context.Context, cfg config.MongoDB) (*Source, bool, error) {
-	client, err := mongo.Connect(ctx, mongoLib.OptsFromConfig(cfg))
+	opts, err := mongoLib.OptsFromConfig(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("failed to build options for MongoDB: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err := opts.Validate(); err != nil {
+		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("validation failed for MongoDB options: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	client, err := mongo.Connect(ctx, opts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("failed to connect to MongoDB: %w", err)
 	}