# django.core.exceptions.ImproperlyConfigured: Error loading MySQLdb module. Did you install mysqlclient? **URL:** \ **Category:** Mystery Errors\ **Created:** [March 23, 2025, 11:21am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-core-exceptions-improperlyconfigured-error-loading-mysqldb-module-did-you-install-mysqlclient/39803 "2025-03-23T11:21:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sagar1343](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/sagar1343/32/27680_2.png) [@sagar1343](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/sagar1343)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 11:21am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-core-exceptions-improperlyconfigured-error-loading-mysqldb-module-did-you-install-mysqlclient/39803/1 "2025-03-23T11:21:44Z")
❯ python3 manage.py runserver Watching for file changes with StatReloader Exception in thread django-main-thread: Traceback (most recent call last): File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py”, line 16, in import MySQLdb as Database File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/MySQLdb/ **init**.py”, line 17, in from . import \_mysql ImportError: dlopen(/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/MySQLdb/\_mysql.cpython-312-darwin.so, 0x0002): symbol not found in flat namespace ‘\_mysql\_affected\_rows’ The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception: Traceback (most recent call last): File “/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/lib/python3.12/threading.py”, line 1073, in \_bootstrap\_inner self.run() File “/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/lib/python3.12/threading.py”, line 1010, in run self.\_target(\*self.\_args, \*\*self.\_kwargs) File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/utils/autoreload.py”, line 64, in wrapper fn(\*args, \*\*kwargs) File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/core/management/commands/runserver.py”, line 126, in inner\_run autoreload.raise\_last\_exception() File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/utils/autoreload.py”, line 87, in raise\_last\_exception raise \_exception[1] File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/core/management/ **init**.py”, line 394, in execute autoreload.check\_errors(django.setup)() File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/utils/autoreload.py”, line 64, in wrapper fn(\*args, \*\*kwargs) File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/ **init**.py”, line 24, in setup apps.populate(settings.INSTALLED\_APPS) File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/apps/registry.py”, line 116, in populate app\_config.import\_models() File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/apps/config.py”, line 269, in import\_models self.models\_module = import\_module(models\_module\_name) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File “/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/lib/python3.12/importlib/ **init**.py”, line 90, in import\_module return \_bootstrap.\_gcd\_import(name[level:], package, level) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File “”, line 1387, in \_gcd\_import File “”, line 1360, in \_find\_and\_load File “”, line 1331, in \_find\_and\_load\_unlocked File “”, line 935, in \_load\_unlocked File “”, line 995, in exec\_module File “”, line 488, in \_call\_with\_frames\_removed File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/contrib/auth/models.py”, line 5, in from django.contrib.auth.base\_user import AbstractBaseUser, BaseUserManager File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/contrib/auth/base\_user.py”, line 40, in class AbstractBaseUser(models.Model): File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/db/models/base.py”, line 143, in **new** new\_class.add\_to\_class(“\_meta”, Options(meta, app\_label)) File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/db/models/base.py”, line 371, in add\_to\_class value.contribute\_to\_class(cls, name) File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/db/models/options.py”, line 231, in contribute\_to\_class self.db\_table, connection.ops.max\_name\_length() ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/utils/connection.py”, line 15, in **getattr** return getattr(self.\_connections[self.\_alias], item) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/utils/connection.py”, line 62, in **getitem** conn = self.create\_connection(alias) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/db/utils.py”, line 193, in create\_connection backend = load\_backend(db[“ENGINE”]) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/db/utils.py”, line 113, in load\_backend return import\_module(“%s.base” % backend\_name) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File “/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/lib/python3.12/importlib/ **init**.py”, line 90, in import\_module return \_bootstrap.\_gcd\_import(name[level:], package, level) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File “/Users/sagar/Development/private\_share\_backend/.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py”, line 18, in raise ImproperlyConfigured( django.core.exceptions.ImproperlyConfigured: Error loading MySQLdb module. Did you install mysqlclient? ---
**Author:** ![KenWhitesell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/kenwhitesell/32/280_2.png) [@KenWhitesell](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/KenWhitesell)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 11:49am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-core-exceptions-improperlyconfigured-error-loading-mysqldb-module-did-you-install-mysqlclient/39803/2 "2025-03-23T11:49:40Z")
Welcome @sagar1343 ! This error message seems quite straight forward, both the cause and the answer. Do you have a question here? ---
**Author:** ![sagar1343](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/sagar1343/32/27680_2.png) [@sagar1343](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/sagar1343)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 12:00pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-core-exceptions-improperlyconfigured-error-loading-mysqldb-module-did-you-install-mysqlclient/39803/3 "2025-03-23T12:00:13Z")
Hi @KenWhitesell , I’m having trouble installing mysqlclient on my macOS machine. Despite reinstalling MySQL, the error persists. I’ve tried several troubleshooting steps without success. Here’s what I’ve done so far: 1. Installed MySQL using Homebrew. 2. Installed mysql-client using Homebrew and exported the necessary paths. 3. Navigated to my project directory and ran pipenv install mysqlclient. While it installed successfully, the same error continues to appear. ---
**Author:** ![medmunds](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/medmunds/32/22140_2.png) [@medmunds](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/medmunds)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 7:08pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/django-core-exceptions-improperlyconfigured-error-loading-mysqldb-module-did-you-install-mysqlclient/39803/4 "2025-03-26T19:08:39Z")
> [@sagar1343](#): > > django.core.exceptions.ImproperlyConfigured: Error loading MySQLdb module. > Did you install mysqlclient? I run into this error pretty regularly on macOS after upgrading (or downgrading) MySQL using homebrew. The error message is confusing, because I _have_ installed the mysqlclient Python package—it’s just failing to load properly. The problem is your pip cache has a mysqlclient built with the wrong MySQL version, and pip keeps reinstalling that. To fix, force pip to rebuild it ignoring the cache: ```shell pip install --force --no-cache mysqlclient== ```