diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 3f653c71bef..5489bf5bdad 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           python-version: '3.9'
       - name: Test migrations across versions
-        run: bash scripts/test-migrations.sh mysql
+        run: bash scripts/test-migrations-mysql.sh mysql
   sqlite-db-migration-testing:
     runs-on: ubuntu-dind-runners
     steps:
@@ -49,13 +49,25 @@ jobs:
         with:
           python-version: '3.9'
       - name: Test migrations across versions
-        run: bash scripts/test-migrations.sh sqlite
+        run: bash scripts/test-migrations-mysql.sh sqlite
+  mariadb-db-migration-testing:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-dind-runners
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4.1.1
+      - name: Set up Python 3.9
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4.8.0
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.9'
+      - name: Test migrations across versions
+        run: bash scripts/test-migrations-mariadb.sh
   publish-python-package:
     needs:
       - setup-and-test
       - mlstacks-compatibility-check
       - sqlite-db-migration-testing
       - mysql-db-migration-testing
+      - mariadb-db-migration-testing
     uses: ./.github/workflows/publish_to_pypi.yml
     secrets: inherit
   wait-for-package-release:
diff --git a/scripts/test-migrations-mariadb.sh b/scripts/test-migrations-mariadb.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..eb5234d7aa1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test-migrations-mariadb.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+DB="mariadb"
+DB_STARTUP_DELAY=30 # Time in seconds to wait for the database container to start
+
+function run_tests_for_version() {
+    set -e  # Exit immediately if a command exits with a non-zero status
+    local VERSION=$1
+
+    echo "===== Testing version $VERSION ====="
+
+    mkdir test_starter
+    zenml init --template starter --path test_starter --template-with-defaults --test
+    cd test_starter
+
+    export ZENML_ANALYTICS_OPT_IN=false
+    export ZENML_DEBUG=true
+
+    echo "===== Installing sklearn integration ====="
+    zenml integration install sklearn -y
+
+    echo "===== Running starter template pipeline ====="
+    python3 run.py
+    # Add additional CLI tests here
+    zenml version
+
+    # Confirm DB works and is accessible
+    zenml pipeline runs list
+
+    cd ..
+    rm -rf test_starter
+    echo "===== Finished testing version $VERSION ====="
+}
+
+echo "===== Testing MariaDB ====="
+# run a mariadb instance in docker
+docker run --name mariadb -d -p 3306:3306 -e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=password mariadb:10.6
+# mariadb takes a while to start up
+sleep $DB_STARTUP_DELAY
+
+# List of versions to test
+VERSIONS=("0.54.0")
+
+# Start completely fresh
+rm -rf ~/.config/zenml
+
+for VERSION in "${VERSIONS[@]}"
+do
+    set -e  # Exit immediately if a command exits with a non-zero status
+    # Create a new virtual environment
+    python3 -m venv ".venv-$VERSION"
+    source ".venv-$VERSION/bin/activate"
+
+    # Install the specific version
+    pip3 install -U pip setuptools wheel
+    pip3 install "zenml[templates,server]==$VERSION"
+
+    zenml connect --url mysql://127.0.0.1/zenml --username root --password password
+
+    # Run the tests for this version
+    run_tests_for_version $VERSION
+
+    zenml disconnect
+    sleep 5
+
+    deactivate
+done
+
+# Test the most recent migration with MariaDB
+echo "===== TESTING CURRENT BRANCH ====="
+set -e
+python3 -m venv ".venv-current-branch"
+source ".venv-current-branch/bin/activate"
+
+pip3 install -U pip setuptools wheel
+pip3 install -e ".[templates,server]"
+pip3 install importlib_metadata
+
+zenml connect --url mysql://127.0.0.1/zenml --username root --password password
+
+run_tests_for_version current_branch_mariadb
+
+zenml disconnect
+docker rm -f mariadb
+
+deactivate
diff --git a/scripts/test-migrations.sh b/scripts/test-migrations-mysql.sh
similarity index 77%
rename from scripts/test-migrations.sh
rename to scripts/test-migrations-mysql.sh
index 7c152eda94b..7c57261dc28 100755
--- a/scripts/test-migrations.sh
+++ b/scripts/test-migrations-mysql.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 DB="sqlite"
+DB_STARTUP_DELAY=30 # Time in seconds to wait for the database container to start
+
 if [ -z "$1" ]; then
   echo "No argument passed, using default: $DB"
 else
@@ -10,12 +12,20 @@ fi
 function run_tests_for_version() {
     set -e  # Exit immediately if a command exits with a non-zero status
     local VERSION=$1
+    # versions pre-templates and pre-init test flag
+    # (zenml init --test allows for a non-interactive init)
+    local PRE_TEMPLATE_VERSIONS=("0.40.0" "0.40.3" "0.41.0" "0.43.0" "0.44.1" "0.44.3" "0.45.2" "0.45.3" "0.45.4" "0.45.5" "0.45.6" "0.46.0" "0.47.0")
 
     echo "===== Testing version $VERSION ====="
-    # Initialize zenml with the appropriate template
-    # hardcoded to 0.43.0 since this is the latest template-starter repo
-    # release tag
-    copier copy -l --trust -r release/0.43.0 https://github.com/zenml-io/template-starter.git test_starter
+
+    # Check if VERSION is in PRE_TEMPLATE_VERSIONS
+    if printf '%s\n' "${PRE_TEMPLATE_VERSIONS[@]}" | grep -q "^$VERSION$"; then
+        copier copy -l --trust -r release/0.43.0 https://github.com/zenml-io/template-starter.git test_starter
+    else
+        mkdir test_starter
+        zenml init --template starter --path test_starter --template-with-defaults --test
+    fi
+
     cd test_starter
 
     export ZENML_ANALYTICS_OPT_IN=false
@@ -37,17 +47,18 @@ function run_tests_for_version() {
     echo "===== Finished testing version $VERSION ====="
 }
 
+
+
 if [ "$1" == "mysql" ]; then
     echo "===== Testing MySQL ====="
     # run a mysql instance in docker
     docker run --name mysql -d -p 3306:3306 -e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=password mysql:latest
-
     # mysql takes a while to start up
-    sleep 30
+    sleep $DB_STARTUP_DELAY
 fi
 
 # List of versions to test
-VERSIONS=("0.40.0" "0.40.3" "0.41.0" "0.43.0" "0.44.1" "0.44.3" "0.45.2" "0.45.3" "0.45.4" "0.45.5" "0.45.6" "0.46.0" "0.47.0" "0.50.0" "0.51.0" "0.52.0")
+VERSIONS=("0.40.0" "0.40.3" "0.41.0" "0.43.0" "0.44.1" "0.44.3" "0.45.2" "0.45.3" "0.45.4" "0.45.5" "0.45.6" "0.46.0" "0.47.0" "0.50.0" "0.51.0" "0.52.0" "0.53.0" "0.53.1" "0.54.0")
 
 # Start completely fresh
 rm -rf ~/.config/zenml
@@ -95,6 +106,7 @@ done
 
 
 # Test the most recent migration with MySQL
+echo "===== TESTING CURRENT BRANCH ====="
 set -e
 python3 -m venv ".venv-current-branch"
 source ".venv-current-branch/bin/activate"