diff --git a/health/models_interface.py b/health/models_interface.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1d82ce934
--- /dev/null
+++ b/health/models_interface.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+from abc import ABCMeta, abstractmethod
+from six import add_metaclass
+
+@add_metaclass(ABCMeta)
+class HealthCheckDataInterface(object):
+  """
+  Interface that represents all data store interactions required by health checks.
+  """
+  @abstractmethod
+  def check_health(self, app_config):
+    """ Returns True if the connection to the database is healthy and False otherwise. """
+    pass
diff --git a/health/models_pre_oci.py b/health/models_pre_oci.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..54178a19b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/health/models_pre_oci.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+from data.model import health
+from health.models_interface import HealthCheckDataInterface
+
+class PreOCIModel(HealthCheckDataInterface):
+  def check_health(self, app_config):
+    return health.check_health(app_config)
+
+pre_oci_model = PreOCIModel()
diff --git a/health/services.py b/health/services.py
index 66a8b4033..1946db5c5 100644
--- a/health/services.py
+++ b/health/services.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import logging
-from data.model import health
 from app import build_logs, storage
+from health.models_pre_oci import pre_oci_model as model
 
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -27,10 +27,9 @@ def _check_registry_gunicorn(app):
     logger.exception('Exception when checking registry health: %s', registry_url)
     return False
 
-
 def _check_database(app):
   """ Returns the status of the database, as accessed from this instance. """
-  return health.check_health(app.config)
+  return model.check_health(app.config)
 
 def _check_redis(app):
   """ Returns the status of Redis, as accessed from this instance. """