diff --git a/lib/connection-parameters.js b/lib/connection-parameters.js
index f31f28dd3..d61accad6 100644
--- a/lib/connection-parameters.js
+++ b/lib/connection-parameters.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ var defaults = require('./defaults')
 
 var parse = require('pg-connection-string').parse // parses a connection string
 
-var val = function (key, config, envVar) {
+var val = function (key, config, envVar, computed) {
   if (envVar === undefined) {
     envVar = process.env[ 'PG' + key.toUpperCase() ]
   } else if (envVar === false) {
@@ -22,9 +22,13 @@ var val = function (key, config, envVar) {
     envVar = process.env[ envVar ]
   }
 
+  if (computed === undefined) {
+    computed = function (key) { return defaults[key] }
+  }
+
   return config[key] ||
     envVar ||
-    defaults[key]
+    computed(key)
 }
 
 var useSsl = function () {
@@ -50,8 +54,11 @@ var ConnectionParameters = function (config) {
     config = Object.assign({}, config, parse(config.connectionString))
   }
 
+  var dbDefaulting = function () { return this.user || defaults['database'] }
+  dbDefaulting = dbDefaulting.bind(this)
+
   this.user = val('user', config)
-  this.database = val('database', config)
+  this.database = val('database', config, undefined, dbDefaulting)
   this.port = parseInt(val('port', config), 10)
   this.host = val('host', config)
   this.password = val('password', config)