diff --git a/lib/adm.js b/lib/adm.js
index 3e15d48..da00ae3 100644
--- a/lib/adm.js
+++ b/lib/adm.js
@@ -284,8 +284,8 @@ function clear(opts, cb) {
  */
 function rebuild(opts, cb) {
     var config = opts.config;
-    var pgUrl = 'tcp://postgres@' + config.ip + ':' + config.postgresPort +
-                '/postgres';
+    var pgUrl = 'tcp://' + config.postgresMgrCfg.dbUser + '@' + config.ip +
+       ':' + config.postgresPort + '/postgres';
     var dataset = config.postgresMgrCfg.zfsClientCfg.dataset;
     var shard = path.basename(config.shardPath);
 
@@ -651,8 +651,8 @@ function promote(opts, cb) {
     var config = opts.config;
     var cookie = config.postgresMgrCfg.syncStateCheckerCfg.cookieLocation;
     var shard = path.basename(config.shardPath);
-    var pgUrl = 'tcp://postgres@' + config.ip + ':' + config.postgresPort +
-                '/postgres';
+    var pgUrl = 'tcp://' + config.postgresMgrCfg.dbUser + '@' + config.ip +
+            ':' + config.postgresPort + '/postgres';
 
     vasync.pipeline({funcs: [
         function _getShardStatus(_, _cb) {
@@ -974,7 +974,9 @@ function transformBackupUrl(zkNode) {
  * @return {string} The transformed pg url, e.g.
  * tcp://postgres@10.0.0.0:5432/postgres
  */
-function transformPgUrl(zkNode) {
+function transformPgUrl(opts, zkNode) {
+    var config = opts.config;
     var data = zkNode.split('-')[0].split(':');
-    return 'tcp://postgres@' + data[0] + ':' + data[1] + '/postgres';
+    return 'tcp://' + config.postgresMgrCfg.dbUser + '@' + data[0] + ':' +
+        data[1] + '/postgres';
 }
diff --git a/lib/shard.js b/lib/shard.js
index a6d24c6..0645e7e 100644
--- a/lib/shard.js
+++ b/lib/shard.js
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ Shard.prototype.TRANSITION_FUNCS = {
         var self = ctx.self;
         var log = self._log;
         var myLeader = ctx.leader;
-        var pgUrl = self._transformPgUrl(myLeader);
+        var pgUrl = self._transformPgUrl(myLeader, self._postgresMgr._dbUser);
         var backupUrl = self._transformBackupUrl(myLeader);
         self._leader = pgUrl;
         var postgresMgr = self._postgresMgr;
@@ -540,7 +540,8 @@ Shard.prototype.TRANSITION_FUNCS = {
         var self = ctx.self;
         var log = self._log;
         var postgresMgr = self._postgresMgr;
-        var standbyUrl = self._transformPgUrl(ctx.standby);
+        var standbyUrl = self._transformPgUrl(ctx.standby,
+            self._postgresMgr._dbUser);
         self._currStandby = standbyUrl;
 
         log.info({standby: standbyUrl}, 'Shard.NEW_STANDBY: entering');
@@ -1744,9 +1745,9 @@ Shard.prototype._writeRegistrar = function (callback) {
  * @return {string} The transformed pg url, e.g.
  * tcp://postgres@10.0.0.0:5432/postgres
  */
-Shard.prototype._transformPgUrl = function (zkNode) {
+Shard.prototype._transformPgUrl = function (zkNode, dbUser) {
     var data = zkNode.split('-')[0].split(':');
-    return 'tcp://postgres@' + data[0] + ':' + data[1] + '/postgres';
+    return 'tcp://' + dbUser + '@' + data[0] + ':' + data[1] + '/postgres';
 };
 
 /**