diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/connections.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/connections.ts
index 8dbbe34e3a..454715e2cb 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/connections.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/connections.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import env from "../../environment"
 
 export const getCouchInfo = (connection?: string) => {
+  // clean out any auth credentials
   const urlInfo = getUrlInfo(connection)
   let username
   let password
@@ -23,9 +24,16 @@ export const getCouchInfo = (connection?: string) => {
     throw new Error("CouchDB password not set")
   }
   const authCookie = Buffer.from(`${username}:${password}`).toString("base64")
+  let sqlUrl = env.COUCH_DB_SQL_URL
+  if (!sqlUrl && urlInfo.url) {
+    const parsed = new URL(urlInfo.url)
+    // attempt to connect on default port
+    sqlUrl = urlInfo.url.replace(parsed.port, "4984")
+  }
   return {
     url: urlInfo.url!,
-    sqlUrl: env.COUCH_DB_SQL_URL,
+    // clean out any auth credentials
+    sqlUrl: getUrlInfo(sqlUrl).url,
     auth: {
       username: username,
       password: password,
diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/db/tests/connections.spec.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/db/tests/connections.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2130467292
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/db/tests/connections.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import env from "../../environment"
+import { getCouchInfo } from "../couch"
+
+const MAIN_COUCH_URL = "http://user:test@localhost:5984"
+
+describe("connections", () => {
+  beforeAll(() => {
+    env._set("COUCH_DB_SQL_URL", "https://user:test@localhost:4984")
+  })
+
+  it("should strip URL credentials", () => {
+    const response = getCouchInfo(MAIN_COUCH_URL)
+    expect(response.url).toBe("http://localhost:5984")
+    expect(response.sqlUrl).toBe("https://localhost:4984")
+  })
+
+  it("should return separate auth credentials", () => {
+    const response = getCouchInfo(MAIN_COUCH_URL)
+    expect(response.auth.username).toBe("user")
+    expect(response.auth.password).toBe("test")
+  })
+})