diff --git a/config_loader.go b/config_loader.go
index 13a9e2a..176f58c 100644
--- a/config_loader.go
+++ b/config_loader.go
@@ -2,14 +2,15 @@ package shared
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/DIMO-Network/yaml"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/DIMO-Network/yaml"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
diff --git a/config_loader_test.go b/config_loader_test.go
index b141c96..c3dd3bd 100644
--- a/config_loader_test.go
+++ b/config_loader_test.go
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 package shared
 
 import (
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"net/url"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
diff --git a/db/db_store.go b/db/db_store.go
index ad0cab9..510fb6c 100644
--- a/db/db_store.go
+++ b/db/db_store.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func NewDbConnectionFromSettings(ctx context.Context, settings *Settings, withSe
 				Retries:            5,
 				RetryDelay:         time.Second * 10,
 				ConnectTimeout:     time.Minute * 5,
-				DSN:                settings.BuildConnectionString(withSearchPath),
+				DSN:                settings.BuildConnectionString(withSearchPath, SSLModePrefer),
 				MaxOpenConnections: settings.MaxOpenConnections,
 				MaxIdleConnections: settings.MaxIdleConnections,
 				ConnMaxLifetime:    time.Minute * 5,
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func NewDbConnectionFromSettings(ctx context.Context, settings *Settings, withSe
 				Retries:            5,
 				RetryDelay:         time.Second * 10,
 				ConnectTimeout:     time.Minute * 5,
-				DSN:                settings.BuildConnectionString(true),
+				DSN:                settings.BuildConnectionString(true, SSLModePrefer),
 				MaxOpenConnections: settings.MaxOpenConnections,
 				MaxIdleConnections: settings.MaxIdleConnections,
 				ConnMaxLifetime:    time.Minute * 5,
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func NewDbConnectionForTest(ctx context.Context, settings *Settings, withSearchP
 			Retries:            5,
 			RetryDelay:         time.Second * 10,
 			ConnectTimeout:     time.Minute * 5,
-			DSN:                settings.BuildConnectionString(withSearchPath),
+			DSN:                settings.BuildConnectionString(withSearchPath, SSLModePrefer),
 			MaxOpenConnections: settings.MaxOpenConnections,
 			MaxIdleConnections: settings.MaxIdleConnections,
 			ConnMaxLifetime:    time.Minute * 5,
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func NewDbConnectionForTest(ctx context.Context, settings *Settings, withSearchP
 			Retries:            5,
 			RetryDelay:         time.Second * 10,
 			ConnectTimeout:     time.Minute * 5,
-			DSN:                settings.BuildConnectionString(true),
+			DSN:                settings.BuildConnectionString(true, SSLModePrefer),
 			MaxOpenConnections: settings.MaxOpenConnections,
 			MaxIdleConnections: settings.MaxIdleConnections,
 			ConnMaxLifetime:    time.Minute * 5,
diff --git a/db/settings.go b/db/settings.go
index 27d86dd..2e8f014 100644
--- a/db/settings.go
+++ b/db/settings.go
@@ -14,16 +14,30 @@ type Settings struct {
 }
 
 // BuildConnectionString builds the connection string to the database - for now same as reader
-func (app *Settings) BuildConnectionString(withSearchPath bool) string {
-	cs := fmt.Sprintf("user=%s password=%s dbname=%s host=%s port=%s sslmode=disable",
+func (app *Settings) BuildConnectionString(withSearchPath bool, sslMode SSLMode) string {
+	cs := fmt.Sprintf("user=%s password=%s dbname=%s host=%s port=%s sslmode=%s",
 		app.User,
 		app.Password,
 		app.Name,
 		app.Host,
 		app.Port,
+		sslMode,
 	)
 	if withSearchPath {
 		cs = fmt.Sprintf("%s search_path=%s", cs, app.Name) // assumption is schema has same name as dbname
 	}
 	return cs
 }
+
+// SSLMode represents the different PostgreSQL SSL modes
+type SSLMode string
+
+const (
+	SSLModeDisable SSLMode = "disable"
+	SSLModeAllow   SSLMode = "allow"
+	// SSLModePrefer falls back to no SSL if can't connect with SSL
+	SSLModePrefer     SSLMode = "prefer"
+	SSLModeRequire    SSLMode = "require"
+	SSLModeVerifyCA   SSLMode = "verify-ca"
+	SSLModeVerifyFull SSLMode = "verify-full"
+)