diff --git a/server/db.go b/server/db.go
index af1fbb739..dba7980d0 100644
--- a/server/db.go
+++ b/server/db.go
@@ -33,7 +33,10 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
-const dbErrorDatabaseDoesNotExist = pgerrcode.InvalidCatalogName
+const (
+	dbErrorDatabaseInvalidPassword = pgerrcode.InvalidPassword
+	dbErrorDatabaseDoesNotExist    = pgerrcode.InvalidCatalogName
+)
 
 var ErrDatabaseDriverMismatch = errors.New("database driver mismatch")
 
@@ -50,7 +53,7 @@ func DbConnect(ctx context.Context, logger *zap.Logger, config Config, create bo
 	}
 	query := parsedURL.Query()
 	var queryUpdated bool
-	if len(query.Get("sslmode")) == 0 {
+	if query.Get("sslmode") == "" {
 		query.Set("sslmode", "prefer")
 		queryUpdated = true
 	}
@@ -77,16 +80,14 @@ func DbConnect(ctx context.Context, logger *zap.Logger, config Config, create bo
 		logger.Fatal("Failed to open database", zap.Error(err))
 	}
 
+	dbPing(ctx, logger, db, dbName)
+
 	if create {
 		var nakamaDBExists bool
 		if err = db.QueryRow("SELECT EXISTS (SELECT 1 from pg_database WHERE datname = $1)", dbName).Scan(&nakamaDBExists); err != nil {
-			var pgErr *pgconn.PgError
-			if errors.As(err, &pgErr) && pgErr.Code == dbErrorDatabaseDoesNotExist {
-				nakamaDBExists = false
-			} else {
-				db.Close()
-				logger.Fatal("Failed to check if db exists", zap.String("db", dbName), zap.Error(err))
-			}
+			nakamaDBExists = false
+			db.Close()
+			logger.Fatal("Failed to check if db exists", zap.String("db", dbName), zap.Error(err))
 		}
 
 		if !nakamaDBExists {
@@ -104,45 +105,32 @@ func DbConnect(ctx context.Context, logger *zap.Logger, config Config, create bo
 				logger.Fatal("Failed to create database", zap.Error(err))
 			}
 			db.Close()
+
 			parsedURL.Path = fmt.Sprintf("/%s", dbName)
-			db, err = sql.Open("pgx", parsedURL.String())
-			if err != nil {
-				db.Close()
-				logger.Fatal("Failed to open database", zap.Error(err))
-			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	logger.Debug("Complete database connection URL", zap.String("raw_url", parsedURL.String()))
 	db, err = sql.Open("pgx", parsedURL.String())
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.Fatal("Error connecting to database", zap.Error(err))
-	}
-	// Limit max time allowed across database ping and version fetch to 15 seconds total.
-	pingCtx, pingCtxCancelFn := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 15*time.Second)
-	defer pingCtxCancelFn()
-	if err = db.PingContext(pingCtx); err != nil {
-		if strings.HasSuffix(err.Error(), "does not exist (SQLSTATE 3D000)") {
-			logger.Fatal("Database schema not found, run `nakama migrate up`", zap.Error(err))
-		}
-		logger.Fatal("Error pinging database", zap.Error(err))
+		logger.Fatal("Failed to open database", zap.Error(err))
 	}
 
+	dbPing(ctx, logger, db, dbName)
+
 	db.SetConnMaxLifetime(time.Millisecond * time.Duration(config.GetDatabase().ConnMaxLifetimeMs))
 	db.SetMaxOpenConns(config.GetDatabase().MaxOpenConns)
 	db.SetMaxIdleConns(config.GetDatabase().MaxIdleConns)
 
 	var dbVersion string
-	if err = db.QueryRowContext(pingCtx, "SELECT version()").Scan(&dbVersion); err != nil {
-		logger.Fatal("Error querying database version", zap.Error(err))
+	versionCtx, versionCtxCancelFn := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 5*time.Second)
+	defer versionCtxCancelFn()
+	if err = db.QueryRowContext(versionCtx, "SELECT version()").Scan(&dbVersion); err != nil {
+		logger.Fatal("Failed to query database version", zap.Error(err))
 	}
 
 	logger.Info("Database information", zap.String("version", dbVersion))
-	if strings.Split(dbVersion, " ")[0] == "CockroachDB" {
-		isCockroach = true
-	} else {
-		isCockroach = false
-	}
+	isCockroach = strings.HasPrefix(dbVersion, "CockroachDB ")
 
 	// Periodically check database hostname for underlying address changes.
 	go func() {
@@ -237,6 +225,30 @@ func DbConnect(ctx context.Context, logger *zap.Logger, config Config, create bo
 	return db
 }
 
+func dbPing(ctx context.Context, logger *zap.Logger, db *sql.DB, dbName string) {
+	pingCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 10*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	err := db.PingContext(pingCtx)
+	if err != nil {
+		db.Close()
+
+		errLogger := logger.With(zap.String("db", dbName), zap.Error(err))
+
+		var pgErr *pgconn.PgError
+		if errors.As(err, &pgErr) {
+			switch pgErr.Code {
+			case dbErrorDatabaseInvalidPassword:
+				errLogger.Fatal("Invalid credentials")
+			case dbErrorDatabaseDoesNotExist:
+				errLogger.Fatal("Database schema not found, run `nakama migrate up`")
+			}
+		} else {
+			errLogger.Fatal("Failed to ping database")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func dbResolveAddress(ctx context.Context, logger *zap.Logger, host string) ([]string, map[string]struct{}) {
 	resolveCtx, resolveCtxCancelFn := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 15*time.Second)
 	defer resolveCtxCancelFn()