diff --git a/backplane-dns.lisp b/backplane-dns.lisp
index 3a7562e..dc655fd 100644
--- a/backplane-dns.lisp
+++ b/backplane-dns.lisp
@@ -159,7 +159,9 @@
   (let ((postmodern:*ignore-unknown-columns* t)
         (cl-postgres:*query-log* *standard-output*)
         (*dns-store* (make-instance 'backplane-dns-store:postgres-dns-store)))
-    (postmodern:with-connection (list db-name db-username db-password db-host :port db-port :use-ssl db-use-ssl)
+    (postmodern:with-connection (list db-name db-username db-password db-host
+                                      :port db-port
+                                      :use-ssl (symbolize db-use-ssl))
       (with-backplane (backplane (backplane-connect xmpp-host xmpp-username xmpp-password))
         (start-listening backplane)))))
 
@@ -177,10 +179,6 @@
             (uiop:die 1 "unable to find required env var: ~A" env-var))
         value)))
 
-(defun getenv-flag (env-var)
-  (let ((value (uiop:getenv env-var)))
-    (if value t nil)))
-
 (defun start-listener-with-env ()
   (backplane-dns-listen
    :xmpp-host     (getenv-or-fail "FUDO_DNS_BACKPLANE_XMPP_HOSTNAME")
@@ -192,4 +190,4 @@
    :db-host       (getenv-or-fail "FUDO_DNS_BACKPLANE_DATABASE_HOSTNAME")
    :db-port       (getenv-or-fail "FUDO_DNS_BACKPLANE_DATABASE_PORT" 5432)
    :db-password   (read-file-line (getenv-or-fail "FUDO_DNS_BACKPLANE_DATABASE_PASSWORD_FILE"))
-   :db-use-ssl    (getenv-flag "FUDO_DNS_BACKPLANE_DATABASE_USE_SSL")))
+   :db-use-ssl    (getenv-or-fail "FUDO_DNS_BACKPLANE_DATABASE_USE_SSL" "no")))