diff --git a/test/instrumentation/modules/pg/_utils.js b/test/instrumentation/modules/pg/_utils.js
index a675157599..1bef25531f 100644
--- a/test/instrumentation/modules/pg/_utils.js
+++ b/test/instrumentation/modules/pg/_utils.js
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ exports.reset = reset
 exports.loadData = loadData
 
 function reset (cb) {
-  var client = new Client({ database: 'postgres' })
+  var client = new Client({
+    database: 'postgres',
+    user: process.env.PGUSER || 'postgres'
+  })
 
   client.connect(function (err) {
     if (err) throw err
@@ -22,7 +25,10 @@ function reset (cb) {
 }
 
 function loadData (cb) {
-  var client = new Client({ database: 'test_elastic_apm' })
+  var client = new Client({
+    database: 'test_elastic_apm',
+    user: process.env.PGUSER || 'postgres'
+  })
 
   client.connect(function (err) {
     if (err) throw err
diff --git a/test/instrumentation/modules/pg/knex.js b/test/instrumentation/modules/pg/knex.js
index cb6f702112..90ee1b7d33 100644
--- a/test/instrumentation/modules/pg/knex.js
+++ b/test/instrumentation/modules/pg/knex.js
@@ -134,7 +134,10 @@ function createClient (cb) {
   setup(function () {
     knex = Knex({
       client: 'pg',
-      connection: 'postgres:///test_elastic_apm'
+      connection: {
+        database: 'test_elastic_apm',
+        user: process.env.PGUSER || 'postgres'
+      }
     })
     cb()
   })
diff --git a/test/instrumentation/modules/pg/pg.js b/test/instrumentation/modules/pg/pg.js
index c8132f9ceb..c59adbf7a5 100644
--- a/test/instrumentation/modules/pg/pg.js
+++ b/test/instrumentation/modules/pg/pg.js
@@ -497,7 +497,8 @@ function assertSpan (t, span, sql) {
 function createClient (cb) {
   setup(function () {
     queryable = new pg.Client({
-      database: 'test_elastic_apm'
+      database: 'test_elastic_apm',
+      user: process.env.PGUSER || 'postgres'
     })
     queryable.connect(function (err) {
       if (err) throw err
@@ -513,11 +514,15 @@ function createPool (cb) {
     if (semver.satisfies(pgVersion, '<6.0.0')) {
       queryable = pg
       connector = function connector (cb) {
-        return pg.connect('postgres:///test_elastic_apm', cb)
+        return pg.connect({
+          database: 'test_elastic_apm',
+          user: process.env.PGUSER || 'postgres'
+        }, cb)
       }
     } else {
       var pool = new pg.Pool({
-        database: 'test_elastic_apm'
+        database: 'test_elastic_apm',
+        user: process.env.PGUSER || 'postgres'
       })
       queryable = pool
       connector = function connector (cb) {