diff --git a/pkg/db/db.go b/pkg/db/db.go
index ea3ca4c11..bcfc3c91e 100644
--- a/pkg/db/db.go
+++ b/pkg/db/db.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"code.vikunja.io/api/pkg/log"
 	"encoding/gob"
 	"fmt"
+	"net/url"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -120,31 +121,43 @@ func initMysqlEngine() (engine *xorm.Engine, err error) {
 	return
 }
 
+// parsePostgreSQLHostPort parses given input in various forms defined in
+// https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/libpq-connect.html#LIBPQ-CONNSTRING
+// and returns proper host and port number.
+func parsePostgreSQLHostPort(info string) (string, string) {
+	host, port := "127.0.0.1", "5432"
+	if strings.Contains(info, ":") && !strings.HasSuffix(info, "]") {
+		idx := strings.LastIndex(info, ":")
+		host = info[:idx]
+		port = info[idx+1:]
+	} else if len(info) > 0 {
+		host = info
+	}
+	return host, port
+}
+
 func initPostgresEngine() (engine *xorm.Engine, err error) {
-	var connStr strings.Builder
-
-	// https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/lib/pq?tab=doc#hdr-Connection_String_Parameters
-	params := map[string]string{
-		"user":      config.DatabaseUser.GetString(),
-		"password":  config.DatabasePassword.GetString(),
-		"host":      config.DatabaseHost.GetString(),
-		"dbname":    config.DatabaseDatabase.GetString(),
-		"sslmode":   config.DatabaseSslMode.GetString(),
+	var connStr string
+	host, port := parsePostgreSQLHostPort(config.DatabaseHost.GetString())
+	if strings.HasPrefix(config.DatabaseHost.GetString(), "/") { // looks like a unix socket
+		connStr = fmt.Sprintf("postgres://%s:%s@:%s/%ssslmode=%s&host=%s",
+			url.PathEscape(config.DatabaseUser.GetString()),
+			url.PathEscape(config.DatabasePassword.GetString()),
+			port,
+			config.DatabaseDatabase.GetString(),
+			config.DatabaseSslMode.GetString(),
+			host)
+	} else {
+		connStr = fmt.Sprintf("postgres://%s:%s@%s:%s/%ssslmode=%s",
+			url.PathEscape(config.DatabaseUser.GetString()),
+			url.PathEscape(config.DatabasePassword.GetString()),
+			host,
+			port,
+			config.DatabaseDatabase.GetString(),
+			config.DatabaseSslMode.GetString())
 	}
 
-	for name, value := range params {
-		if name != "" {
-			value = strings.ReplaceAll(value, "\\", "\\\\")
-			value = strings.ReplaceAll(value, "'", "\\'")
-
-			if connStr.Len() > 0 {
-				connStr.WriteString(" ")
-			}
-			connStr.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("%s='%s'", name, value))
-		}
-	}
-
-	engine, err = xorm.NewEngine("postgres", connStr.String())
+	engine, err = xorm.NewEngine("postgres", connStr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}