diff --git a/modules/setting/database.go b/modules/setting/database.go
index b68f250f787ef..015c918d93a4a 100644
--- a/modules/setting/database.go
+++ b/modules/setting/database.go
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ func getPostgreSQLConnectionString(dbHost, dbUser, dbPasswd, dbName, dbsslMode s
 		RawQuery: dbParam,
 	}
 	query := connURL.Query()
-	if dbHost[0] == '/' { // looks like a unix socket
+	if strings.HasPrefix(dbHost, "/") { // looks like a unix socket
 		query.Add("host", dbHost)
 		connURL.Host = ":" + port
 	}
diff --git a/modules/setting/database_test.go b/modules/setting/database_test.go
index 1d5b416504b18..14e0a6ac021f4 100644
--- a/modules/setting/database_test.go
+++ b/modules/setting/database_test.go
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ func Test_getPostgreSQLConnectionString(t *testing.T) {
 		SSLMode string
 		Output  string
 	}{
+		{
+			Host:   "", // empty means default
+			Output: "postgres://:@127.0.0.1:5432?sslmode=",
+		},
 		{
 			Host:    "/tmp/pg.sock",
 			User:    "testuser",