diff --git a/cmd/numerus/main.go b/cmd/numerus/main.go
index 5ee3c68..0abd24f 100644
--- a/cmd/numerus/main.go
+++ b/cmd/numerus/main.go
@@ -9,13 +9,11 @@ import (
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v4/pgxpool"
-
 	numerus "dev.tandem.ws/tandem/numerus/pkg"
 )
 
 func main() {
-	dbpool, err := pgxpool.Connect(context.Background(), os.Getenv("DATABASE_URL"))
+	dbpool, err := numerus.ConnectToDatabase(context.Background(), os.Getenv("NUMERUS_DATABASE_URL"))
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/db.go b/pkg/db.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..550c02d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/db.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package pkg
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"log"
+
+	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v4"
+	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v4/pgxpool"
+)
+
+func ConnectToDatabase(ctx context.Context, connString string) (*pgxpool.Pool, error) {
+	config, err := pgxpool.ParseConfig(connString)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	config.AfterConnect = func(ctx context.Context, conn *pgx.Conn) error {
+		_, err := conn.Exec(context.Background(), "SET search_path TO numerus, public")
+		return err
+	}
+
+	config.BeforeAcquire = func(ctx context.Context, conn *pgx.Conn) bool {
+		if _, err := conn.Exec(ctx, "select set_config('role', $1, false)", "guest"); err != nil {
+			log.Printf("ERROR - Failed to set role: %v", err)
+			return false
+		}
+		return true
+	}
+
+	config.AfterRelease = func(conn *pgx.Conn) bool {
+		if _, err := conn.Exec(context.Background(), "RESET ROLE"); err != nil {
+			log.Printf("ERROR - Failed to reset role: %v", err)
+			return false
+		}
+		return true
+	}
+
+	return pgxpool.ConnectConfig(ctx, config)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/router.go b/pkg/router.go
index 46b03db..239736f 100644
--- a/pkg/router.go
+++ b/pkg/router.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package pkg
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"html/template"
 	"log"
 	"net/http"
@@ -17,14 +16,9 @@ func NewRouter(db *pgxpool.Pool) http.Handler {
 		email := r.FormValue("email")
 		password := r.FormValue("password")
 		var role string
-		if _, err := db.Exec(context.Background(), "select set_config('search_path', 'numerus, public', false)"); err != nil {
-			log.Printf("ERROR - %s", err.Error())
-			http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
-			return
-		}
-		err := db.QueryRow(context.Background(), "select login($1, $2)", email, password).Scan(&role)
+		err := db.QueryRow(r.Context(), "select login($1, $2)", email, password).Scan(&role)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("ERROR - %s", err.Error())
+			log.Printf("ERROR - %v for %q", err, email)
 			http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
 			return
 		}