diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index abe51078..facb4be5 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ Enhancements:
  - Change some http status responses to be more appropriate to the case
  - Forbid using map signatures of foreign users (#172)
 
+Bug fixes:
+
+ - Fix database connection settings on template instanciation (#174)
+
 1.8.3 -- 2014-02-27
 -------------------
 
diff --git a/lib/cartodb/server_options.js b/lib/cartodb/server_options.js
index a153cb8a..5a9909b3 100644
--- a/lib/cartodb/server_options.js
+++ b/lib/cartodb/server_options.js
@@ -503,6 +503,14 @@ module.exports = function(){
     // @param callback function(err) 
     //
     me.setDBConn = function(dbowner, params, callback) {
+      // Add default database connection parameters
+      // if none given
+      _.defaults(params, {
+        dbuser: global.environment.postgres.user,
+        dbpassword: global.environment.postgres.password,
+        dbhost: global.environment.postgres.host,
+        dbport: global.environment.postgres.port
+      });
       Step(
         function getDatabaseHost(){
             cartoData.getUserDBHost(dbowner, this);
diff --git a/test/acceptance/templates.js b/test/acceptance/templates.js
index a93f5700..7f156635 100644
--- a/test/acceptance/templates.js
+++ b/test/acceptance/templates.js
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ var strftime    = require('strftime');
 var SQLAPIEmu   = require(__dirname + '/../support/SQLAPIEmu.js');
 var redis_stats_db = 5;
 
+// Pollute the PG environment to make sure
+// configuration settings are always enforced
+// See https://github.com/CartoDB/Windshaft-cartodb/issues/174
+process.env['PGPORT'] = '666';
+process.env['PGHOST'] = 'fake';
+
 require(__dirname + '/../support/test_helper');
 
 var windshaft_fixtures = __dirname + '/../../node_modules/windshaft/test/fixtures';