diff --git a/winixd/core/app.cpp b/winixd/core/app.cpp
index c85a6f3..5e5b688 100644
--- a/winixd/core/app.cpp
+++ b/winixd/core/app.cpp
@@ -334,7 +334,11 @@ bool App::TryToMakeDatabaseMigration()
 
 bool App::Init()
 {
-	postgresql_connector.set_conn_param(config.db_database, config.db_user, config.db_pass);
+	if( !config.db_conn_string.empty() )
+		postgresql_connector.set_conn_param(config.db_conn_string);
+	else
+		postgresql_connector.set_conn_param(config.db_hostaddr, config.db_port, config.db_database, config.db_user, config.db_pass);
+
 	postgresql_connector.set_logger(log);
 	postgresql_connector.set_log_queries(config.log_db_query);
 	postgresql_connector.wait_for_connection();
@@ -359,7 +363,12 @@ bool App::Init()
 	if( !TryToMakeDatabaseMigration() )
 		return false;
 
-	db_conn.SetConnParam(config.db_database, config.db_user, config.db_pass);
+	// will be removed
+	if( !config.db_conn_string.empty() )
+		db_conn.SetConnParam(config.db_conn_string);
+	else
+		db_conn.SetConnParam(config.db_hostaddr, config.db_port, config.db_database, config.db_user, config.db_pass);
+
 	db_conn.WaitForConnection();
 	db.LogQueries(config.log_db_query);
 
diff --git a/winixd/core/config.cpp b/winixd/core/config.cpp
index 8ae17c7..5d4661c 100644
--- a/winixd/core/config.cpp
+++ b/winixd/core/config.cpp
@@ -178,6 +178,9 @@ void Config::AssignValues()
 	template_only_root_use_template_fun = Bool(L"template_only_root_use_template_fun", false);
 
 	http_session_id_name	= Text(L"http_session_id_name", L"session_id");
+	db_conn_string			= Text(L"db_conn_string");
+	db_hostaddr				= Text(L"db_hostaddr");
+	db_port					= Text(L"db_port");
 	db_database				= Text(L"db_database");
 	db_user					= Text(L"db_user");
 	db_pass					= Text(L"db_pass");
diff --git a/winixd/core/config.h b/winixd/core/config.h
index bdbe69a..e5da538 100644
--- a/winixd/core/config.h
+++ b/winixd/core/config.h
@@ -189,6 +189,16 @@ public:
 	// default: false
 	bool template_only_root_use_template_fun;
 
+	// the database connection string
+	// https://www.postgresql.org/docs/14/libpq-connect.html#LIBPQ-CONNSTRING
+	// default: empty (not used if empty)
+	std::wstring db_conn_string;
+
+	// the database host ip address and port number
+	// default: empty which means winix connects to a Unix-domain socket
+	std::wstring db_hostaddr;
+	std::wstring db_port;
+
 	// the database name, user name and a password for the PostgreSQL database
 	std::wstring db_database;
 	std::wstring db_user;
diff --git a/winixd/core/threadmanager.cpp b/winixd/core/threadmanager.cpp
index 4b6a2bc..0ef9627 100644
--- a/winixd/core/threadmanager.cpp
+++ b/winixd/core/threadmanager.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,11 @@ void ThreadManager::Add(BaseThread * pbase, const wchar_t * thread_name)
 	item.object->set_log_buffer(&data.log_buffer);
 
 	//data.postgresql_connector.set_logger(logger);
-	data.postgresql_connector.set_conn_param(config->db_database, config->db_user, config->db_pass);
+	if( !config->db_conn_string.empty() )
+		data.postgresql_connector.set_conn_param(config->db_conn_string);
+	else
+		data.postgresql_connector.set_conn_param(config->db_hostaddr, config->db_port, config->db_database, config->db_user, config->db_pass);
+
 	data.postgresql_connector.set_logger(item.object->get_logger());
 	data.postgresql_connector.set_log_queries(config->log_db_query);
 	data.postgresql_connector.wait_for_connection();
diff --git a/winixd/db/dbconn.cpp b/winixd/db/dbconn.cpp
index c40b312..f9c4dbd 100644
--- a/winixd/db/dbconn.cpp
+++ b/winixd/db/dbconn.cpp
@@ -64,9 +64,22 @@ PGconn * DbConn::GetPgConn()
 }
 
 
-
-void DbConn::SetConnParam(const std::wstring & d, const std::wstring & u, const std::wstring & p)
+void DbConn::SetConnParam(const std::wstring & conn_string)
 {
+	db_conn_string = conn_string;
+	db_host.clear();
+	db_port.clear();
+	db_database.clear();
+	db_user.clear();
+	db_pass.clear();
+}
+
+
+void DbConn::SetConnParam(const std::wstring & host, const std::wstring & port, const std::wstring & d, const std::wstring & u, const std::wstring & p)
+{
+	db_conn_string.clear();
+	db_host     = host;
+	db_port     = port;
 	db_database = d;
 	db_user     = u;
 	db_pass     = p;
@@ -81,9 +94,26 @@ void DbConn::Connect()
 	conn_info.Clear();
 	conn_info.SetExtented(false);
 
-	conn_info << R("dbname=")    << db_database 
-			  << R(" user=")     << db_user
-			  << R(" password=") << db_pass;
+	if( !db_conn_string.empty() )
+	{
+		conn_info << R(db_conn_string);
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		conn_info << R("dbname=")    << db_database
+				  << R(" user=")     << db_user
+				  << R(" password=") << db_pass;
+
+		if( !db_host.empty() )
+		{
+			conn_info << R(L"hostaddr=") << db_host;
+		}
+
+		if( !db_port.empty() )
+		{
+			conn_info << R(L"port=") << db_port;
+		}
+	}
 
 	pg_conn = PQconnectdb(conn_info.CStr());
 	
diff --git a/winixd/db/dbconn.h b/winixd/db/dbconn.h
index 84853ba..d71f43d 100644
--- a/winixd/db/dbconn.h
+++ b/winixd/db/dbconn.h
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ public:
 	DbConn();
 	~DbConn();
 
-	void SetConnParam(const std::wstring & database, const std::wstring & user, const std::wstring & pass);
+	void SetConnParam(const std::wstring & conn_string);
+	void SetConnParam(const std::wstring & host, const std::wstring & port, const std::wstring & database, const std::wstring & user, const std::wstring & pass);
 	void Connect();
 	void WaitForConnection();
 	void Close();
@@ -66,7 +67,8 @@ private:
 	void LogConnectionSocket();
 
 	PGconn * pg_conn;
-	std::wstring db_database, db_user, db_pass;
+	std::wstring db_conn_string;
+	std::wstring db_host, db_port, db_database, db_user, db_pass;
 	DbTextStream conn_info;
 
 	// a helper method for escaping strings