diff --git a/definitions/features/candlepin_database.rb b/definitions/features/candlepin_database.rb
index 2841e284f..0780ac128 100644
--- a/definitions/features/candlepin_database.rb
+++ b/definitions/features/candlepin_database.rb
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def load_configuration
   # rubocop:enable Metrics/MethodLength
 
   def extend_with_db_options
-    db_options = { '-d' => construct_database_string }
+    db_options = { '-d' => configuration['database'] }
     if check_option_using_cpdb_help('dbhost')
       db_options['--dbhost'] = configuration['host']
       db_options['--dbport'] = configuration['port']
@@ -83,15 +83,6 @@ def extend_with_db_options
     db_options
   end
 
-  def construct_database_string
-    db_str = configuration['database']
-    extra_opts = []
-    extra_opts << "ssl=#{configuration['ssl']}" if configuration['ssl']
-    extra_opts << "sslfactory=#{configuration['sslfactory']}" if configuration['sslfactory']
-    db_str += "?#{extra_opts.join('&')}" unless extra_opts.empty?
-    db_str
-  end
-
   def fetch_extra_param(url, key_name)
     query_string = url.split('?')[1]
     return nil unless query_string
diff --git a/test/definitions/features/candlepin_database_test.rb b/test/definitions/features/candlepin_database_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0812bc088
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/definitions/features/candlepin_database_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+require 'minitest/stub_const'
+
+describe Features::CandlepinDatabase do
+  include DefinitionsTestHelper
+  subject { Features::CandlepinDatabase.new }
+  let(:subject_ins) { Features::CandlepinDatabase.any_instance }
+
+  let(:cp_config_dir) do
+    File.expand_path('../../../support/', __FILE__)
+  end
+
+  def stub_with_ssl_config
+    Features::CandlepinDatabase.stub_const(:CANDLEPIN_DB_CONFIG,
+                                           cp_config_dir + '/candlepin_with_ssl.conf') do
+      yield
+    end
+  end
+
+  def stub_without_ssl_config
+    Features::CandlepinDatabase.stub_const(:CANDLEPIN_DB_CONFIG,
+                                           cp_config_dir + '/candlepin_without_ssl.conf') do
+      yield
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '.configuration' do
+    it 'The url includes ssl attributes when ssl is enabled' do
+      stub_with_ssl_config do
+        url = subject.configuration['url']
+        assert_includes url, 'ssl=true'
+        assert_includes url, 'sslrootcert=/usr/share/foreman/root.crt'
+      end
+    end
+
+    it 'The url does not include ssl attributes when ssl is disabled' do
+      stub_without_ssl_config do
+        url = subject.configuration['url']
+        refute_includes url, 'ssl=true'
+        refute_includes url, 'sslrootcert=/usr/share/foreman/root.crt'
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/support/candlepin_with_ssl.conf b/test/support/candlepin_with_ssl.conf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7032c866a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/support/candlepin_with_ssl.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+### File managed with puppet ###
+## Module: 'candlepin'
+
+candlepin.consumer_system_name_pattern=.+
+candlepin.environment_content_filtering=true
+candlepin.auth.basic.enable=false
+candlepin.auth.trusted.enable=false
+
+candlepin.audit.hornetq.config_path=/etc/candlepin/broker.xml
+
+candlepin.auth.oauth.enable=true
+candlepin.auth.oauth.consumer.katello.secret=abcdabcd
+
+module.config.adapter_module=org.candlepin.katello.KatelloModule
+
+candlepin.ca_key=/etc/candlepin/certs/candlepin-ca.key
+candlepin.ca_cert=/etc/candlepin/certs/candlepin-ca.crt
+candlepin.crl.file=/var/lib/candlepin/candlepin-crl.crl
+
+candlepin.async.jobs.ExpiredPoolsCleanupJob.schedule=0 0 0 * * ?
+
+# Required for https://hibernate.atlassian.net/browse/HHH-12927
+log4j.logger.org.hibernate.internal.SessionImpl=ERROR
+
+# uncomment to enable debug logging in candlepin.log:
+#log4j.logger.org.candlepin=DEBUG
+jpa.config.hibernate.dialect=org.hibernate.dialect.PostgreSQLDialect
+jpa.config.hibernate.connection.driver_class=org.postgresql.Driver
+jpa.config.hibernate.connection.url=jdbc:postgresql://host.example.com:5432/candlepin1db?ssl=true&sslrootcert=/usr/share/foreman/root.crt
+jpa.config.hibernate.hbm2ddl.auto=validate
+jpa.config.hibernate.connection.username=candlepin
+jpa.config.hibernate.connection.password=password
+
+org.quartz.jobStore.misfireThreshold=60000
+org.quartz.jobStore.useProperties=false
+org.quartz.jobStore.dataSource=myDS
+org.quartz.jobStore.tablePrefix=QRTZ_
+org.quartz.jobStore.class=org.quartz.impl.jdbcjobstore.JobStoreTX
+org.quartz.jobStore.driverDelegateClass=org.quartz.impl.jdbcjobstore.PostgreSQLDelegate
+
+org.quartz.dataSource.myDS.driver=org.postgresql.Driver
+org.quartz.dataSource.myDS.URL=jdbc:postgresql://host.example.com:5432/candlepin1db?ssl=true&sslrootcert=/usr/share/foreman/root.crt
+org.quartz.dataSource.myDS.user=candlepin
+org.quartz.dataSource.myDS.password=password
+org.quartz.dataSource.myDS.maxConnections=5
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/support/candlepin_without_ssl.conf b/test/support/candlepin_without_ssl.conf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d2f3a5858
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/support/candlepin_without_ssl.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+### File managed with puppet ###
+## Module: 'candlepin'
+
+candlepin.consumer_system_name_pattern=.+
+candlepin.environment_content_filtering=true
+candlepin.auth.basic.enable=false
+candlepin.auth.trusted.enable=false
+
+candlepin.audit.hornetq.config_path=/etc/candlepin/broker.xml
+
+candlepin.auth.oauth.enable=true
+candlepin.auth.oauth.consumer.katello.secret=abcdabcd
+
+module.config.adapter_module=org.candlepin.katello.KatelloModule
+
+candlepin.ca_key=/etc/candlepin/certs/candlepin-ca.key
+candlepin.ca_cert=/etc/candlepin/certs/candlepin-ca.crt
+
+candlepin.async.jobs.ExpiredPoolsCleanupJob.schedule=0 0 0 * * ?
+
+# Required for https://hibernate.atlassian.net/browse/HHH-12927
+log4j.logger.org.hibernate.internal.SessionImpl=ERROR
+
+# uncomment to enable debug logging in candlepin.log:
+#log4j.logger.org.candlepin=DEBUG
+jpa.config.hibernate.dialect=org.hibernate.dialect.PostgreSQLDialect
+jpa.config.hibernate.connection.driver_class=org.postgresql.Driver
+jpa.config.hibernate.connection.url=jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/candlepin
+jpa.config.hibernate.hbm2ddl.auto=validate
+jpa.config.hibernate.connection.username=candlepin
+jpa.config.hibernate.connection.password=password
+
+org.quartz.jobStore.misfireThreshold=60000
+org.quartz.jobStore.useProperties=false
+org.quartz.jobStore.dataSource=myDS
+org.quartz.jobStore.tablePrefix=QRTZ_
+org.quartz.jobStore.class=org.quartz.impl.jdbcjobstore.JobStoreTX
+org.quartz.jobStore.driverDelegateClass=org.quartz.impl.jdbcjobstore.PostgreSQLDelegate
+
+org.quartz.dataSource.myDS.driver=org.postgresql.Driver
+org.quartz.dataSource.myDS.URL=jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/candlepin
+org.quartz.dataSource.myDS.user=candlepin
+org.quartz.dataSource.myDS.password=password
+org.quartz.dataSource.myDS.maxConnections=5