diff --git a/do_postgres/ext/do_postgres.c b/do_postgres/ext/do_postgres.c
index 7381357..9c88923 100644
--- a/do_postgres/ext/do_postgres.c
+++ b/do_postgres/ext/do_postgres.c
@@ -192,13 +192,13 @@ VALUE cConnection_initialize(VALUE self, VALUE uri) {
        }

        VALUE r_user = rb_funcall(uri, rb_intern("user"), 0);
-       char * user = "postgres";
+       char * user = NULL;
        if (Qnil != r_user) {
                user = StringValuePtr(r_user);
        }

        VALUE r_password = rb_funcall(uri, rb_intern("password"), 0);
-       char * password = "";
+       char * password = NULL;
        if (Qnil != r_password) {
                password = StringValuePtr(r_password);
        }
@@ -467,4 +467,4 @@ void Init_do_postgres() {
        rb_define_method(cReader, "values", cReader_values, 0);
        rb_define_method(cReader, "fields", cReader_fields, 0);

-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}