diff --git a/charts/geonode/templates/_helpers.tpl b/charts/geonode/templates/_helpers.tpl
index ad26a9f..2515b0c 100644
--- a/charts/geonode/templates/_helpers.tpl
+++ b/charts/geonode/templates/_helpers.tpl
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 {{- end -}}
 
 
+
 # Database definitions
 {{- define "database_hostname" -}}
 {{- if (index .Values "postgres-operator" "enabled") -}}
@@ -76,6 +77,34 @@
 {{- end -}}
 {{- end -}}
 
+# define password key name in geonode postgres secret
+{{- define "database_geonode_password_key_ref" -}}
+{{- if (index .Values "postgres-operator" "enabled") -}}
+password
+{{- else if .Values.postgres.external_postgres.enabled -}}
+geonode-password
+{{- end -}}
+{{- end -}}
+
+# define password key name in geodata postgres secret
+{{- define "database_geodata_password_key_ref" -}}
+{{- if (index .Values "postgres-operator" "enabled") -}}
+password
+{{- else if .Values.postgres.external_postgres.enabled -}}
+geodata-password
+{{- end -}}
+{{- end -}}
+
+# define password key name in postgres postgres secret
+{{- define "database_postgres_password_key_ref" -}}
+{{- if (index .Values "postgres-operator" "enabled") -}}
+password
+{{- else if .Values.postgres.external_postgres.enabled -}}
+postgres-password
+{{- end -}}
+{{- end -}}
+
+
 {{- define "pycsw_pod_name" -}}
 {{ .Release.Name }}-{{ .Values.pycsw.pod_name }}
 {{- end -}}
@@ -102,4 +131,3 @@ amqp://{{ .Values.rabbitmq.auth.username }}:{{ .Values.rabbitmq.auth.password }}
 {{- define "boolean2str" -}}
 {{ . | ternary "True" "False" }}
 {{- end -}}
-
diff --git a/charts/geonode/templates/geonode/geonode-deploy.yaml b/charts/geonode/templates/geonode/geonode-deploy.yaml
index ecf5792..b712bf8 100644
--- a/charts/geonode/templates/geonode/geonode-deploy.yaml
+++ b/charts/geonode/templates/geonode/geonode-deploy.yaml
@@ -105,17 +105,17 @@ spec:
           valueFrom:
             secretKeyRef:
               name: {{ include "database_geonode_password_secret_key_ref" . }}
-              key: geonode_password
+              key: password
         - name: GEONODE_GEODATABASE_PASSWORD
           valueFrom:
             secretKeyRef:
               name: {{ include "database_geodata_password_secret_key_ref" . }}
-              key: geodata_password
+              key: password
         - name: POSTGRES_PASSWORD
           valueFrom:
             secretKeyRef:
               name: {{ include "database_postgres_password_secret_key_ref" . }}
-              key: postgres_password
+              key: password
         - name: GEODATABASE_URL
           value: "postgis://$(GEONODE_GEODATABASE):$(GEONODE_GEODATABASE_PASSWORD)@$(DATABASE_HOST):$(DATABASE_PORT)/$(GEONODE_GEODATABASE)"
         - name: DATABASE_URL
@@ -212,17 +212,17 @@ spec:
           valueFrom:
             secretKeyRef:
               name: {{ include "database_geonode_password_secret_key_ref" . }}
-              key: geonode_password
+              key: {{ include "database_geonode_password_key_ref" . }}
         - name: GEONODE_GEODATABASE_PASSWORD
           valueFrom:
             secretKeyRef:
               name: {{ include "database_geodata_password_secret_key_ref" . }}
-              key: geodata_password
+              key: {{ include "database_geodata_password_key_ref" . }}
         - name: POSTGRES_PASSWORD
           valueFrom:
             secretKeyRef:
               name: {{ include "database_postgres_password_secret_key_ref" . }}
-              key: postgres_password
+              key: {{ include "database_postgres_password_key_ref" . }}
         - name: GEODATABASE_URL
           value: "postgis://$(GEONODE_GEODATABASE):$(GEONODE_GEODATABASE_PASSWORD)@$(DATABASE_HOST):$(DATABASE_PORT)/$(GEONODE_GEODATABASE)"
         - name: DATABASE_URL
diff --git a/charts/geonode/templates/geonode/geonode-env.yaml b/charts/geonode/templates/geonode/geonode-env.yaml
index c3bbf56..f1ee377 100644
--- a/charts/geonode/templates/geonode/geonode-env.yaml
+++ b/charts/geonode/templates/geonode/geonode-env.yaml
@@ -180,6 +180,8 @@ data:
   DATABASE_HOST: {{ include "database_hostname" . | quote }}
   DATABASE_PORT: {{ include "database_port" . | quote }}
 
+  # enables ssl encrypted psql connection (required by postgres-operator databases)
+  PGSSLMODE: "require"
   POSTGRES_USER: {{ .Values.postgres.username | quote }}
   GEONODE_DATABASE: {{ .Values.postgres.geonode_databasename_and_username | quote }}
   GEONODE_GEODATABASE: {{ .Values.postgres.geodata_databasename_and_username | quote }}
diff --git a/charts/geonode/templates/geoserver/geoserver-deploy.yaml b/charts/geonode/templates/geoserver/geoserver-deploy.yaml
index 2482703..b506510 100644
--- a/charts/geonode/templates/geoserver/geoserver-deploy.yaml
+++ b/charts/geonode/templates/geoserver/geoserver-deploy.yaml
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ spec:
             valueFrom:
               secretKeyRef:
                 name: {{ include "database_geodata_password_secret_key_ref" . }}
-                key: geodata_password
+                key: {{ include "database_geodata_password_key_ref" . }}
 
         volumeMounts:
         - name: "{{ include "persistant_volume_name" . }}"
diff --git a/charts/geonode/templates/postgres/postgres-external-geodata-secrets.yaml b/charts/geonode/templates/postgres/postgres-external-geodata-secrets.yaml
index 832fcd1..f521803 100644
--- a/charts/geonode/templates/postgres/postgres-external-geodata-secrets.yaml
+++ b/charts/geonode/templates/postgres/postgres-external-geodata-secrets.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,5 @@ metadata:
   namespace: {{ .Release.Namespace }}
 type: Opaque
 data:
-  geodata_username: {{ .Values.postgres.geodata_databasename_and_username | b64enc }}
   geodata_password: {{ .Values.postgres.external_postgres.secret.geodata_password | b64enc }}
 {{ end }}
diff --git a/charts/geonode/templates/postgres/postgres-external-geonode-secrets.yaml b/charts/geonode/templates/postgres/postgres-external-geonode-secrets.yaml
index c8cd240..c26a016 100644
--- a/charts/geonode/templates/postgres/postgres-external-geonode-secrets.yaml
+++ b/charts/geonode/templates/postgres/postgres-external-geonode-secrets.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,5 @@ metadata:
   namespace: {{ .Release.Namespace }}
 type: Opaque
 data:
-  geonode_username: {{ .Values.postgres.geonode_databasename_and_username | b64enc }}
   geonode_password: {{ .Values.postgres.external_postgres.secret.geonode_password | b64enc }}
 {{ end }}
diff --git a/charts/geonode/templates/postgres/postgres-external-postgres-secrets.yaml b/charts/geonode/templates/postgres/postgres-external-postgres-secrets.yaml
index 6ac8527..446ec7d 100644
--- a/charts/geonode/templates/postgres/postgres-external-postgres-secrets.yaml
+++ b/charts/geonode/templates/postgres/postgres-external-postgres-secrets.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,5 @@ metadata:
   namespace: {{ .Release.Namespace }}
 type: Opaque
 data:
-  postgres_username: {{ .Values.postgres.username | b64enc }}
   postgres_password: {{ .Values.postgres.external_postgres.secret.postgres_password | b64enc }}
 {{ end }}