diff --git a/include/dba/dba_driver.php b/include/dba/dba_driver.php
index 631513819..c121b6bb5 100644
--- a/include/dba/dba_driver.php
+++ b/include/dba/dba_driver.php
@@ -101,19 +101,13 @@ abstract class dba_driver {
 	public  $error = false;
 
 	/**
-	 * @brief Connect to the database.
+	 * Connects to the database.
 	 *
 	 * This abstract function needs to be implemented in the real driver.
 	 *
-	 * @param string $server DB server name
-	 * @param string $scheme DB scheme
-	 * @param string $port DB port
-	 * @param string $user DB username
-	 * @param string $pass DB password
-	 * @param string $db database name
 	 * @return bool
 	 */
-	abstract function connect($server, $scheme, $port, $user, $pass, $db, $db_charset);
+	abstract function connect(): bool;
 
 	/**
 	 * @brief Perform a DB query with the SQL statement $sql.
@@ -147,18 +141,27 @@ abstract class dba_driver {
 	 */
 	abstract function getdriver();
 
-	function __construct($server, $scheme, $port, $user,$pass,$db,$db_charset,$install = false) {
-		if(($install) && (! $this->install($server, $scheme, $port, $user, $pass, $db, $db_charset))) {
+	function __construct(
+		readonly string $server,
+		readonly string $scheme,
+		readonly string $port,
+		readonly string $user,
+		protected string $pass,
+		readonly string $dbname,
+		readonly string $db_charset,
+		$install = false)
+	{
+		if ($install && ! $this->install()) {
 			return;
 		}
-		$this->connect($server, $scheme, $port, $user, $pass, $db, $db_charset);
+		$this->connect();
 	}
 
 	function get_null_date() {
 		return \DBA::$null_date;
 	}
 
-	function get_install_script() {
+	public static function get_install_script() {
 		$platform_name = \Zotlabs\Lib\System::get_platform_name();
 		if(file_exists('install/' . $platform_name . '/' . \DBA::$install_script))
 			 return 'install/' . $platform_name . '/' . \DBA::$install_script;
@@ -174,8 +177,8 @@ abstract class dba_driver {
 		return \DBA::$utc_now;
 	}
 
-	function install($server,$scheme,$port,$user,$pass,$db) {
-		if (!(strlen($server) && strlen($user))){
+	function install() {
+		if (!strlen($this->server) && strlen($this->user)) {
 			$this->connected = false;
 			$this->db = null;
 			return false;
diff --git a/include/dba/dba_pdo.php b/include/dba/dba_pdo.php
index 4e3d61c3d..0528d0446 100644
--- a/include/dba/dba_pdo.php
+++ b/include/dba/dba_pdo.php
@@ -14,31 +14,35 @@ class dba_pdo extends dba_driver {
 
 	/**
 	 * {@inheritDoc}
+	 *
 	 * @see dba_driver::connect()
 	 */
-	function connect($server, $scheme, $port, $user, $pass, $db, $db_charset) {
+	function connect(): bool {
 
-		$this->driver_dbtype = $scheme;
+		$this->driver_dbtype = $this->scheme;
 
-		if(strpbrk($server,':;')) {
-			$dsn = $this->driver_dbtype . ':unix_socket=' . trim($server, ':;');
+		if(strpbrk($this->server,':;')) {
+			$dsn = $this->driver_dbtype . ':unix_socket=' . trim($this->server, ':;');
 		}
 		else {
-			$dsn = $this->driver_dbtype . ':host=' . $server . (intval($port) ? ';port=' . $port : '');
+			$dsn = $this->driver_dbtype
+				. ':host='
+				. $this->server
+				. (intval($this->port) ? ';port=' . $this->port : '');
 		}
 
-		$dsn .= ';dbname=' . $db;
+		$dsn .= ';dbname=' . $this->dbname;
 
 		if ($this->driver_dbtype === 'mysql') {
-			$dsn .= ';charset=' . $db_charset;
+			$dsn .= ';charset=' . $this->db_charset;
 		}
 		else {
-			$dsn .= ";options='--client_encoding=" . $db_charset . "'";
+			$dsn .= ";options='--client_encoding=" . $this->db_charset . "'";
 		}
 
 		try {
-			$this->db = new PDO($dsn,$user,$pass);
-			$this->db->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE,PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
+			$this->db = new PDO($dsn, $this->user, $this->pass);
+			$this->db->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
 			$this->server_version = $this->db->getAttribute(PDO::ATTR_SERVER_VERSION);
 		}
 		catch(PDOException $e) {