diff --git a/pkg/backup.go b/pkg/backup.go
index 282a9f8..905966a 100644
--- a/pkg/backup.go
+++ b/pkg/backup.go
@@ -217,10 +217,7 @@ func BackupDatabase(db *dbConfig, backupFileName string, disableCompression bool
 	if disableCompression {
 		// Execute mysqldump
 		cmd := exec.Command("mysqldump",
-			"-h", db.dbHost,
-			"-P", db.dbPort,
-			"-u", db.dbUserName,
-			db.dbName,
+			fmt.Sprintf("--defaults-file=%s", mysqlClientConfig), db.dbName,
 		)
 		output, err := cmd.Output()
 		if err != nil {
@@ -247,7 +244,7 @@ func BackupDatabase(db *dbConfig, backupFileName string, disableCompression bool
 
 	} else {
 		// Execute mysqldump
-		cmd := exec.Command("mysqldump", "-h", db.dbHost, "-P", db.dbPort, "-u", db.dbUserName, db.dbName)
+		cmd := exec.Command("mysqldump", fmt.Sprintf("--defaults-file=%s", mysqlClientConfig), db.dbName)
 		stdout, err := cmd.StdoutPipe()
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to backup database: %v output: %v", err, stdout)
diff --git a/pkg/helper.go b/pkg/helper.go
index 98efe7c..eb03af7 100644
--- a/pkg/helper.go
+++ b/pkg/helper.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ package pkg
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
+	goutils "github.com/jkaninda/go-utils"
 	"github.com/jkaninda/mysql-bkup/utils"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 	"os"
@@ -67,16 +68,17 @@ func deleteTemp() {
 
 // TestDatabaseConnection tests the database connection
 func testDatabaseConnection(db *dbConfig) error {
-	// Set the MYSQL_PWD environment variable
-	if err := os.Setenv("MYSQL_PWD", db.dbPassword); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to set MYSQL_PWD environment variable: %v", err)
+	// Create the mysql client config file
+	if err := createMysqlClientConfigFile(*db); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf(err.Error())
 	}
 	utils.Info("Connecting to %s database ...", db.dbName)
 	// Set database name for notification error
 	utils.DatabaseName = db.dbName
 
 	// Prepare the command to test the database connection
-	cmd := exec.Command("mariadb", "-h", db.dbHost, "-P", db.dbPort, "-u", db.dbUserName, db.dbName, "-e", "quit")
+	//cmd := exec.Command("mariadb", "-h", db.dbHost, "-P", db.dbPort, "-u", db.dbUserName, db.dbName, "-e", "quit")
+	cmd := exec.Command("mariadb", fmt.Sprintf("--defaults-file=%s", mysqlClientConfig), db.dbName, "-e", "quit")
 	// Capture the output
 	var out bytes.Buffer
 	cmd.Stdout = &out
@@ -189,9 +191,11 @@ func RemoveLastExtension(filename string) string {
 
 // Create mysql client config file
 func createMysqlClientConfigFile(db dbConfig) error {
+	caCertPath := goutils.GetStringEnvWithDefault("DB_SSL_CA", "/etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt")
+	sslMode := goutils.GetStringEnvWithDefault("DB_SSL_MODE", "0")
 	// Create the mysql client config file
 	mysqlClientConfigFile := filepath.Join(tmpPath, "my.cnf")
-	mysqlClientConfig := fmt.Sprintf("[client]\nhost=%s\nport=%s\nuser=%s\npassword=%s\nssl-ca=%s\nssl=0\n", db.dbHost, db.dbPort, db.dbUserName, db.dbPassword, db.caCertPath)
+	mysqlClientConfig := fmt.Sprintf("[client]\nhost=%s\nport=%s\nuser=%s\npassword=%s\nssl-ca=%s\nssl=%s\n", db.dbHost, db.dbPort, db.dbUserName, db.dbPassword, caCertPath, sslMode)
 	if err := os.WriteFile(mysqlClientConfigFile, []byte(mysqlClientConfig), 0644); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create mysql client config file: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/restore.go b/pkg/restore.go
index 1dfba20..dd0c799 100644
--- a/pkg/restore.go
+++ b/pkg/restore.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ SOFTWARE.
 package pkg
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"github.com/jkaninda/encryptor"
 	"github.com/jkaninda/go-storage/pkg/local"
 	"github.com/jkaninda/mysql-bkup/utils"
@@ -114,10 +115,6 @@ func RestoreDatabase(db *dbConfig, conf *RestoreConfig) {
 	}
 
 	if utils.FileExists(filepath.Join(tmpPath, conf.file)) {
-		err := os.Setenv("MYSQL_PWD", db.dbPassword)
-		if err != nil {
-			return
-		}
 		err = testDatabaseConnection(db)
 		if err != nil {
 			utils.Fatal("Error connecting to the database %v", err)
@@ -125,12 +122,12 @@ func RestoreDatabase(db *dbConfig, conf *RestoreConfig) {
 		utils.Info("Restoring database...")
 
 		extension := filepath.Ext(filepath.Join(tmpPath, conf.file))
-		// Restore from compressed file / .sql.gz
+		// Restore from a compressed file / .sql.gz
 		if extension == ".gz" {
-			str := "zcat " + filepath.Join(tmpPath, conf.file) + " | mariadb -h " + db.dbHost + " -P " + db.dbPort + " -u " + db.dbUserName + " " + db.dbName
-			_, err := exec.Command("sh", "-c", str).Output()
+			str := "zcat " + filepath.Join(tmpPath, conf.file) + " | mariadb " + fmt.Sprintf("--defaults-file=%s", mysqlClientConfig) + " " + db.dbName
+			output, err := exec.Command("sh", "-c", str).Output()
 			if err != nil {
-				utils.Fatal("Error, in restoring the database  %v", err)
+				utils.Fatal("Error, in restoring the database  %v output: %v", err, output)
 			}
 			utils.Info("Restoring database... done")
 			utils.Info("Database has been restored")
@@ -138,11 +135,11 @@ func RestoreDatabase(db *dbConfig, conf *RestoreConfig) {
 			deleteTemp()
 
 		} else if extension == ".sql" {
-			// Restore from sql file
-			str := "cat " + filepath.Join(tmpPath, conf.file) + " | mariadb -h " + db.dbHost + " -P " + db.dbPort + " -u " + db.dbUserName + " " + db.dbName
-			_, err := exec.Command("sh", "-c", str).Output()
+			// Restore from SQL file
+			str := "cat " + filepath.Join(tmpPath, conf.file) + " | mariadb " + fmt.Sprintf("--defaults-file=%s", mysqlClientConfig) + " " + db.dbName
+			output, err := exec.Command("sh", "-c", str).Output()
 			if err != nil {
-				utils.Fatal("Error in restoring the database %v", err)
+				utils.Fatal("Error, in restoring the database  %v output: %v", err, output)
 			}
 			utils.Info("Restoring database... done")
 			utils.Info("Database has been restored")
diff --git a/pkg/var.go b/pkg/var.go
index 24a44df..4a15b1e 100644
--- a/pkg/var.go
+++ b/pkg/var.go
@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@ SOFTWARE.
 
 package pkg
 
-import "time"
+import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"time"
+)
 
 const tmpPath = "/tmp/backup"
 const gpgHome = "/config/gnupg"
@@ -43,6 +46,7 @@ var (
 	backupSize         int64 = 0
 	startTime                = time.Now()
 	backupRescueMode         = false
+	mysqlClientConfig        = filepath.Join(tmpPath, "my.cnf")
 )
 
 // dbHVars Required environment variables for database