diff --git a/templates/xpub-collabra-configmap-initscripts.yaml b/templates/xpub-collabra-configmap-initscripts.yaml
index d5ee810d7bfc23d306eb24e23d3f73d2437ebf68..f0c8b4eceab61e89028489fffe1830c7f32186ff 100644
--- a/templates/xpub-collabra-configmap-initscripts.yaml
+++ b/templates/xpub-collabra-configmap-initscripts.yaml
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ data:
   createdb.sh: | # NB envsubst cannot escape env vars
 
     # initialise couch if it is the first deployment
-    curl -X PUT https://${COUCHDB_USER}:${COUCHDB_PASSWORD}@couchdb-${CI_ENVIRONMENT_SLUG}:5984/_users
-    curl -X PUT https://${COUCHDB_USER}:${COUCHDB_PASSWORD}@couchdb-${CI_ENVIRONMENT_SLUG}:5984/_replicator
+    curl -X PUT http://${COUCHDB_USER}:${COUCHDB_PASSWORD}@couchdb-${CI_ENVIRONMENT_SLUG}:5984/_users
+    curl -X PUT http://${COUCHDB_USER}:${COUCHDB_PASSWORD}@couchdb-${CI_ENVIRONMENT_SLUG}:5984/_replicator
 
     if [[ -n "$(printenv FORCE_FRESH_DB)" ]]; then
       npx pubsweet setupdb --username=cokouser --password=cokopassword --email=cokouser@example.com --clobber
diff --git a/templates/xpub-collabra-configmap-nodeconfig.yaml b/templates/xpub-collabra-configmap-nodeconfig.yaml
index 77b1995fd073b2466aaaf06594b452d24ca918a7..b43c43497ca19a74ae49b13bf88d228b5dd08218 100644
--- a/templates/xpub-collabra-configmap-nodeconfig.yaml
+++ b/templates/xpub-collabra-configmap-nodeconfig.yaml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ data:
       },
       "pubsweet-server": {
         "secret": "${PUBSWEET_SERVER_SECRET}",
-        "dbPath": "https://${COUCHDB_USER}:${COUCHDB_PASSWORD}@couchdb-${CI_ENVIRONMENT_SLUG}/pubsweet"
+        "dbPath": "http://${COUCHDB_USER}:${COUCHDB_PASSWORD}@couchdb-${CI_ENVIRONMENT_SLUG}/pubsweet"
       },
       "password-reset": {
         "url": "${CI_ENVIRONMENT_URL}/password-reset"