diff --git a/code/modules/client/client_saveSQL.dm b/code/modules/client/client_saveSQL.dm
index 6e988ccdf59..4f9094995b1 100644
--- a/code/modules/client/client_saveSQL.dm
+++ b/code/modules/client/client_saveSQL.dm
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 		var/datum/preferences/D = preferences_datums[ckey]
 		if(D == src)
 			log_debug("Ckey is [ckey]")
-			establish_db_connection()
+			establish_db_connection(dbcon)
 			if(!dbcon.IsConnected())
 				return 0
 			else
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 	return 0
 
 /datum/preferences/proc/SQLload_character(var/slot, var/pckey)
-	establish_db_connection()
+	establish_db_connection(dbcon)
 	if(!dbcon.IsConnected())
 		return 0
 	char_slot = slot
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@
 
 /datum/preferences/proc/LoadPrefData(var/ckey)
 	log_debug("load pref data")
-	establish_db_connection()
+	establish_db_connection(dbcon)
 	if(!dbcon.IsConnected())
 		return 0
 	TextQuery = "SELECT * FROM player_preferences WHERE ckey = '[ckey]'"
@@ -729,4 +729,4 @@
 	if(!citizenship) citizenship = "None"
 	if(!faction)     faction =     "None"
 	if(!religion)    religion =    "None"
-	return 1
\ No newline at end of file
+	return 1
diff --git a/code/modules/client/preferences.dm b/code/modules/client/preferences.dm
index 55df6dd3ef1..548c5bcc907 100644
--- a/code/modules/client/preferences.dm
+++ b/code/modules/client/preferences.dm
@@ -1780,7 +1780,7 @@ datum/preferences
 		if(D == src)
 			var/TextQuery = "SELECT Character_Name FROM SS13_characters WHERE ckey = '[ckey]' ORDER BY slot"
 			var/DBQuery/query
-			establish_db_connection()
+			establish_db_connection(dbcon)
 			if(!dbcon.IsConnected())
 				open_load_dialog_file(user)
 			query = dbcon.NewQuery(TextQuery)
@@ -1835,7 +1835,7 @@ datum/preferences
 		if(D == src)
 			var/TextQuery = "SELECT slot FROM SS13_characters WHERE ckey = '[ckey]' AND Character_Name = '[real_name]'"
 			var/DBQuery/query
-			establish_db_connection()
+			establish_db_connection(dbcon)
 			if(!dbcon.IsConnected())
 				getCharSlot_File()
 			query = dbcon.NewQuery(TextQuery)