diff --git a/bin/cluster b/bin/cluster
index fbca498..428f6f7 100644
--- a/bin/cluster
+++ b/bin/cluster
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ var cluster = require('cluster');
 
 if (cluster.isMaster) {
   const isWinOS = process.platform == 'win32';
-  const lib = require('../lib/explorer');
   const instances = (process.argv[2] != null && process.argv[2] != '' && !isNaN(process.argv[2]) && Number.isInteger(parseFloat(process.argv[2])) ? parseInt(process.argv[2]) : require('os').cpus().length);
 
   console.log('Starting cluster with pid: ' + process.pid);
diff --git a/bin/instance b/bin/instance
index 0824892..4550b17 100644
--- a/bin/instance
+++ b/bin/instance
@@ -6,30 +6,21 @@ var app = require('../app');
 
 app.set('port', process.env.PORT || settings.webserver.port);
 
-var dbString = 'mongodb://' + encodeURIComponent(settings.dbsettings.user);
-dbString = dbString + ':' + encodeURIComponent(settings.dbsettings.password);
-dbString = dbString + '@' + settings.dbsettings.address;
-dbString = dbString + ':' + settings.dbsettings.port;
-dbString = dbString + '/' + settings.dbsettings.database;
+db.connect(null, function() {
+  var server = app.listen(app.get('port'), '::', function() {
+    debug('Express server listening on port ' + server.address().port);
+  });
 
-db.connect(dbString, function() {
-  // initialize the database
-  db.initialize_data_startup(function() {
-    var server = app.listen(app.get('port'), '::', function() {
-      debug('Express server listening on port ' + server.address().port);
-    });
+  process.on('SIGINT', () => {
+    server.close(() => {
+      var mongoose = require('mongoose');
 
-    process.on('SIGINT', () => {
-      server.close(() => {
-        var mongoose = require('mongoose');
-
-        mongoose.connection.close(false).then(() => {
-          // close the main process now that all http and database connections have closed
-          process.exit(0);
-        }).catch((err) => {
-          console.log(err);
-          process.exit(1);
-        });
+      mongoose.connection.close(false).then(() => {
+        // close the main process now that all http and database connections have closed
+        process.exit(0);
+      }).catch((err) => {
+        console.log(err);
+        process.exit(1);
       });
     });
   });
diff --git a/lib/database.js b/lib/database.js
index 4fbd4db..ec7c17e 100644
--- a/lib/database.js
+++ b/lib/database.js
@@ -286,6 +286,13 @@ module.exports = {
   connect: function(database, cb) {
     mongoose.set('strictQuery', true);
 
+    if (database == null)
+      database = 'mongodb://' + encodeURIComponent(settings.dbsettings.user) +
+        ':' + encodeURIComponent(settings.dbsettings.password) +
+        '@' + settings.dbsettings.address +
+        ':' + settings.dbsettings.port +
+        '/' + settings.dbsettings.database;
+
     mongoose.connect(database).then(() => {
       return cb();
     }).catch((err) => {
diff --git a/scripts/prestart.js b/scripts/prestart.js
index 1953cba..d1d1cc8 100644
--- a/scripts/prestart.js
+++ b/scripts/prestart.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ var nodeVersionRevision = '0';
 
 // check if the nodejs version # is blank or a very long string as that would usually indicate a problem
 if (nodeVersion != null && nodeVersion != '' && nodeVersion.length < 16) {
-  // Remove the 'v' from the beginning of the version string
+  // remove the 'v' from the beginning of the version string
   if (nodeVersion.indexOf('v') == 0)
     nodeVersion = nodeVersion.slice(1);
 
@@ -99,48 +99,56 @@ check_arguments_passed(function(pidName, node_env) {
   // compile scss to css
   execSync('node ./scripts/compile_css.js', {stdio : 'inherit'});
 
-  // check if the webserver should be started from here based on the pidName
-  switch (pidName) {
-    case 'pm2':
-      let startOrReload = 'start';
+  const db = require('../lib/database');
 
-      // get a json list of pm2 processes
-      let result = execSync(`pm2 jlist`);
+  // connect to the mongo database
+  db.connect(null, function() {
+    // initialize the database
+    db.initialize_data_startup(function() {
+      // check if the webserver should be started from here based on the pidName
+      switch (pidName) {
+        case 'pm2':
+          let startOrReload = 'start';
 
-      // check if the result is null
-      if (result != null) {
-        try {
-          // convert return result to JSON
-          result = JSON.parse(result);
+          // get a json list of pm2 processes
+          let result = execSync(`pm2 jlist`);
 
-          // loop through the results
-          for (let i = 0; i < result.length; i++) {
-            // check if this is an explorer process
-            if (result[i].name == 'explorer') {
-              // explorer process exists, so reload the process
-              startOrReload = 'reload';
-              break;
+          // check if the result is null
+          if (result != null) {
+            try {
+              // convert return result to JSON
+              result = JSON.parse(result);
+
+              // loop through the results
+              for (let i = 0; i < result.length; i++) {
+                // check if this is an explorer process
+                if (result[i].name == 'explorer') {
+                  // explorer process exists, so reload the process
+                  startOrReload = 'reload';
+                  break;
+                }
+              }
+            } catch(e) {
+              // do nothing
             }
           }
-        } catch(e) {
-          // do nothing
-        }
+
+          // Setting the NODE_ENV variable is more easily done from here seeing at the syntax changes slightly depending on operating system
+          execSync(`${(process.platform == 'win32' ? 'set' : 'export')} NODE_ENV=${node_env} && pm2 ${startOrReload} ./bin/instance -i 0 -n explorer -p "./tmp/pm2.pid" --node-args="--stack-size=10000" --update-env`, {stdio : 'inherit'});
+          break;
+        case 'forever':
+          const path = require('path');
+
+          // there is a long-time bug or shortcoming in forever that still exists in the latest version which requires the absolute path to the pid file option
+          // more info: https://github.com/foreversd/forever/issues/421
+          // forever is therefore started from here to be able to more easily resolve the absolute path
+          // also, setting the NODE_ENV variable is more easily done from here as well seeing at the syntax changes slightly depending on operating system
+          execSync(`${(process.platform == 'win32' ? 'set' : 'export')} NODE_ENV=${node_env} && forever start --append --uid "explorer" --pidFile "${path.resolve('./tmp/forever.pid')}" ./bin/cluster`, {stdio : 'inherit'});    
+          break;
       }
 
-      // Setting the NODE_ENV variable is more easily done from here seeing at the syntax changes slightly depending on operating system
-      execSync(`${(process.platform == 'win32' ? 'set' : 'export')} NODE_ENV=${node_env} && pm2 ${startOrReload} ./bin/instance -i 0 -n explorer -p "./tmp/pm2.pid" --node-args="--stack-size=10000" --update-env`, {stdio : 'inherit'});
-      break;
-    case 'forever':
-      const path = require('path');
-
-      // there is a long-time bug or shortcoming in forever that still exists in the latest version which requires the absolute path to the pid file option
-      // more info: https://github.com/foreversd/forever/issues/421
-      // forever is therefore started from here to be able to more easily resolve the absolute path
-      // also, setting the NODE_ENV variable is more easily done from here as well seeing at the syntax changes slightly depending on operating system
-      execSync(`${(process.platform == 'win32' ? 'set' : 'export')} NODE_ENV=${node_env} && forever start --append --uid "explorer" --pidFile "${path.resolve('./tmp/forever.pid')}" ./bin/cluster`, {stdio : 'inherit'});    
-      break;
-  }
-
-  // finished pre-loading
-  process.exit(0);
+      // finished pre-loading
+      process.exit(0);
+    });
+  });
 });
\ No newline at end of file