diff --git a/stac_fastapi/pgstac/config.py b/stac_fastapi/pgstac/config.py
index 9c82500..2c3b778 100644
--- a/stac_fastapi/pgstac/config.py
+++ b/stac_fastapi/pgstac/config.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 """Postgres API configuration."""
 
 from typing import List, Type
-from urllib.parse import quote
+from urllib.parse import quote_plus as quote
 
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 from pydantic_settings import SettingsConfigDict
diff --git a/tests/api/test_api.py b/tests/api/test_api.py
index 3546867..5b2d577 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/api/test_api.py
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ async def test_no_extension(
     hydrate, validation, load_test_data, database, pgstac
 ) -> None:
     """test PgSTAC with no extension."""
-    connection = f"postgresql://{database.user}:{database.password}@{database.host}:{database.port}/{database.dbname}"
+    connection = f"postgresql://{database.user}:{quote_plus(database.password)}@{database.host}:{database.port}/{database.dbname}"
     with PgstacDB(dsn=connection) as db:
         loader = Loader(db=db)
         loader.load_collections(os.path.join(DATA_DIR, "test_collection.json"))
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index b3f569d..edb916b 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import os
 import time
 from typing import Callable, Dict
+from urllib.parse import quote_plus as quote
 from urllib.parse import urljoin
 
 import asyncpg
@@ -53,11 +54,9 @@ def database(postgresql_proc):
         port=postgresql_proc.port,
         dbname="pgstactestdb",
         version=postgresql_proc.version,
-        password="secret",
+        password="a2Vw:yk=)CdSis[fek]tW=/o",
     ) as jan:
-        connection = (
-            f"postgresql://{jan.user}:{jan.password}@{jan.host}:{jan.port}/{jan.dbname}"
-        )
+        connection = f"postgresql://{jan.user}:{quote(jan.password)}@{jan.host}:{jan.port}/{jan.dbname}"
         with PgstacDB(dsn=connection) as db:
             migrator = Migrate(db)
             version = migrator.run_migration()
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ def database(postgresql_proc):
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
 async def pgstac(database):
-    connection = f"postgresql://{database.user}:{database.password}@{database.host}:{database.port}/{database.dbname}"
+    connection = f"postgresql://{database.user}:{quote(database.password)}@{database.host}:{database.port}/{database.dbname}"
     yield
     conn = await asyncpg.connect(dsn=connection)
     await conn.execute(
@@ -99,7 +98,6 @@ async def pgstac(database):
 )
 def api_client(request, database):
     hydrate, prefix, response_model = request.param
-
     api_settings = Settings(
         postgres_user=database.user,
         postgres_pass=database.password,