diff --git a/manifests/server.pp b/manifests/server.pp
index 6cae51d5..c04fd982 100644
--- a/manifests/server.pp
+++ b/manifests/server.pp
@@ -478,7 +478,6 @@
     conn_max_age              => $conn_max_age,
     conn_lifetime             => $conn_lifetime,
     confdir                   => $confdir,
-    puppetdb_user             => $puppetdb_user,
     puppetdb_group            => $puppetdb_group,
     migrate                   => $migrate,
     notify                    => Service[$puppetdb_service],
@@ -510,7 +509,6 @@
     conn_max_age           => $read_conn_max_age,
     conn_lifetime          => $read_conn_lifetime,
     confdir                => $confdir,
-    puppetdb_user          => $puppetdb_user,
     puppetdb_group         => $puppetdb_group,
     notify                 => Service[$puppetdb_service],
     database_max_pool_size => $read_database_max_pool_size,
@@ -520,29 +518,29 @@
     file {
       $ssl_dir:
         ensure => directory,
-        owner  => $puppetdb_user,
+        owner  => 'root',
         group  => $puppetdb_group,
-        mode   => '0700';
+        mode   => '0755';
       $ssl_key_path:
         ensure  => file,
         content => $ssl_key,
-        owner   => $puppetdb_user,
+        owner   => 'root',
         group   => $puppetdb_group,
-        mode    => '0600',
+        mode    => '0640',
         notify  => Service[$puppetdb_service];
       $ssl_cert_path:
         ensure  => file,
         content => $ssl_cert,
-        owner   => $puppetdb_user,
+        owner   => 'root',
         group   => $puppetdb_group,
-        mode    => '0600',
+        mode    => '0644',
         notify  => Service[$puppetdb_service];
       $ssl_ca_cert_path:
         ensure  => file,
         content => $ssl_ca_cert,
-        owner   => $puppetdb_user,
+        owner   => 'root',
         group   => $puppetdb_group,
-        mode    => '0600',
+        mode    => '0644',
         notify  => Service[$puppetdb_service];
     }
   }
@@ -560,9 +558,9 @@
 
     file { $ssl_key_pk8_path:
       ensure => file,
-      owner  => $puppetdb_user,
+      owner  => 'root',
       group  => $puppetdb_group,
-      mode   => '0600',
+      mode   => '0640',
       notify => Service[$puppetdb_service],
     }
   }
@@ -583,7 +581,6 @@
     confdir            => $confdir,
     max_threads        => $max_threads,
     notify             => Service[$puppetdb_service],
-    puppetdb_user      => $puppetdb_user,
     puppetdb_group     => $puppetdb_group,
   }
 
@@ -592,7 +589,6 @@
     certificate_whitelist      => $certificate_whitelist,
     disable_update_checking    => $disable_update_checking,
     confdir                    => $confdir,
-    puppetdb_user              => $puppetdb_user,
     puppetdb_group             => $puppetdb_group,
     notify                     => Service[$puppetdb_service],
   }
diff --git a/manifests/server/database.pp b/manifests/server/database.pp
index 087f07b7..2e835e02 100644
--- a/manifests/server/database.pp
+++ b/manifests/server/database.pp
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
   $conn_max_age              = $puppetdb::params::conn_max_age,
   $conn_lifetime             = $puppetdb::params::conn_lifetime,
   $confdir                   = $puppetdb::params::confdir,
-  $puppetdb_user             = $puppetdb::params::puppetdb_user,
   $puppetdb_group            = $puppetdb::params::puppetdb_group,
   $database_max_pool_size    = $puppetdb::params::database_max_pool_size,
   $migrate                   = $puppetdb::params::migrate,
@@ -50,9 +49,9 @@
 
   file { $database_ini:
     ensure => file,
-    owner  => $puppetdb_user,
+    owner  => 'root',
     group  => $puppetdb_group,
-    mode   => '0600',
+    mode   => '0640',
   }
 
   $file_require = File[$database_ini]
diff --git a/manifests/server/jetty.pp b/manifests/server/jetty.pp
index 1dca0670..9a4bbb47 100644
--- a/manifests/server/jetty.pp
+++ b/manifests/server/jetty.pp
@@ -16,16 +16,15 @@
   Optional[String] $cipher_suites = $puppetdb::params::cipher_suites,
   $confdir                        = $puppetdb::params::confdir,
   $max_threads                    = $puppetdb::params::max_threads,
-  $puppetdb_user                  = $puppetdb::params::puppetdb_user,
   $puppetdb_group                 = $puppetdb::params::puppetdb_group,
 ) inherits puppetdb::params {
   $jetty_ini = "${confdir}/jetty.ini"
 
   file { $jetty_ini:
     ensure => file,
-    owner  => $puppetdb_user,
+    owner  => 'root',
     group  => $puppetdb_group,
-    mode   => '0600',
+    mode   => '0640',
   }
 
   # Set the defaults
diff --git a/manifests/server/puppetdb.pp b/manifests/server/puppetdb.pp
index 1057be19..001547df 100644
--- a/manifests/server/puppetdb.pp
+++ b/manifests/server/puppetdb.pp
@@ -6,16 +6,15 @@
   $certificate_whitelist      = $puppetdb::params::certificate_whitelist,
   $disable_update_checking    = $puppetdb::params::disable_update_checking,
   $confdir                    = $puppetdb::params::confdir,
-  $puppetdb_user              = $puppetdb::params::puppetdb_user,
   $puppetdb_group             = $puppetdb::params::puppetdb_group,
 ) inherits puppetdb::params {
   $puppetdb_ini = "${confdir}/puppetdb.ini"
 
   file { $puppetdb_ini:
     ensure => file,
-    owner  => $puppetdb_user,
+    owner  => 'root',
     group  => $puppetdb_group,
-    mode   => '0600',
+    mode   => '0640',
   }
 
   # Set the defaults
diff --git a/manifests/server/read_database.pp b/manifests/server/read_database.pp
index b6155162..15aa2e7a 100644
--- a/manifests/server/read_database.pp
+++ b/manifests/server/read_database.pp
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
   $conn_max_age           = $puppetdb::params::read_conn_max_age,
   $conn_lifetime          = $puppetdb::params::read_conn_lifetime,
   $confdir                = $puppetdb::params::confdir,
-  $puppetdb_user          = $puppetdb::params::puppetdb_user,
   $puppetdb_group         = $puppetdb::params::puppetdb_group,
   $database_max_pool_size = $puppetdb::params::read_database_max_pool_size,
   $postgresql_ssl_on      = $puppetdb::params::postgresql_ssl_on,
@@ -44,9 +43,9 @@
 
     file { $read_database_ini:
       ensure => file,
-      owner  => $puppetdb_user,
+      owner  => 'root',
       group  => $puppetdb_group,
-      mode   => '0600',
+      mode   => '0640',
     }
 
     $file_require = File[$read_database_ini]
diff --git a/spec/unit/classes/server/database_ini_spec.rb b/spec/unit/classes/server/database_ini_spec.rb
index 4d6a5810..4d9d7fa5 100644
--- a/spec/unit/classes/server/database_ini_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/classes/server/database_ini_spec.rb
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
         is_expected.to contain_file("#{pdbconfdir}/database.ini")
           .with(
             'ensure'  => 'file',
-            'owner'   => 'puppetdb',
+            'owner'   => 'root',
             'group'   => 'puppetdb',
-            'mode'    => '0600',
+            'mode'    => '0640',
           )
       }
       it {
diff --git a/spec/unit/classes/server/jetty_ini_spec.rb b/spec/unit/classes/server/jetty_ini_spec.rb
index ce322bc6..1baf749b 100644
--- a/spec/unit/classes/server/jetty_ini_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/classes/server/jetty_ini_spec.rb
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
         is_expected.to contain_file("#{pdbconfdir}/jetty.ini")
           .with(
             'ensure'  => 'file',
-            'owner'   => 'puppetdb',
+            'owner'   => 'root',
             'group'   => 'puppetdb',
-            'mode'    => '0600',
+            'mode'    => '0640',
           )
       }
       it {
diff --git a/spec/unit/classes/server/puppetdb_ini_spec.rb b/spec/unit/classes/server/puppetdb_ini_spec.rb
index 14d8907e..8ccb1bc3 100644
--- a/spec/unit/classes/server/puppetdb_ini_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/classes/server/puppetdb_ini_spec.rb
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@
       is_expected.to contain_file('/etc/puppetlabs/puppetdb/conf.d/puppetdb.ini')
         .with(
           'ensure'  => 'file',
-          'owner'   => 'puppetdb',
+          'owner'   => 'root',
           'group'   => 'puppetdb',
-          'mode'    => '0600',
+          'mode'    => '0640',
         )
     }
     it {
diff --git a/spec/unit/classes/server/read_database_ini_spec.rb b/spec/unit/classes/server/read_database_ini_spec.rb
index a5f189f0..277104a3 100644
--- a/spec/unit/classes/server/read_database_ini_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/classes/server/read_database_ini_spec.rb
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
       is_expected.to contain_file('/etc/puppetlabs/puppetdb/conf.d/read_database.ini')
         .with(
           'ensure'  => 'file',
-          'owner'   => 'puppetdb',
+          'owner'   => 'root',
           'group'   => 'puppetdb',
-          'mode'    => '0600',
+          'mode'    => '0640',
         )
     }
     it {
diff --git a/spec/unit/classes/server_spec.rb b/spec/unit/classes/server_spec.rb
index 78cd4f49..7b9a3e11 100644
--- a/spec/unit/classes/server_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/classes/server_spec.rb
@@ -210,9 +210,9 @@
             is_expected.to contain_file('/etc/puppetlabs/puppetdb/ssl/private.pk8')
               .with(
                 ensure: 'file',
-                owner: 'puppetdb',
+                owner: 'root',
                 group: 'puppetdb',
-                mode: '0600',
+                mode: '0640',
               )
           end
         end