diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 4f2ba23..3183409 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -65,21 +65,16 @@ func setConn() error {
 func ApplyConn(override *Override) {
 	if override.DbConn != nil {
 		dbConn = *override.DbConn
-		dbConnMode = override.DbConnMode
 	}
+	dbConnMode = override.DbConnMode
 	if override.StateConn != nil {
 		stateDbConn = *override.StateConn
-		stateDbConnMode = override.StateConnMode
 	}
 	if override.ResourceConn != nil {
 		resourceDbConn = *override.ResourceConn
-		resourceDbConnMode = override.ResourceConnMode
 	}
 	if override.UserConn != nil {
 		userDbConn = *override.UserConn
-		if override.UserConnMode != storage.DBMODE_BINARY {
-			logg.Warnf("user db non-binary mode ignored")
-		}
 	}
 
 	if dbConn == "?" {
@@ -96,7 +91,17 @@ func ApplyConn(override *Override) {
 	}
 	if userDbConn == "?" {
 		userDbConn = dbConn
-		//userDbConnMode = dbConnMode
+		userDbConnMode = dbConnMode
+	}
+
+	if override.StateConnMode != storage.DBMODE_ANY {
+		stateDbConnMode = override.StateConnMode
+	}
+	if override.ResourceConnMode != storage.DBMODE_ANY {
+		resourceDbConnMode = override.ResourceConnMode
+	}
+	if override.UserConnMode != storage.DBMODE_ANY {
+		userDbConnMode = override.UserConnMode
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/storage/conn.go b/storage/conn.go
index 1403db1..235640a 100644
--- a/storage/conn.go
+++ b/storage/conn.go
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ const (
 )
 
 const (
-	DBMODE_BINARY DbMode = iota
+	DBMODE_ANY DbMode = iota
+	DBMODE_BINARY
 	DBMODE_TEXT
 )
 
@@ -27,6 +28,12 @@ const (
 	_STORETYPE_MAX
 )
 
+var (
+	DbModeDebug = []string{"ANY", "BIN", "TXT"}
+	DbTypeDebug = []string{"NONE", "MEM", "FS", "GDBM", "POSTGRES"}
+	DbStoreDebug = []string{"STATE", "RESOURCE", "USER"}
+)
+
 type Conns map[int8]ConnData
 
 func NewConns() Conns {
@@ -48,8 +55,10 @@ func (c Conns) Have(conn *ConnData) int8 {
 		if !ok {
 			continue
 		}
-		if v.String() == conn.String() {
-			return ii
+		if v.Raw() == conn.Raw() {
+			if v.Mode() == DBMODE_ANY || v.Mode() == conn.Mode() {
+				return ii
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return -1
@@ -66,8 +75,8 @@ func (cd *ConnData) DbType() int {
 	return cd.typ
 }
 
-func (cd *ConnData) String() string {
-	return cd.str
+func (cd ConnData) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("conn: %s, mod %s, typ %s", cd.str, DbModeDebug[uint8(cd.mode)], DbTypeDebug[uint8(cd.typ)])
 }
 
 func (cd *ConnData) Domain() string {
@@ -83,3 +92,7 @@ func (cd *ConnData) Path() string {
 	v.RawQuery = ""
 	return v.String()
 }
+
+func (cd *ConnData) Raw() string {
+	return cd.str
+}
diff --git a/storage/storage_service.go b/storage/storage_service.go
index 18b7854..ac113fe 100644
--- a/storage/storage_service.go
+++ b/storage/storage_service.go
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ func (ms *MenuStorageService) checkDb(ctx context.Context, typ int8) db.Db {
 		return store
 	}
 	connData := ms.conns[typ]
+	logg.DebugCtxf(ctx, "db check", "conn", connData, "store", DbStoreDebug[typ])
 	v := ms.conns.Have(&connData)
 	if v == -1 {
 		return nil
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ func (ms *MenuStorageService) getOrCreateDb(ctx context.Context, section string,
 	}
 
 	connData := ms.conns[typ]
-	connStr := connData.String()
+	connStr := connData.Raw()
 	dbTyp := connData.DbType()
 	if dbTyp == DBTYPE_POSTGRES {
 		// TODO: move to vise
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ func (ms *MenuStorageService) getOrCreateDb(ctx context.Context, section string,
 		logg.WarnCtxf(ctx, "using volatile storage (memdb)")
 		newDb = memdb.NewMemDb()
 	} else {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unsupported connection string: '%s'\n", connData.String())
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unsupported connection string: '%s'\n", connData.Raw())
 	}
 	logg.InfoCtxf(ctx, "connecting to db", "conn", connData, "typ", typ)
 	err = newDb.Connect(ctx, connStr)