diff --git a/pg_backrest.pl b/pg_backrest.pl
index 91623dbcc..029482eba 100755
--- a/pg_backrest.pl
+++ b/pg_backrest.pl
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use lib dirname($0);
 use pg_backrest_utility;
 use pg_backrest_file;
 use pg_backrest_backup;
+use pg_backrest_db;
 
 # Command line parameters
 my $strConfigFile;
@@ -148,6 +149,7 @@ if ($strOperation eq "archive-push")
 
     backup_init
     (
+        undef,
         $oFile
     );
 
@@ -193,9 +195,17 @@ my $oFile = pg_backrest_file->new
     strCommandPsql => config_load("command", "psql")
 );
 
+my $oDb = pg_backrest_db->new
+(
+    strDbUser => config_load("stanza", "user"),
+    strDbHost => config_load("stanza", "host"),
+    strCommandPsql => config_load("command", "psql")
+);
+
 # Run backup_init - parameters required for backup and restore operations
 backup_init
 (
+    $oDb,
     $oFile,
     $strType,
     $bHardLink,
diff --git a/pg_backrest_backup.pm b/pg_backrest_backup.pm
index 63baf5301..58ed03059 100644
--- a/pg_backrest_backup.pm
+++ b/pg_backrest_backup.pm
@@ -16,11 +16,13 @@ use Scalar::Util qw(looks_like_number);
 use lib dirname($0);
 use pg_backrest_utility;
 use pg_backrest_file;
+use pg_backrest_db;
 
 use Exporter qw(import);
 
 our @EXPORT = qw(backup_init archive_push backup backup_expire);
 
+my $oDb;
 my $oFile;
 my $strType = "incremental";        # Type of backup: full, differential (diff), incremental (incr)
 my $bHardLink;
@@ -31,11 +33,13 @@ my $bNoChecksum;
 ####################################################################################################################################
 sub backup_init
 {
+    my $oDbParam = shift;
     my $oFileParam = shift;
     my $strTypeParam = shift;
     my $bHardLinkParam = shift;
     my $bNoChecksumParam = shift;
 
+    $oDb = $oDbParam;
     $oFile = $oFileParam;
     $strType = $strTypeParam;
     $bHardLink = $bHardLinkParam;
@@ -151,7 +155,7 @@ sub tablespace_map_get
 {
     my $strCommandPsql = shift;
 
-    my %oTablespaceMap = data_hash_build("oid\tname\n" . $oFile->psql_execute(
+    my %oTablespaceMap = data_hash_build("oid\tname\n" . $oDb->psql_execute(
                                          "copy (select oid, spcname from pg_tablespace) to stdout"), "\t");
     
     return %oTablespaceMap;
@@ -563,7 +567,7 @@ sub backup
     my $strLabel = $strBackupPath;
     ${oBackupManifest}{common}{backup}{label} = $strLabel;
 
-    my $strArchiveStart = trim($oFile->psql_execute(
+    my $strArchiveStart = trim($oDb->psql_execute(
         "set client_min_messages = 'warning';" . 
         "copy (select pg_xlogfile_name(xlog) from pg_start_backup('${strLabel}') as xlog) to stdout"));
 
@@ -582,7 +586,7 @@ sub backup
     backup_file($strBackupPath, $strDbClusterPath, \%oBackupManifest);
            
     # Stop backup
-    my $strArchiveStop = trim($oFile->psql_execute(
+    my $strArchiveStop = trim($oDb->psql_execute(
         "set client_min_messages = 'warning';" .
         "copy (select pg_xlogfile_name(xlog) from pg_stop_backup() as xlog) to stdout"));
 
diff --git a/pg_backrest_db.pm b/pg_backrest_db.pm
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6ec426b71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pg_backrest_db.pm
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+####################################################################################################################################
+# FILE MODULE
+####################################################################################################################################
+package pg_backrest_db;
+
+use Moose;
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+use Carp;
+use Net::OpenSSH;
+use File::Basename;
+use IPC::System::Simple qw(capture);
+
+use lib dirname($0);
+use pg_backrest_utility;
+
+#use Exporter qw(import);
+#our @EXPORT = qw(PATH_DB PATH_DB_ABSOLUTE PATH_BACKUP PATH_BACKUP_ABSOLUTE PATH_BACKUP_CLUSTER PATH_BACKUP_TMP PATH_BACKUP_ARCHIVE);
+
+# Command strings
+has strCommandPsql => (is => 'bare');   # PSQL command
+
+# Module variables
+has strDbUser => (is => 'ro');          # Database user
+has strDbHost => (is => 'ro');          # Database host
+has oDbSSH => (is => 'bare');           # Database SSH object
+
+sub BUILD
+{
+    my $self = shift;
+    
+    # Connect SSH object if db host is defined
+    if (defined($self->{strDbHost}))
+    {
+        &log(INFO, "connecting to database ssh host $self->{strDbHost}");
+
+        # !!! This could be improved by redirecting stderr to a file to get a better error message
+        $self->{oDbSSH} = Net::OpenSSH->new($self->{strDbHost}, master_stderr_discard => true, user => $self->{strDbUser});
+        $self->{oDbSSH}->error and confess &log(ERROR, "unable to connect to $self->{strDbHost}: " . $self->{oDbSSH}->error);
+    }
+}
+
+####################################################################################################################################
+# IS_REMOTE
+#
+# Determine whether database operations are remote.
+####################################################################################################################################
+sub is_remote
+{
+    my $self = shift;
+    
+    # If the SSH object is defined then db is remote
+    return defined($self->{oDbSSH}) ? true : false;
+}
+
+####################################################################################################################################
+# PSQL_EXECUTE
+####################################################################################################################################
+sub psql_execute
+{
+    my $self = shift;
+    my $strScript = shift;  # psql script to execute
+    
+    # Get the user-defined command for psql
+    my $strCommand = $self->{strCommandPsql} . " -c \"${strScript}\" postgres";
+    my $strResult;
+
+    # Run remotely
+    if ($self->is_remote())
+    {
+        &log(DEBUG, "        psql execute: remote ${strScript}");
+
+        $strResult = $self->{oDbSSH}->capture($strCommand)
+            or confess &log(ERROR, "unable to execute remote psql command '${strCommand}'");
+    }
+    # Else run locally
+    else
+    {
+        &log(DEBUG, "        psql execute: ${strScript}");
+        $strResult = capture($strCommand) or confess &log(ERROR, "unable to execute local psql command '${strCommand}'");
+    }
+    
+    return $strResult;
+}
+
+no Moose;
+  __PACKAGE__->meta->make_immutable;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pg_backrest_file.pm b/pg_backrest_file.pm
index 336350a6a..a4b224b60 100644
--- a/pg_backrest_file.pm
+++ b/pg_backrest_file.pm
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ has strCommandCompress => (is => 'bare');
 has strCommandDecompress => (is => 'bare');
 has strCommandCat => (is => 'bare', default => 'cat %file%');
 has strCommandManifest => (is => 'bare');
-has strCommandPsql => (is => 'bare');
 
 # Module variables
 has strDbUser => (is => 'bare');                # Database user
@@ -722,35 +721,5 @@ sub manifest_get
                            $strManifest, "\t", ".");
 }
 
-####################################################################################################################################
-# PSQL_EXECUTE
-####################################################################################################################################
-sub psql_execute
-{
-    my $self = shift;
-    my $strScript = shift;  # psql script to execute
-    
-    # Get the user-defined command for psql
-    my $strCommand = $self->{strCommandPsql} . " -c \"${strScript}\" postgres";
-    my $strResult;
-
-    # Run remotely
-    if ($self->is_remote(PATH_DB))
-    {
-        &log(DEBUG, "        psql execute: remote ${strScript}");
-
-        my $oSSH = $self->remote_get(PATH_DB);
-        $strResult = $oSSH->capture($strCommand) or confess &log(ERROR, "unable to execute remote psql command '${strCommand}'");
-    }
-    # Run locally
-    else
-    {
-        &log(DEBUG, "        psql execute: ${strScript}");
-        $strResult = capture($strCommand) or confess &log(ERROR, "unable to execute local psql command '${strCommand}'");
-    }
-    
-    return $strResult;
-}
-
 no Moose;
   __PACKAGE__->meta->make_immutable;
\ No newline at end of file