ALTER DATABASE SQL - Language Statements ALTER DATABASE change a database ALTER DATABASE ALTER DATABASE name SET parameter { TO | = } { value | DEFAULT } ALTER DATABASE name RESET parameter ALTER DATABASE name RENAME TO newname ALTER DATABASE is used to change the attributes of a database. The first two forms change the session default of a run-time configuration variable for a PostgreSQL database. Whenever a new session is subsequently started in that database, the specified value becomes the session default value. The database-specific default overrides whatever setting is present in postgresql.conf or has been received from the postmaster command line. Only the database owner or a superuser can change the session defaults for a database. The third form changes the name of the database. Only the database owner can rename a database, and only if he has the CREATEDB privilege. The current database cannot be renamed. (Connect to a different database if you need to do that.) name The name of the database whose session defaults are to be altered. parameter value Set the session default for this database of the specified configuration parameter to the given value. If value is DEFAULT or, equivalently, RESET is used, the database-specific variable setting is removed and the system-wide default setting will be inherited in new sessions. Use RESET ALL to clear all settings. See and for more information about allowed parameter names and values. newname The new name of the database. Using , it is also possible to tie a session default to a specific user rather than a database. User-specific settings override database-specific ones if there is a conflict. To disable index scans by default in the database test: ALTER DATABASE test SET enable_indexscan TO off; The ALTER DATABASE statement is a PostgreSQL extension.