diff --git a/mongoengine/connection.py b/mongoengine/connection.py
index 01e9a7af..4e0c60b0 100644
--- a/mongoengine/connection.py
+++ b/mongoengine/connection.py
@@ -108,8 +108,9 @@ def _get_connection_settings(
 
             uri_dict = uri_parser.parse_uri(new_entity)
 
-            if uri_dict.get("database"):
-                conn_settings["name"] = uri_dict.get("database")
+            database = uri_dict.get("database")
+            if database:
+                conn_settings["name"] = database
 
         # Handle URI style connections, only updating connection params which
         # were explicitly specified in the URI.
@@ -117,8 +118,9 @@ def _get_connection_settings(
             uri_dict = uri_parser.parse_uri(entity)
             resolved_hosts.append(entity)
 
-            if uri_dict.get("database"):
-                conn_settings["name"] = uri_dict.get("database")
+            database = uri_dict.get("database")
+            if database:
+                conn_settings["name"] = database
 
             for param in ("read_preference", "username", "password"):
                 if uri_dict.get(param):