diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 5f7ab85501..dbdfcc3d72 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -40,12 +40,26 @@ DB_SANITIZE_BY_DEFAULT=false
 # --------------------------------------------
 # OPTIONAL: SSL DATABASE SETTINGS
 # --------------------------------------------
+# Enable SSL connection to database (true/false)
 DB_SSL=false
+
+# Set to true for cloud databases like AWS RDS, Azure Database, Google Cloud SQL
+# Set to false for self-hosted databases with client certificates
 DB_SSL_IS_PAAS=false
+
+# Required when DB_SSL_IS_PAAS=false (client certificate authentication)
 DB_SSL_KEY_PATH=null
 DB_SSL_CERT_PATH=null
+
+# Path to CA certificate bundle (required for SSL connections)
+# For AWS RDS, download from: https://truststore.pki.rds.amazonaws.com/global/global-bundle.pem
 DB_SSL_CA_PATH=null
+
+# SSL cipher (optional, leave null for default)
 DB_SSL_CIPHER=null
+
+# Verify server certificate (true/false, defaults to false if not set)
+# Set to false for development or when using self-signed certificates
 DB_SSL_VERIFY_SERVER=null
 
 # --------------------------------------------
diff --git a/config/database.php b/config/database.php
index bffbb5d338..06dde25325 100755
--- a/config/database.php
+++ b/config/database.php
@@ -101,12 +101,13 @@ return [
             'dump_using_single_transaction' => true, // perform dump using a single transaction
             'options' => (env('DB_SSL')) ? ((env('DB_SSL_IS_PAAS')) ? [
                 PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CA                  => env('DB_SSL_CA_PATH'),   // /path/to/ca.pem
+                PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_VERIFY_SERVER_CERT  => env('DB_SSL_VERIFY_SERVER', false), //true/false
             ] : [
                 PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_KEY                 => env('DB_SSL_KEY_PATH'),  // /path/to/key.pem
                 PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CERT                => env('DB_SSL_CERT_PATH'), // /path/to/cert.pem
                 PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CA                  => env('DB_SSL_CA_PATH'),   // /path/to/ca.pem
                 PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CIPHER              => env('DB_SSL_CIPHER'),
-                PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_VERIFY_SERVER_CERT  => env('DB_SSL_VERIFY_SERVER'), //true/false
+                PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_VERIFY_SERVER_CERT  => env('DB_SSL_VERIFY_SERVER', false), //true/false
             ]) : [],
         ],
 
diff --git a/tests/Unit/DatabaseSslConfigurationTest.php b/tests/Unit/DatabaseSslConfigurationTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bdc8b7dc60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Unit/DatabaseSslConfigurationTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Tests\Unit;
+
+use PDO;
+use Tests\TestCase;
+
+class DatabaseSslConfigurationTest extends TestCase
+{
+    public function testMysqlSslConfigurationWithPaasMode(): void
+    {
+        config([
+            'database.connections.mysql.options' => null
+        ]);
+
+        // Test PAAS mode SSL configuration
+        config([
+            'database.connections.mysql.options' => $this->getSslOptions(true, false, true) // isPaas=true, verifyServer=false, sslEnabled=true
+        ]);
+
+        $options = config('database.connections.mysql.options');
+
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CA, $options);
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_VERIFY_SERVER_CERT, $options);
+
+        // PAAS mode should not include client certificate attributes
+        $this->assertArrayNotHasKey(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_KEY, $options);
+        $this->assertArrayNotHasKey(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CERT, $options);
+        $this->assertArrayNotHasKey(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CIPHER, $options);
+    }
+
+    public function testMysqlSslConfigurationWithNonPaasMode(): void
+    {
+        config([
+            'database.connections.mysql.options' => null
+        ]);
+
+        // Test non-PAAS mode SSL configuration
+        config([
+            'database.connections.mysql.options' => $this->getSslOptions(false, false, true) // isPaas=false, verifyServer=false, sslEnabled=true
+        ]);
+
+        $options = config('database.connections.mysql.options');
+
+        // Non-PAAS mode should include all SSL attributes
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CA, $options);
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_VERIFY_SERVER_CERT, $options);
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_KEY, $options);
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CERT, $options);
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CIPHER, $options);
+    }
+
+    public function testMysqlSslConfigurationWithoutSsl(): void
+    {
+        config([
+            'database.connections.mysql.options' => null
+        ]);
+
+        // Test SSL disabled configuration
+        config([
+            'database.connections.mysql.options' => $this->getSslOptions(true, false, false) // isPaas=true, verifyServer=false, sslEnabled=false
+        ]);
+
+        $options = config('database.connections.mysql.options');
+
+        // When SSL is disabled, options should be empty
+        $this->assertEmpty($options);
+    }
+
+    public function testSslVerifyServerDefaultsToFalse(): void
+    {
+        // Test that SSL_VERIFY_SERVER defaults to false when not explicitly set
+        $options = $this->getSslOptions(true, null, true); // isPaas=true, verifyServer=null, sslEnabled=true
+
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_VERIFY_SERVER_CERT, $options);
+        $this->assertFalse($options[PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_VERIFY_SERVER_CERT]);
+    }
+
+    private function getSslOptions(bool $isPaas, ?bool $verifyServer=false, bool $sslEnabled=true): array
+    {
+        // simulates the SSL options logic from database.php
+        if (!$sslEnabled) {
+            return [];
+        }
+
+        if ($isPaas) {
+            return [
+                PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CA => '/path/to/ca.pem',
+                PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_VERIFY_SERVER_CERT => $verifyServer ?? false,
+            ];
+        }
+
+        return [
+            PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_KEY => '/path/to/key.pem',
+            PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CERT => '/path/to/cert.pem',
+            PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CA => '/path/to/ca.pem',
+            PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_CIPHER => null,
+            PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_SSL_VERIFY_SERVER_CERT => $verifyServer ?? false,
+        ];
+    }
+}