diff --git a/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/CentralRepoDbConnectivityManager.java b/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/CentralRepoDbConnectivityManager.java
index 6744b70541..9d50cfc039 100755
--- a/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/CentralRepoDbConnectivityManager.java
+++ b/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/CentralRepoDbConnectivityManager.java
@@ -22,7 +22,10 @@ package org.sleuthkit.autopsy.centralrepository.datamodel;
  * common interface for settings pertaining to the database in central repository
  */
 public interface CentralRepoDbConnectivityManager {
-
+    void loadSettings();
+    
+    void saveSettings();
+        
     boolean createDatabase();
 
     boolean deleteDatabase();
diff --git a/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/CentralRepoPostgresSettingsManager.java b/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/CentralRepoPostgresSettingsUtil.java
similarity index 90%
rename from Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/CentralRepoPostgresSettingsManager.java
rename to Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/CentralRepoPostgresSettingsUtil.java
index b4feffbcd9..c4fec65793 100644
--- a/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/CentralRepoPostgresSettingsManager.java
+++ b/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/CentralRepoPostgresSettingsUtil.java
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ import org.sleuthkit.datamodel.CaseDbConnectionInfo;
  *
  * @author gregd
  */
-public class CentralRepoPostgresSettingsManager {
-    private final static Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(CentralRepoPostgresSettingsManager.class.getName());
+public class CentralRepoPostgresSettingsUtil {
+    private final static Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(CentralRepoPostgresSettingsUtil.class.getName());
     
     private final static String DEFAULT_HOST = ""; // NON-NLS
     private final static int DEFAULT_PORT = 5432;
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ public class CentralRepoPostgresSettingsManager {
     }
     
     
-    public static PostgresConnectionSettings loadSettings() {
+    public static PostgresConnectionSettings loadCustomSettings() {
         PostgresConnectionSettings settings = new PostgresConnectionSettings();
         Map<String, String> keyVals = ModuleSettings.getConfigSettings(MODULE_KEY);
         
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ public class CentralRepoPostgresSettingsManager {
         return settings;
     }
 
-    public static void saveSettings(PostgresConnectionSettings settings) {
+    public static void saveCustomSettings(PostgresConnectionSettings settings) {
         Map<String, String> map = new HashMap<String, String>();
         map.put(HOST_KEY, settings.getHost());
         map.put(PORT_KEY, Integer.toString(settings.getPort()));
@@ -145,9 +145,13 @@ public class CentralRepoPostgresSettingsManager {
         ModuleSettings.setConfigSettings(MODULE_KEY, map);
     }
 
-    
-    public static boolean isChanged(PostgresConnectionSettings settings) {
-        PostgresConnectionSettings saved = loadSettings();
+    /**
+     * checks if saved settings differ from the in-memory object provided in the 'settings' parameter
+     * @param settings  the in-memory object
+     * @return  whether or not settings parameter differs from saved custom settings
+     */
+    public static boolean areCustomSettingsChanged(PostgresConnectionSettings settings) {
+        PostgresConnectionSettings saved = loadCustomSettings();
         return saved.equals(settings);
     }
 }
diff --git a/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/PostgresCentralRepoSettings.java b/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/PostgresCentralRepoSettings.java
index 54855fb250..5cd246648b 100644
--- a/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/PostgresCentralRepoSettings.java
+++ b/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/PostgresCentralRepoSettings.java
@@ -26,11 +26,7 @@ import java.sql.SQLException;
 import java.sql.Statement;
 import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
-import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 import org.sleuthkit.autopsy.coreutils.Logger;
-import org.sleuthkit.autopsy.coreutils.ModuleSettings;
-import org.sleuthkit.autopsy.coreutils.TextConverter;
-import org.sleuthkit.autopsy.coreutils.TextConverterException;
 
 /**
  * Settings for the Postgres implementation of the Central Repository database
@@ -46,12 +42,34 @@ public final class PostgresCentralRepoSettings implements CentralRepoDbConnectiv
     private final static String JDBC_DRIVER = "org.postgresql.Driver"; // NON-NLS
     
     
-    private final PostgresConnectionSettings connSettings;
+    private final PostgresSettingsLoader loader;
+    private PostgresConnectionSettings connSettings;
     
-    public PostgresCentralRepoSettings(PostgresConnectionSettings connSettings) {
-        this.connSettings = connSettings;
+    
+    public PostgresCentralRepoSettings(PostgresSettingsLoader loader) {
+        this.loader = loader;
+        loadSettings();
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * default constructor that loads custom postgres settings from 
+     */
+    public PostgresCentralRepoSettings() {
+        this(PostgresSettingsLoader.CUSTOM_LOADER);
     }
 
+    
+    @Override
+    public void loadSettings() {
+        this.connSettings = loader.loadSettings();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void saveSettings() {
+        loader.saveSettings(connSettings);
+    }
+    
+    
     @Override
     public String toString() {
         return String.format("PostgresCentralRepoSettings: [db type: postgres, host: %s:%d, db name: %s, username: %s]",
diff --git a/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/PostgresSettingsLoader.java b/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/PostgresSettingsLoader.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9450a3e235
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Core/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/centralrepository/datamodel/PostgresSettingsLoader.java
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/*
+ * To change this license header, choose License Headers in Project Properties.
+ * To change this template file, choose Tools | Templates
+ * and open the template in the editor.
+ */
+package org.sleuthkit.autopsy.centralrepository.datamodel;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @author gregd
+ */
+public interface PostgresSettingsLoader {
+    PostgresConnectionSettings loadSettings();
+    void saveSettings(PostgresConnectionSettings settings);
+    
+    public static PostgresSettingsLoader CUSTOM_LOADER = new Custom();
+    public static PostgresSettingsLoader MULTIUSER_LOADER = new MultiUser();
+    
+    
+    static class Custom implements PostgresSettingsLoader {
+        @Override
+        public PostgresConnectionSettings loadSettings() {
+            return CentralRepoPostgresSettingsUtil.loadCustomSettings();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void saveSettings(PostgresConnectionSettings settings) {
+            CentralRepoPostgresSettingsUtil.saveCustomSettings(settings);
+        }
+    }
+    
+    
+    static class MultiUser implements PostgresSettingsLoader {
+
+        @Override
+        public PostgresConnectionSettings loadSettings() {
+            return CentralRepoPostgresSettingsUtil.loadMultiUserSettings();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void saveSettings(PostgresConnectionSettings settings) {}
+    }
+}