diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__postgres_conf/explorer/postgres_user b/cdist/conf/type/__postgres_conf/explorer/postgres_user
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c6582dc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__postgres_conf/explorer/postgres_user
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#!/bin/sh -e
+# -*- mode: sh; indent-tabs-mode: t -*-
+#
+# 2021 Dennis Camera (dennis.camera at ssrq-sds-fds.ch)
+#
+# This file is part of cdist.
+#
+# cdist is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# cdist is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with cdist. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+
+os=$("${__explorer:?}/os")
+
+case ${os}
+in
+	(alpine)
+		echo 'postgres'
+		;;
+	(centos|rhel|scientific)
+		echo 'postgres'
+		;;
+	(debian|devuan|ubuntu)
+		echo 'postgres'
+		;;
+	(freebsd)
+		test -x /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql || {
+			printf 'could not find postgresql rc script./n' >&2
+			exit 1
+		}
+		pg_status=$(/usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql onestatus) || {
+			printf 'postgresql daemon is not running.\n' >&2
+			exit 1
+		}
+		pg_pid=$(printf '%s\n' "${pg_status}" \
+			| sed -n 's/^pg_ctl:.*(PID: *\([0-9]*\))$/\1/p')
+
+		# PostgreSQL < 9.6: pgsql
+		# PostgreSQL >= 9.6: postgres
+		ps -o user -p "${pg_pid}" | sed -n '2p'
+		;;
+	(netbsd)
+		echo 'pgsql'
+		;;
+	(openbsd)
+		echo '_postgresql'
+		;;
+	(suse)
+		echo 'postgres'
+		;;
+	(*)
+		echo "Unsupported OS: ${os}" >&2
+		exit 1
+		;;
+esac
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__postgres_conf/explorer/state b/cdist/conf/type/__postgres_conf/explorer/state
index 589925de..de6e8aa0 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__postgres_conf/explorer/state
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__postgres_conf/explorer/state
@@ -19,21 +19,7 @@
 # along with cdist. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 
-os=$("${__explorer:?}/os")
-
-case ${os}
-in
-	(openbsd)
-		postgres_user='_postgresql'
-		;;
-	(devuan)
-		postgres_user='postgres'
-		;;
-	(*)
-		echo "Unsupported OS: ${os}" >&2
-		exit 1
-		;;
-esac
+postgres_user=$("${__type_explorer:?}/postgres_user")
 
 conf_name=${__object_id:?}
 
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__postgres_conf/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__postgres_conf/gencode-remote
index 8f8a2bfe..d0d247b4 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__postgres_conf/gencode-remote
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__postgres_conf/gencode-remote
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
 # along with cdist. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #
 
-os=$(cat "${__global:?}/explorer/os")
 state_is=$(cat "${__object:?}/explorer/state")
 state_should=$(cat "${__object:?}/parameter/state")
+postgres_user=$(cat "${__object:?}/explorer/postgres_user")
 
 conf_name=${__object_id:?}
 
@@ -49,19 +49,6 @@ quote() {
 	printf '%s' "$*"
 }
 
-case ${os}
-in
-	(netbsd)
-		postgres_user='pgsql'
-		;;
-	(openbsd)
-		postgres_user='_postgresql'
-		;;
-	(*)
-		postgres_user='postgres'
-		;;
-esac
-
 
 psql_cmd() {
 	printf 'su - %s -c %s\n' "$(quote "${postgres_user}")" "$(quote "$(quote psql "$@")")"
@@ -117,7 +104,7 @@ then
 				case $(cat "${__global:?}/explorer/kernel_name")
 				in
 					(FreeBSD)
-						echo 'service postgresql restart'
+						echo '/usr/local/etc/rc.d/postgresql restart'
 						;;
 					(OpenBSD|NetBSD)
 						echo '/etc/rc.d/postgresql restart'