diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c7267fe..b4240e2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -365,8 +365,18 @@ Default is:
 
 #### `$backup_scripts`
 Additional scripts to create, possible values are: mysql, psql, misc
-NOTE: this requires you to install the client packages you wish to use.
-      You can do this by passing an array to [$rsnapshot::package_name](#package_name)
+
+NOTE: the psql and mysql scripts will SSH into your host and try and use pg_dump/mysqldump respectively.
+Make sure you have those tools installed on your DB hosts.
+
+You can do this by passing an array to [$rsnapshot::package_name](#package_name)
+
+Example:
+```yaml
+rsnapshot::package_name:
+  - rsnapshot
+  - pbzip2
+```
 
 Default is:
 
@@ -414,6 +424,7 @@ This creates
 - a mysql backup script for `bazqux.de` using the credentials `myuser:mypassword`
 
 The scripts look like this:
+
 mysql:
 
 ```bash
@@ -422,10 +433,31 @@ host=bazqux.de
 user=myuser
 pass=mypassword
 
-dbs=( $(mysql -h "$host" -u "$user" -p"$pass" -e 'show databases' | sed '1d;/information_schema/d;/performance_schema/d')  )
+dbs=( 
+      $(ssh -l root "$host" "mysql -u ${user} -p${pass} -e 'show databases' | sed '1d;/information_schema/d;/performance_schema/d'")  
+    )
 
 for db in "${dbs[@]}"; do
-  mysqldump --host="$host" --user="$user" --password="$pass" --single-transaction --quick --routines --ignore-table=mysql.event "$db" > "$db".sql
+  ssh -l root "$host" "mysqldump --user=${user} --password=${pass} --single-transaction --quick --routines --ignore-table=mysql.event ${db}" > "${db}.sql"
+  wait
+  pbzip2 -p3 "$db".sql
+done      
+
+```
+
+mysql with root user:
+
+```bash
+#!/bin/bash
+host=bazqux.de
+user=root
+
+dbs=( 
+      $(ssh -l root "$host" "mysql -e 'show databases' | sed '1d;/information_schema/d;/performance_schema/d'")  
+    )
+
+for db in "${dbs[@]}"; do
+  ssh -l root "$host" "mysqldump --single-transaction --quick --routines --ignore-table=mysql.event ${db}" > "${db}.sql"
   wait
   pbzip2 -p3 "$db".sql
 done      
@@ -441,7 +473,9 @@ user=backupuser
 pass=password
 
 PGPASSWORD="$pass"
-dbs=( $(psql -h "$host" -U "$user" -Atc "SELECT datname FROM pg_database WHERE NOT datistemplate AND datname <> 'postgres'")   )
+dbs=( 
+      $(ssh -l root "$host" "psql -U ${user} -Atc \"SELECT datname FROM pg_database WHERE NOT datistemplate AND datname <> 'postgres'\"" )   
+    )
 
 for db in "${dbs[@]}"; do
   ssh -l root "$host" "pg_dump -U ${user} -Fc ${db}" > "$db".sql
diff --git a/manifests/config.pp b/manifests/config.pp
index 0a1d319..46d826b 100644
--- a/manifests/config.pp
+++ b/manifests/config.pp
@@ -135,21 +135,23 @@ class rsnapshot::config (
       content => template('rsnapshot/rsnapshot.erb'),
     }
 
+    
+
     if has_key($hash, backup_scripts) {
+      $hash[backup_scripts].each |$script, $scriptconf| {
+        $real_script       = deep_merge($rsnapshot::params::backup_scripts[$script], $rsnapshot::backup_scripts[$script], $hash[backup_scripts][$script])
+        notify { "$hash[backup_scripts][$script] for $host and $script": }
+        #        notify { "$real_script for $host and $script": }
+        $dbbackup_user     = $real_script[dbbackup_user]
+        $dbbackup_password = $real_script[dbbackup_password]
+        $dumper            = $real_script[dumper]
+        $dump_flags        = $real_script[dump_flags]
+        $ignore_dbs        = $real_script[ignore_dbs]
 
-      $hash[backup_scripts].each |$script, $credentials| {
-
-        if is_hash($credentials) {
-          $dbbackup_user     = $credentials['dbbackup_user']
-          $dbbackup_password = $credentials['dbbackup_password']
-        } else {
-          $dbbackup_user     = $rsnapshot::default_backup_scripts[$script]['dbbackup_user']
-          $dbbackup_password = $rsnapshot::default_backup_scripts[$script]['dbbackup_password']
-        }
 
         concat::fragment { "${host}_${script}_backup":
-          target  => $config,
-          content => "backup_script	${conf_d}/${host}.${script}.sh	./${script}\n",
+        target  => $config,
+        content => "backup_script	${conf_d}/${host}.${script}.sh	./${script}\n",
         }
 
         file { "${conf_d}/${host}.${script}.sh":
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index 6a26d1a..992bc59 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -93,13 +93,19 @@ class rsnapshot::params {
     },
   }
   $backup_scripts = {
-    mysql             => {
+    mysql               => {
       dbbackup_user     => 'root',
-      dbbackup_password => 'myFancyPassWord',
+      dbbackup_password => '',
+      dumper            => 'mysqldump',
+      dump_flags        => '--single-transaction --quick --routines --ignore-table=mysql.event',
+      ignore_dbs        => [ 'information_schema', 'performance_schema' ],
     },
     psql                => {
       dbbackup_user     => 'postgres',
       dbbackup_password => '',
+      dumper            => 'pg_dump',
+      dump_flags        => '-Fc',
+      ignore_dbs        => [],
     },
     misc => {},
   }
diff --git a/templates/mysql.sh.erb b/templates/mysql.sh.erb
index d6f7b05..61fc790 100644
--- a/templates/mysql.sh.erb
+++ b/templates/mysql.sh.erb
@@ -6,10 +6,21 @@ host=<%=@host%>
 user=<%=@dbbackup_user%>
 pass=<%=@dbbackup_password%>
 
-dbs=( $(mysql -h "$host" -u "$user" -p"$pass" -e 'show databases' | sed '1d;/information_schema/d;/performance_schema/d')  )
-
+<% if (@dbbackup_user == 'root' && @dbbackup_password == '') -%>
+dbs=( 
+      $(ssh -l root "$host" "mysql -e 'show databases' | sed '1d;<%@ignore_dbs.to_a.each do |db|-%>/<%=db-%>/d;<%end-%>'" ) 
+    )
+<%else-%>
+dbs=( 
+      $(ssh -l root "$host" "mysql -u <%=@dbbackup_user-%> -p'<%=@dbbackup_password-%>' -e 'show databases' | sed '1d;<%@ignore_dbs.each do |db|-%>/<%=db-%>/d;<%end-%>'" )
+    )
+<%end-%>
 for db in "${dbs[@]}"; do
-  mysqldump --host="$host" --user="$user" --password="$pass" --single-transaction --quick --routines --ignore-table=mysql.event "$db" > "$db".sql
+<% if @dbbackup_user == 'root' -%>
+  ssh -l root "$host" "<%=@dumper-%> <%=@dump_flags-%> ${db}" > "$db".sql
+<%else-%>
+  ssh -l root "$host" "<%=@dumper-%>  --user=<%=@dbbackup_user-%> --password='<%=@dbbackup_password-%>' <%=@dump_flags-%> ${db}" > "$db".sql
+<%end-%>
   wait
   pbzip2 "$db".sql
 done
diff --git a/templates/psql.sh.erb b/templates/psql.sh.erb
index 09296c8..01d47e8 100644
--- a/templates/psql.sh.erb
+++ b/templates/psql.sh.erb
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@ user=<%=@dbbackup_user%>
 pass=<%=@dbbackup_password%>
 
 PGPASSWORD="$pass"
-dbs=( $(psql -h "$host" -U "$user" -Atc "SELECT datname FROM pg_database WHERE NOT datistemplate AND datname <> 'postgres'")  )
-
+dbs=( 
+      $(ssh "$host" "psql -U ${user} -Atc \"SELECT datname FROM pg_database WHERE NOT datistemplate AND NOT datname ~ '<%@ignore_dbs.each do |db|-%><%if db == @ignore_dbs.last-%><%=db-%><%else-%><%=db-%>|<%end-%><%end-%>'\"")  
+    )
 for db in "${dbs[@]}"; do
-  ssh -l root "$host" "pg_dump -U ${user} -Fc ${db}" > "$db".sql
+  ssh -l root "$host" "<%=@dumper-%> -U ${user} <%=@dump_flags-%> ${db}" > "$db".sql
   wait
   pbzip2 "$db".sql
 done