diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index e8cda3e..32ffdf6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -19,21 +19,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Configure Git
         run: |
           git config user.name github-actions
-          git config user.email contact@openfga.dev
-
-      - name: Import GPG key
-        uses: crazy-max/ghaction-import-gpg@v6
-        with:
-          gpg_private_key: ${{ secrets.GPG_PRIVATE_KEY }}
-          passphrase: ${{ secrets.GPG_KEY_PASSPHRASE }}
-
-      - name: Export GPG key to legacy format
-        run: gpg --export-secret-keys > ~/.gnupg/pubring.gpg
+          git config user.email jasper.vaneessen@ugent.be
 
       - name: Install Helm
         uses: azure/setup-helm@v4
         with:
-          version: v3.5.0
+          version: v3.16.2
 
       - name: Add Helm Repositories
         run: |
@@ -43,8 +34,6 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run chart-releaser
         uses: helm/chart-releaser-action@v1.6.0
-        with:
-          config: .github/cr.yaml
         env:
           CR_TOKEN: "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}"
           CR_SKIP_EXISTING: true
diff --git a/charts/openfga/templates/_helpers.tpl b/charts/openfga/templates/_helpers.tpl
index 6abf573..06664b5 100644
--- a/charts/openfga/templates/_helpers.tpl
+++ b/charts/openfga/templates/_helpers.tpl
@@ -77,3 +77,41 @@ Return true if a secret object should be created
     {{- true -}}
 {{- end -}}
 {{- end -}}
+
+
+{{- define "openfga.datastore.envConfig" -}}
+{{- if .Values.datastore.engine }}
+- name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_ENGINE
+  value: "{{ .Values.datastore.engine }}"
+{{- end }}
+{{- if .Values.datastore.externalSecret.uriSecretKey }}
+- name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_URI
+  valueFrom:
+    secretKeyRef:
+      name: "{{ .Values.datastore.externalSecret.name }}"
+      key: "{{ .Values.datastore.externalSecret.uriSecretKey }}"
+{{- else if .Values.datastore.uri }}
+- name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_URI
+  value: "{{ .Values.datastore.uri }}"
+{{- end }}
+{{- if .Values.datastore.externalSecret.usernameSecretKey }}
+- name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_USERNAME
+  valueFrom:
+    secretKeyRef:
+      name: "{{ .Values.datastore.externalSecret.name }}"
+      key: "{{ .Values.datastore.externalSecret.usernameSecretKey }}"
+{{- else if .Values.datastore.username }}
+- name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_USERNAME
+  value: "{{ .Values.datastore.username }}"
+{{- end }}
+{{- if .Values.datastore.externalSecret.passwordSecretKey }}
+- name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_PASSWORD
+  valueFrom:
+    secretKeyRef:
+      name: "{{ .Values.datastore.externalSecret.name }}"
+      key: "{{ .Values.datastore.externalSecret.passwordSecretKey }}"
+{{- else if .Values.datastore.password }}
+- name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_PASSWORD
+  value: "{{ .Values.datastore.password }}"
+{{- end }}
+{{- end -}}
diff --git a/charts/openfga/templates/deployment.yaml b/charts/openfga/templates/deployment.yaml
index 5af7dfb..c3a8499 100644
--- a/charts/openfga/templates/deployment.yaml
+++ b/charts/openfga/templates/deployment.yaml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ metadata:
     {{- toYaml . | nindent 4 }}
   {{- end }}
 spec:
-  {{- if not .Values.autoscaling.enabled }}
+  {{- if not  .Values.autoscaling.enabled }}
   replicas: {{ ternary 1 .Values.replicaCount (eq .Values.datastore.engine "memory")}}
   {{- end }}
   selector:
@@ -80,21 +80,7 @@ spec:
             {{- end }}
 
           env:
-            {{- if .Values.datastore.engine }}
-            - name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_ENGINE
-              value: "{{ .Values.datastore.engine }}"
-            {{- end }}
-
-            {{- if .Values.datastore.uri }}
-            - name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_URI
-              value: "{{ .Values.datastore.uri }}"
-            {{- else if .Values.datastore.uriSecret }}
-            - name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_URI
-              valueFrom:
-                secretKeyRef:
-                  name: "{{ .Values.datastore.uriSecret }}"
-                  key: "uri"
-            {{- end }}
+            {{- include "openfga.datastore.envConfig" . | nindent 12 }}
 
             {{- if .Values.datastore.maxCacheSize }}
             - name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_MAX_CACHE_SIZE
diff --git a/charts/openfga/templates/job.yaml b/charts/openfga/templates/job.yaml
index 3ec2595..cac6d35 100644
--- a/charts/openfga/templates/job.yaml
+++ b/charts/openfga/templates/job.yaml
@@ -36,21 +36,7 @@ spec:
           image: "{{ .Values.image.repository }}:{{ .Values.image.tag | default .Chart.AppVersion }}"
           args: ["migrate"]
           env:
-            {{- if .Values.datastore.engine }}
-            - name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_ENGINE
-              value: "{{ .Values.datastore.engine }}"
-            {{- end }}
-
-            {{- if .Values.datastore.uri }}
-            - name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_URI
-              value: "{{ .Values.datastore.uri }}"
-            {{- else if .Values.datastore.uriSecret }}
-            - name: OPENFGA_DATASTORE_URI
-              valueFrom:
-                secretKeyRef:
-                  name: "{{ .Values.datastore.uriSecret }}"
-                  key: "uri"
-            {{- end }}
+            {{- include "openfga.datastore.envConfig" . | nindent 12 }}
 
             {{- if .Values.migrate.timeout }}
             - name: OPENFGA_TIMEOUT
diff --git a/charts/openfga/values.schema.json b/charts/openfga/values.schema.json
index d002147..797e63f 100644
--- a/charts/openfga/values.schema.json
+++ b/charts/openfga/values.schema.json
@@ -271,7 +271,22 @@
                     "type": [
                         "string",
                         "null"
-                    ]
+                    ],
+                    "description": "the URI of the datastore including credentials and database (e.g. postgres://user:password@host:port/dbname)"
+                },
+                "username": {
+                    "type": [
+                        "string",
+                        "null"
+                    ],
+                    "description": "the username to authenticate with the datastore"
+                },
+                "password": {
+                    "type": [
+                        "string",
+                        "null"
+                    ],
+                    "description": "the password to authenticate with the datastore"
                 },
                 "uriSecret": {
                     "type": [
@@ -280,6 +295,20 @@
                     ],
                     "description": "the secret name where to get the datastore URI, it expects a key named uri to exist in the secret"
                 },
+                "usernameSecret": {
+                    "type": [
+                        "string",
+                        "null"
+                    ],
+                    "description": "the secret name where to get the datastore username, it expects a key named username to exist in the secret"
+                },
+                "passwordSecret": {
+                    "type": [
+                        "string",
+                        "null"
+                    ],
+                    "description": "the secret name where to get the datastore password, it expects a key named password to exist in the secret"
+                },
                 "maxCacheSize": {
                     "type": [
                         "integer",
diff --git a/charts/openfga/values.yaml b/charts/openfga/values.yaml
index 686a1eb..a5451c8 100644
--- a/charts/openfga/values.yaml
+++ b/charts/openfga/values.yaml
@@ -189,7 +189,13 @@ telemetry:
 datastore:
   engine: memory
   uri:
-  uriSecret:
+  username:
+  password:
+  externalSecret:
+    name: ""
+    uriSecretKey: ""
+    usernameSecretKey: ""
+    passwordSecretKey: ""
   maxCacheSize:
   maxOpenConns:
   maxIdleConns: