diff --git a/conftrak/ignition.py b/conftrak/ignition.py
index 9e5b766..3d10950 100644
--- a/conftrak/ignition.py
+++ b/conftrak/ignition.py
@@ -36,11 +36,11 @@ def parse_configuration(config=None):
         "--database", dest="database", type=str, help="name of database to use"
     )
     parser.add_argument(
-        "--mongo-uri", dest="mongo_uri", type=str, help="URI to use to connect to Mongo"
+        "--mongo_uri", dest="mongo_uri", type=str, help="URI to use to connect to Mongo"
     )
     parser.add_argument("--timezone", dest="timezone", type=str, help="Local timezone")
     parser.add_argument(
-        "--service-port",
+        "--service_port",
         dest="service_port",
         type=int,
         help="port listen to for clients",
diff --git a/conftrak/server/engine.py b/conftrak/server/engine.py
index 0d1d561..7288b60 100644
--- a/conftrak/server/engine.py
+++ b/conftrak/server/engine.py
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ def db_connect(database, mongo_uri, testing=False):
     else:
         try:
             client = pymongo.MongoClient(mongo_uri)
-            client.list_database_names()  # check if the server is really okay.
+            # Proactively check that connection to server is working.
+            client.server_info()  
         except (
             pymongo.errors.ConnectionFailure,
             pymongo.errors.ServerSelectionTimeoutError,
diff --git a/conftrak/test/test_server.py b/conftrak/test/test_server.py
index 220c819..a800c52 100644
--- a/conftrak/test/test_server.py
+++ b/conftrak/test/test_server.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def test_parse_configuration():
         "prog",
         "--database",
         "conftrak",
-        "--mongo-uri",
+        "--mongo_uri",
         "mongodb://localhost",
         "--timezone",
         "US/Eastern",