diff --git a/dist/images/start-db.sh b/dist/images/start-db.sh
index 932632efe279..582358e1a6d8 100755
--- a/dist/images/start-db.sh
+++ b/dist/images/start-db.sh
@@ -493,7 +493,9 @@ else
                 start_sb_ovsdb -- \
                 --remote=db:Local_Config,Config,connections \
                 /etc/ovn/ovnsb_local_config.db
-            ovn-nbctl --db=$(gen_conn_str 6641) set NB_Global . options:lflow_enable_rarp=${OVN_NORTHD_ENABLE_RARP}
+            ovn-nbctl --db=$(gen_conn_str 6641) \
+                -p /var/run/tls/key -c /var/run/tls/cert -C /var/run/tls/cacert \
+                set NB_Global . options:lflow_enable_rarp=${OVN_NORTHD_ENABLE_RARP}
             /usr/share/ovn/scripts/ovn-ctl $ovn_ctl_args \
                 --ovn-manage-ovsdb=no --ovn-northd-n-threads="${OVN_NORTHD_N_THREADS}" start_northd
         fi