diff --git a/backend/open_webui/internal/db.py b/backend/open_webui/internal/db.py
index d4c25e459b..e3fbffcf23 100644
--- a/backend/open_webui/internal/db.py
+++ b/backend/open_webui/internal/db.py
@@ -90,8 +90,7 @@ if SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL.startswith("sqlite+sqlcipher://"):
 
     # Extract database path from SQLCipher URL
     db_path = SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URL.replace("sqlite+sqlcipher://", "")
-    if db_path.startswith("/"):
-        db_path = db_path[1:]  # Remove leading slash for relative paths
+
 
     # Create a custom creator function that uses sqlcipher3
     def create_sqlcipher_connection():
diff --git a/backend/open_webui/internal/wrappers.py b/backend/open_webui/internal/wrappers.py
index b1b2a2ba23..e33bb3d3a4 100644
--- a/backend/open_webui/internal/wrappers.py
+++ b/backend/open_webui/internal/wrappers.py
@@ -54,8 +54,7 @@ def register_connection(db_url):
         # Parse the database path from SQLCipher URL
         # Convert sqlite+sqlcipher:///path/to/db.sqlite to /path/to/db.sqlite
         db_path = db_url.replace("sqlite+sqlcipher://", "")
-        if db_path.startswith("/"):
-            db_path = db_path[1:]  # Remove leading slash for relative paths
+
 
         # Use Peewee's native SqlCipherDatabase with encryption
         db = SqlCipherDatabase(db_path, passphrase=database_password)