diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cf16306e..20c5b3b5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ solar resource create keystone_db_user resources/mariadb_user/ user_name=keyston
 
 solar connect node1 mariadb_service
 solar connect node1 keystone_db
-solar connect mariadb_service keystone_db '{"root_password": "login_password", "port": "login_port"}'
+solar connect mariadb_service keystone_db '{"root_password": "login_password", "port": "login_port", "ip": "db_host"}'
 # solar connect mariadb_service keystone_db_user 'root_password->login_password port->login_port'  # another valid format
 solar connect keystone_db keystone_db_user
 
diff --git a/solar/solar/cli/main.py b/solar/solar/cli/main.py
index e7231ecb..c6b6f227 100644
--- a/solar/solar/cli/main.py
+++ b/solar/solar/cli/main.py
@@ -107,17 +107,19 @@ def init_cli_connect():
     @click.argument('receiver')
     @click.argument('mapping', default='')
     def connect(mapping, receiver, emitter):
-        mapping_parsed = {}
-
-        click.echo('Connect {} to {}'.format(emitter, receiver))
+        mapping_parsed = None
         emitter = sresource.load(emitter)
         receiver = sresource.load(receiver)
-        try:
-            mapping_parsed.update(json.loads(mapping))
-        except ValueError:
-            for m in mapping.split():
-                k, v = m.split('->')
-                mapping_parsed.update({k: v})
+        click.echo('Connect {} to {}'.format(emitter, receiver))
+
+        if mapping:
+            mapping_parsed = {}
+            try:
+                mapping_parsed.update(json.loads(mapping))
+            except ValueError:
+                for m in mapping.split():
+                    k, v = m.split('->')
+                    mapping_parsed.update({k: v})
         signals.connect(emitter, receiver, mapping=mapping_parsed)
 
         show_emitter_connections(emitter)