diff --git a/pkg/ccl/backupccl/tenant_backup_nemesis_test.go b/pkg/ccl/backupccl/tenant_backup_nemesis_test.go
index d226a96c8db7..47fdd0ba9362 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/backupccl/tenant_backup_nemesis_test.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/backupccl/tenant_backup_nemesis_test.go
@@ -181,7 +181,8 @@ func TestTenantBackupNemesis(t *testing.T) {
 			return err
 		}
 		defer cleanupGoDB()
-		reg := histogram.NewRegistry(20*time.Second, "bank")
+		pgURL.Path = bankData.Meta().Name
+		reg := histogram.NewRegistry(20*time.Second, bankData.Meta().Name)
 		ops, err := bankData.(workload.Opser).Ops(ctx, []string{pgURL.String()}, reg)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/pkg/ccl/testccl/workload/schemachange/schema_change_external_test.go b/pkg/ccl/testccl/workload/schemachange/schema_change_external_test.go
index a6706ae70af0..afde91961108 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/testccl/workload/schemachange/schema_change_external_test.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/testccl/workload/schemachange/schema_change_external_test.go
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ func TestWorkload(t *testing.T) {
 
 	pgURL, cleanup := sqlutils.PGUrl(t, tc.Server(0).AdvSQLAddr(), t.Name(), url.User("testuser"))
 	defer cleanup()
+	pgURL.Path = wl.Meta().Name
 
 	const concurrency = 2
 	require.NoError(t, wl.Flags().Parse([]string{
diff --git a/pkg/ccl/workloadccl/roachmartccl/roachmart.go b/pkg/ccl/workloadccl/roachmartccl/roachmart.go
index e3fcefa4d13d..1e50b9d7e18d 100644
--- a/pkg/ccl/workloadccl/roachmartccl/roachmart.go
+++ b/pkg/ccl/workloadccl/roachmartccl/roachmart.go
@@ -206,10 +206,6 @@ func (m *roachmart) Tables() []workload.Table {
 func (m *roachmart) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(m, m.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/cli/democluster/demo_cluster.go b/pkg/cli/democluster/demo_cluster.go
index 6acc1b42e000..47698f5dae0f 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/democluster/demo_cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/democluster/demo_cluster.go
@@ -1716,7 +1716,7 @@ func (c *transientCluster) SetupWorkload(ctx context.Context) error {
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
-				sqlURLs = append(sqlURLs, sqlURL.ToPQ().String())
+				sqlURLs = append(sqlURLs, sqlURL.WithDatabase(gen.Meta().Name).ToPQ().String())
 			}
 			if err := c.runWorkload(ctx, c.demoCtx.WorkloadGenerator, sqlURLs); err != nil {
 				return errors.Wrapf(err, "starting background workload")
diff --git a/pkg/workload/bank/bank.go b/pkg/workload/bank/bank.go
index e30e009aa425..865c96c5a2d6 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/bank/bank.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/bank/bank.go
@@ -182,10 +182,6 @@ func (b *bank) Tables() []workload.Table {
 func (b *bank) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(b, b.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/bulkingest/bulkingest.go b/pkg/workload/bulkingest/bulkingest.go
index 6946e5e2a990..4bc745ea26dd 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/bulkingest/bulkingest.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/bulkingest/bulkingest.go
@@ -183,10 +183,6 @@ func (w *bulkingest) Tables() []workload.Table {
 func (w *bulkingest) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(w, w.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/connectionlatency/connectionlatency.go b/pkg/workload/connectionlatency/connectionlatency.go
index cf6d8747140e..f9f8f14b5d6d 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/connectionlatency/connectionlatency.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/connectionlatency/connectionlatency.go
@@ -66,11 +66,6 @@ func (c *connectionLatency) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
 	ql := workload.QueryLoad{}
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(c, c.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
-
 	for _, url := range urls {
 		op := &connectionOp{
 			url:   url,
diff --git a/pkg/workload/indexes/indexes.go b/pkg/workload/indexes/indexes.go
index 4533b048ea80..140b5dbb309e 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/indexes/indexes.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/indexes/indexes.go
@@ -162,10 +162,6 @@ func (w *indexes) Tables() []workload.Table {
 func (w *indexes) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(w, w.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	cfg := workload.NewMultiConnPoolCfgFromFlags(w.connFlags)
 	cfg.MaxTotalConnections = w.connFlags.Concurrency + 1
 	mcp, err := workload.NewMultiConnPool(ctx, cfg, urls...)
diff --git a/pkg/workload/insights/insights.go b/pkg/workload/insights/insights.go
index d17752430ab7..5d3601f7c942 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/insights/insights.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/insights/insights.go
@@ -214,10 +214,6 @@ func (b *insights) Tables() []workload.Table {
 func (b *insights) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(b, b.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/jsonload/json.go b/pkg/workload/jsonload/json.go
index 2ca7c0a8f9bd..d8df1e061bfa 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/jsonload/json.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/jsonload/json.go
@@ -137,10 +137,6 @@ func (w *jsonLoad) Tables() []workload.Table {
 func (w *jsonLoad) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(w, w.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/kv/kv.go b/pkg/workload/kv/kv.go
index 4402b01998c6..465e36034fa0 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/kv/kv.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/kv/kv.go
@@ -449,10 +449,6 @@ func (w *kv) Tables() []workload.Table {
 func (w *kv) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(w, w.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	cfg := workload.NewMultiConnPoolCfgFromFlags(w.connFlags)
 	cfg.MaxTotalConnections = w.connFlags.Concurrency + 1
 	mcp, err := workload.NewMultiConnPool(ctx, cfg, urls...)
diff --git a/pkg/workload/ledger/ledger.go b/pkg/workload/ledger/ledger.go
index a8ffb1807a43..7466866636db 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/ledger/ledger.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/ledger/ledger.go
@@ -182,10 +182,6 @@ func (w *ledger) Tables() []workload.Table {
 func (w *ledger) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(w, w.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/movr/workload.go b/pkg/workload/movr/workload.go
index d05c43349c66..ee8cb4b9c2d7 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/movr/workload.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/movr/workload.go
@@ -303,10 +303,6 @@ func (m *movr) Ops(
 	m.fakerOnce.Do(func() {
 		m.faker = faker.NewFaker()
 	})
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(m, m.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	ql := workload.QueryLoad{}
 	db, err := workload.NewRoundRobinDB(urls)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/workload/querybench/query_bench.go b/pkg/workload/querybench/query_bench.go
index c98e02824b71..e68cd99056aa 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/querybench/query_bench.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/querybench/query_bench.go
@@ -119,10 +119,6 @@ func (*queryBench) Tables() []workload.Table {
 func (g *queryBench) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(g, g.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/querylog/querylog.go b/pkg/workload/querylog/querylog.go
index 15135b1336ff..b5acb6356569 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/querylog/querylog.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/querylog/querylog.go
@@ -176,10 +176,6 @@ func (w *querylog) Hooks() workload.Hooks {
 func (w *querylog) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(w, w.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/queue/queue.go b/pkg/workload/queue/queue.go
index 12f62a1a4e85..1fa60cedca5a 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/queue/queue.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/queue/queue.go
@@ -75,10 +75,6 @@ func (w *queue) Tables() []workload.Table {
 func (w *queue) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(w, w.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/rand/rand.go b/pkg/workload/rand/rand.go
index c6b58157e887..200a26f5d219 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/rand/rand.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/rand/rand.go
@@ -150,10 +150,6 @@ func typeForOid(db *gosql.DB, typeOid oid.Oid, tableName, columnName string) (*t
 func (w *random) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (ql workload.QueryLoad, retErr error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(w, w.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/schemachange/schemachange.go b/pkg/workload/schemachange/schemachange.go
index 0c91cfa11866..55c25e06d583 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/schemachange/schemachange.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/schemachange/schemachange.go
@@ -209,10 +209,6 @@ func (s *schemaChange) Ops(
 	ctx, span := tracer.Start(ctx, "schemaChange.Ops")
 	defer func() { EndSpan(span, err) }()
 
-	_, err = workload.SanitizeUrls(s, s.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	cfg := workload.NewMultiConnPoolCfgFromFlags(s.connFlags)
 	// We will need double the concurrency, since we need watch
 	// dog connections. There is a danger of the pool emptying on
diff --git a/pkg/workload/sqlsmith/sqlsmith.go b/pkg/workload/sqlsmith/sqlsmith.go
index 88070741ebf8..dcb0080c5520 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/sqlsmith/sqlsmith.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/sqlsmith/sqlsmith.go
@@ -134,10 +134,6 @@ func (g *sqlSmith) Ops(
 	if err := g.validateErrorSetting(); err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
 	}
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(g, g.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/sqlstats/sqlstats.go b/pkg/workload/sqlstats/sqlstats.go
index 02f7de93b1b2..32f3f034bf30 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/sqlstats/sqlstats.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/sqlstats/sqlstats.go
@@ -135,10 +135,6 @@ func genPermutations() *gen {
 func (s *sqlStats) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(s, s.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/tpcc/tpcc.go b/pkg/workload/tpcc/tpcc.go
index 53f4d6a43e5e..ae4a650bab45 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/tpcc/tpcc.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/tpcc/tpcc.go
@@ -746,10 +746,6 @@ func (w *tpcc) Ops(
 		w.txCounters = setupTPCCMetrics(reg.Registerer())
 	}
 
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(w, w.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	if err := workload.SetDefaultIsolationLevel(urls, w.isoLevel); err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/workload/tpccchecks/checks_generator.go b/pkg/workload/tpccchecks/checks_generator.go
index cf0f399eecd0..7c19bb55491c 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/tpccchecks/checks_generator.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/tpccchecks/checks_generator.go
@@ -102,12 +102,9 @@ func (*tpccChecks) Meta() workload.Meta {
 func (w *tpccChecks) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(w, w.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, errors.Wrapf(err, "could not sanitize urls %v", urls)
-	}
 	dbs := make([]*gosql.DB, len(urls))
 	for i, url := range urls {
+		var err error
 		dbs[i], err = gosql.Open(`cockroach`, url)
 		if err != nil {
 			return workload.QueryLoad{}, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to dial %s", url)
diff --git a/pkg/workload/tpcds/tpcds.go b/pkg/workload/tpcds/tpcds.go
index 0eed35cccf27..bf6f5491b1fc 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/tpcds/tpcds.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/tpcds/tpcds.go
@@ -264,10 +264,6 @@ func (w *tpcds) Tables() []workload.Table {
 func (w *tpcds) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(w, w.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/tpch/tpch.go b/pkg/workload/tpch/tpch.go
index a59255ce3645..bfc0f3b42cc2 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/tpch/tpch.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/tpch/tpch.go
@@ -298,10 +298,6 @@ func (w *tpch) Tables() []workload.Table {
 func (w *tpch) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(w, w.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/ttllogger/ttllogger.go b/pkg/workload/ttllogger/ttllogger.go
index 62a707f2e687..ccf6507c05b0 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/ttllogger/ttllogger.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/ttllogger/ttllogger.go
@@ -86,10 +86,6 @@ var logChars = []rune("abdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ !.")
 func (l *ttlLogger) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(l, l.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	db, err := gosql.Open(`cockroach`, strings.Join(urls, ` `))
 	if err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
diff --git a/pkg/workload/ycsb/ycsb.go b/pkg/workload/ycsb/ycsb.go
index 8c571e72a5f4..328b8452c423 100644
--- a/pkg/workload/ycsb/ycsb.go
+++ b/pkg/workload/ycsb/ycsb.go
@@ -381,10 +381,6 @@ func (g *ycsb) Tables() []workload.Table {
 func (g *ycsb) Ops(
 	ctx context.Context, urls []string, reg *histogram.Registry,
 ) (workload.QueryLoad, error) {
-	_, err := workload.SanitizeUrls(g, g.connFlags.DBOverride, urls)
-	if err != nil {
-		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
-	}
 	if err := workload.SetDefaultIsolationLevel(urls, g.isoLevel); err != nil {
 		return workload.QueryLoad{}, err
 	}
@@ -442,6 +438,7 @@ func (g *ycsb) Ops(
 	rowCounter := NewAcknowledgedCounter((uint64)(g.recordCount))
 
 	var requestGen randGenerator
+	var err error
 	requestGenRng := rand.New(rand.NewSource(RandomSeed.Seed()))
 	switch strings.ToLower(g.requestDistribution) {
 	case "zipfian":