diff --git a/.github/tests/production-external-mysql/install.sh b/.github/tests/production-external-mysql/install.sh
index fc979cd..7bb5d63 100755
--- a/.github/tests/production-external-mysql/install.sh
+++ b/.github/tests/production-external-mysql/install.sh
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@ spire-server:
       password: ${DBPW}
       host: mysql
       port: 3306
-      options:
-      - parseTime: true
 EOF
 
 helm install mysql mysql --namespace "spire-server" --version "$VERSION_MYSQL" --repo "$HELM_REPO_MYSQL" \
diff --git a/charts/spire/charts/spire-server/templates/_helpers.tpl b/charts/spire/charts/spire-server/templates/_helpers.tpl
index 7df3626..15874a7 100644
--- a/charts/spire/charts/spire-server/templates/_helpers.tpl
+++ b/charts/spire/charts/spire-server/templates/_helpers.tpl
@@ -114,9 +114,8 @@ Create the name of the service account to use
 {{- $lst = append $lst $entry }}
 {{- end }}
 {{- end }}
-{{- if gt (len $lst) 0 }}
-{{- printf "?%s" (join "&" $lst) }}
-{{- end }}
+{{- $lst = append $lst "parseTime=true" }}
+{{- printf "?%s" (join "&" (uniq $lst)) }}
 {{- end }}
 
 {{- define "spire-server.config-postgresql-options" }}
diff --git a/examples/external-mysql/values.yaml b/examples/external-mysql/values.yaml
index b332156..c0a8fff 100644
--- a/examples/external-mysql/values.yaml
+++ b/examples/external-mysql/values.yaml
@@ -6,5 +6,3 @@ spire-server:
       host: mysql
       port: 3306
       username: spire
-      options:
-        - parseTime: true