diff --git a/cmd/rds-agent/engine.go b/cmd/rds-agent/engine.go
index d5979a728..7c93c7e47 100644
--- a/cmd/rds-agent/engine.go
+++ b/cmd/rds-agent/engine.go
@@ -116,6 +116,10 @@ func lookupCredential(username string) (*syscall.Credential, error) {
 // The engine is reached over its unix socket under peer authentication, so the
 // agent drops to the postgres OS user rather than holding a password of its own.
 type postgresEngine struct {
+	// The control plane's own metadata for this engine, resolved once at
+	// startup: the live password apply runs as the cluster superuser, so it
+	// re-checks the role name against the same reserved set the API validates.
+	meta      handlers_rds.Engine
 	run       commandRunner
 	startSess sessionRunner
 	psql      string
@@ -152,8 +156,22 @@ const (
 	parameterRepairPoll    = time.Second
 )
 
+// Resolved once, under the name the control plane knows this implementation by.
+// A lookup failure is a mismatch between the agent and the control plane it was
+// built against, so it fails at startup rather than at the first rotation.
+var postgresEngineMeta = mustLookupEngine("postgres")
+
+func mustLookupEngine(name string) handlers_rds.Engine {
+	engine, err := handlers_rds.LookupEngine(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic("rds-agent: " + err.Error())
+	}
+	return engine
+}
+
 func newPostgresEngine(cfg config, run commandRunner, startSess sessionRunner, probe *engineProbe) *postgresEngine {
 	e := &postgresEngine{
+		meta:          postgresEngineMeta,
 		run:           run,
 		startSess:     startSess,
 		psql:          filepath.Join(cfg.PGBin, "psql"),
@@ -184,7 +202,7 @@ func (e *postgresEngine) SetPassword(ctx context.Context, username, password str
 	// The statement below runs as the cluster superuser over the socket under
 	// peer auth, so a reserved name in the command payload would hand the
 	// customer the bootstrap superuser rather than rotate their own role.
-	if err := handlers_rds.EnginePostgres().ValidateUsernameNotReserved(username); err != nil {
+	if err := e.meta.ValidateUsernameNotReserved(username); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("refusing to set the password of a role the engine reserves: %w", err)
 	}
 	// psql interpolates the password into the ALTER ROLE before the server sees
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/rds/engine.go b/spinifex/handlers/rds/engine.go
index 1870c6e44..2b806495a 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/rds/engine.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/rds/engine.go
@@ -23,12 +23,39 @@ type Engine struct {
 	reservedUsernames []string
 	// Prefixes the engine reserves for internal roles.
 	reservedUsernamePrefixes []string
+	// The engine's own identifier limit for a role name. The character rule is
+	// shared across engines; the length is not.
+	maxUsernameLen int
+
+	// The engine's parameter table, keyed by parameter name. The generic spec
+	// machinery is shared; only the table and its formulas are per-engine.
+	catalog map[string]ParameterSpec
+	// Cross-parameter checks a resolved set must satisfy, which are the
+	// combinations the engine itself would refuse to start under.
+	validateCombinations func([]Parameter) error
 }
 
 var engines = map[string]Engine{
 	enginePostgres.Name: enginePostgres,
 }
 
+// The same registry keyed by parameter-group family, for the callers that hold
+// only a family string and have no instance to derive an engine from. Family
+// and engine are 1:1 by construction, so one registry serves both.
+var enginesByFamily = indexEnginesByFamily()
+
+func indexEnginesByFamily() map[string]Engine {
+	out := make(map[string]Engine, len(engines))
+	for _, engine := range engines {
+		family := engine.ParameterGroupFamily()
+		if _, exists := out[family]; exists {
+			panic("rds: parameter group family " + family + " is claimed by two engines")
+		}
+		out[family] = engine
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
 // The pinned version an AMI lookup resolves against, which is the major alone:
 // the AMI carries the major, and a minor is chosen by the image build.
 func (e Engine) EngineVersion() string {
@@ -78,9 +105,9 @@ func (e Engine) ValidateMasterUsername(username string) error {
 	if username == "" {
 		return awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue, "MasterUsername is required")
 	}
-	if len(username) > maxMasterUsernameLen {
+	if len(username) > e.maxUsernameLen {
 		return awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue,
-			"MasterUsername must be at most %d characters", maxMasterUsernameLen)
+			"MasterUsername must be at most %d characters", e.maxUsernameLen)
 	}
 	if !isLetter(rune(username[0])) {
 		return awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue, "MasterUsername must begin with a letter")
@@ -140,7 +167,6 @@ func ValidateMasterUserPassword(password string) error {
 }
 
 const (
-	maxMasterUsernameLen = 63
 	minMasterPasswordLen = 8
 	maxMasterPasswordLen = 128
 )
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/rds/engine_postgres.go b/spinifex/handlers/rds/engine_postgres.go
index cf43309e3..94e6e3de9 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/rds/engine_postgres.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/rds/engine_postgres.go
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 package handlers_rds
 
+import (
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/mulgadc/spinifex/spinifex/awserrors"
+)
+
 // PostgreSQL 18 is the pinned v1 major, matching the rds-postgres AMI preset.
 // A new major is a new AMI plus a bump here, never a runtime upgrade.
 var enginePostgres = Engine{
@@ -12,9 +19,433 @@ var enginePostgres = Engine{
 	// administrative privileges through.
 	reservedUsernames:        []string{"rdsadmin", "postgres", "rds_superuser"},
 	reservedUsernamePrefixes: []string{"pg_"},
+	// NAMEDATALEN-1, where the engine's own limit and AWS's documented one
+	// coincide.
+	maxUsernameLen:       63,
+	catalog:              postgresParameterCatalog,
+	validateCombinations: validatePostgresParameterCombinations,
 }
 
-// The pinned engine as a value, for the in-guest agent: it enforces the same
-// reserved-role set before altering a role as the cluster superuser, and a
-// lookup by name there could only fail silently into an empty set.
-func EnginePostgres() Engine { return enginePostgres }
+// The curated PostgreSQL 18 table: a genuinely validated subset rather than the
+// engine's full ~350 GUCs, because a static parameter the engine refuses at
+// startup is a boot loop with the bad config already on the data volume.
+//
+// The platform-owned settings (port, listen_addresses, ssl*,
+// unix_socket_directories, data_directory) are deliberately absent rather than
+// present-and-unmodifiable, because they are not the customer's to set.
+var postgresParameterCatalog = buildParameterCatalog(
+	// Connections. max_connections is what a size-derived default matters most
+	// for: RDS's own formula is LEAST({DBInstanceClassMemory/9531392}, 5000).
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "max_connections", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 6, Max: 5000,
+		DefaultFor:  maxConnectionsFor,
+		MaxFor:      maxConnectionsCeilingFor,
+		Description: "Maximum number of concurrent connections to the database server.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "superuser_reserved_connections", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 100, Default: "3",
+		Description: "Connection slots reserved for superusers.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "idle_in_transaction_session_timeout", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 2147483647, Default: "0", Unit: "ms",
+		Description: "Milliseconds an idle open transaction may live before it is aborted; 0 disables.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "statement_timeout", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 2147483647, Default: "0", Unit: "ms",
+		Description: "Milliseconds a statement may run before it is aborted; 0 disables.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "lock_timeout", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 2147483647, Default: "0", Unit: "ms",
+		Description: "Milliseconds to wait for a lock before failing the statement; 0 disables.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "tcp_keepalives_idle", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 3600, Default: "0", Unit: "s",
+		Description: "Idle seconds before the server sends a TCP keepalive; 0 takes the system default.",
+	},
+
+	// Memory. Every one of these is a fraction of class memory on real RDS, so a
+	// literal tuned for the large end makes db.t3.micro fail to start.
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "shared_buffers", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 16, Max: 4194304, Unit: "8kB",
+		DefaultFor:  sharedBuffersFor,
+		MaxFor:      sharedBuffersCeilingFor,
+		Description: "Shared memory buffers the server uses, in 8 kB blocks.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "effective_cache_size", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 1, Max: 4194304, Unit: "8kB",
+		DefaultFor:  effectiveCacheSizeFor,
+		MaxFor:      effectiveCacheSizeCeilingFor,
+		Description: "Planner assumption about the disk cache available to one query, in 8 kB blocks.",
+	},
+	// Per sort or hash rather than per connection, so RDS leaves it a literal
+	// even in the memory group; a size-derived default here would multiply by
+	// max_connections and by the parallel workers under each of them.
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "work_mem", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 64, Max: 2147483647, Default: "4096", Unit: "kB",
+		Description: "Memory one sort or hash operation may use before spilling to disk, in kB.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "maintenance_work_mem", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 1024, Max: 2147483647, Unit: "kB",
+		DefaultFor:  maintenanceWorkMemFor,
+		MaxFor:      maintenanceWorkMemCeilingFor,
+		Description: "Memory a VACUUM, CREATE INDEX or ALTER TABLE ADD FOREIGN KEY may use, in kB.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "temp_buffers", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 100, Max: 1073741823, Default: "1024", Unit: "8kB",
+		Description: "Per-session buffers for temporary tables, in 8 kB blocks.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "max_prepared_transactions", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 262143, Default: "0",
+		Description: "Maximum simultaneously prepared transactions; 0 disables two-phase commit.",
+	},
+
+	// Parallelism. Bounded by the class's vCPU count on a real deployment, but
+	// PostgreSQL degrades gracefully when they exceed it, so literals are honest.
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "max_worker_processes", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 262143, Default: "8",
+		Description: "Maximum background processes the server may start.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "max_parallel_workers", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 1024, Default: "8",
+		Description: "Maximum workers the server may use for parallel operations.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "max_parallel_workers_per_gather", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 1024, Default: "2",
+		Description: "Maximum parallel workers one Gather node may start.",
+	},
+
+	// WAL and checkpoints.
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "wal_level", DataType: paramTypeEnum, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Enum: []string{"minimal", "replica", "logical"}, Default: "replica",
+		Description: "How much information is written to the WAL.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "synchronous_commit", DataType: paramTypeEnum, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Enum: []string{"off", "local", "remote_write", "on", "remote_apply"}, Default: "on",
+		Description: "How much WAL processing must complete before a commit returns.",
+	},
+	// Alpine's PostgreSQL 18 package is built with both optional compression
+	// libraries, so every engine method is safe to expose.
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "wal_compression", DataType: paramTypeEnum, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Enum: []string{"off", "pglz", "lz4", "zstd", "on"}, Default: "off",
+		Description: "Compression method for full-page images written to the WAL.",
+	},
+	// The image uses PostgreSQL's 16 MiB WAL segments; both size settings must
+	// hold at least two segments or startup rejects the configuration.
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "max_wal_size", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 32, Max: 2097151, Default: "1024", Unit: "MB",
+		Description: "WAL size that triggers a checkpoint, in MB.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "min_wal_size", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 32, Max: 2097151, Default: "80", Unit: "MB",
+		Description: "WAL size below which old segments are recycled rather than removed, in MB.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "checkpoint_timeout", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 30, Max: 86400, Default: "300", Unit: "s",
+		Description: "Maximum seconds between automatic WAL checkpoints.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "checkpoint_completion_target", DataType: paramTypeReal, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 1, Default: "0.9",
+		Description: "Fraction of the checkpoint interval a checkpoint's writes are spread over.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "wal_buffers", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: -1, Max: 262143, Default: "-1", Unit: "8kB",
+		Description: "Shared memory used for WAL not yet written, in 8 kB blocks; -1 derives it from shared_buffers.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "max_wal_senders", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 262143, Default: "10",
+		Description: "Maximum simultaneously running WAL sender processes.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "max_replication_slots", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 262143, Default: "10",
+		Description: "Maximum replication slots the server may define.",
+	},
+
+	// Autovacuum. Turning it off is the single most reliable way to take a
+	// PostgreSQL database down slowly, so it is offered but its default is on.
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "autovacuum", DataType: paramTypeBoolean, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Default: "on",
+		Description: "Whether the autovacuum launcher runs.",
+	},
+	// PostgreSQL 18 moved this setting to SIGHUP; worker slot allocation is now
+	// controlled separately by the postmaster-only autovacuum_worker_slots.
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "autovacuum_max_workers", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 1, Max: 262143, Default: "3",
+		Description: "Maximum autovacuum worker processes running at once.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "autovacuum_naptime", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 1, Max: 2147483, Default: "60", Unit: "s",
+		Description: "Seconds between autovacuum runs on any one database.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "autovacuum_vacuum_threshold", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 2147483647, Default: "50",
+		Description: "Row updates or deletes before a table is vacuumed.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "autovacuum_vacuum_scale_factor", DataType: paramTypeReal, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 100, Default: "0.2",
+		Description: "Fraction of the table size added to autovacuum_vacuum_threshold.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "autovacuum_analyze_threshold", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 2147483647, Default: "50",
+		Description: "Row inserts, updates or deletes before a table is analyzed.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "autovacuum_analyze_scale_factor", DataType: paramTypeReal, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 100, Default: "0.1",
+		Description: "Fraction of the table size added to autovacuum_analyze_threshold.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "autovacuum_vacuum_cost_limit", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: -1, Max: 10000, Default: "-1",
+		Description: "Cost budget one autovacuum worker spends before sleeping; -1 takes vacuum_cost_limit.",
+	},
+
+	// Planner.
+	// The engine's own ceiling on a planner cost is DBL_MAX, which is not a bound
+	// worth reporting: a cost past four digits already makes the plan choice
+	// insensitive to it, so the range stays one a customer can read.
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "random_page_cost", DataType: paramTypeReal, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 10000, Default: "1.1",
+		Description: "Planner estimate of the cost of a non-sequentially fetched page.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "seq_page_cost", DataType: paramTypeReal, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 10000, Default: "1",
+		Description: "Planner estimate of the cost of a sequentially fetched page.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "effective_io_concurrency", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 1000, Default: "16",
+		Description: "Concurrent disk I/O operations the planner assumes are useful.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "default_statistics_target", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 1, Max: 10000, Default: "100",
+		Description: "Default statistics target for table columns without one of their own.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "jit", DataType: paramTypeBoolean, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Default: "on",
+		Description: "Whether JIT compilation may be used for qualifying queries.",
+	},
+
+	// Logging. The destination and the collector are platform-owned; what is
+	// logged is the customer's.
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "log_min_duration_statement", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: -1, Max: 2147483647, Default: "-1", Unit: "ms",
+		Description: "Milliseconds a statement must run to be logged; 0 logs every statement, -1 disables.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "log_statement", DataType: paramTypeEnum, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Enum: []string{"none", "ddl", "mod", "all"}, Default: "none",
+		Description: "Which SQL statements are written to the log.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "log_min_messages", DataType: paramTypeEnum, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true,
+		Enum: []string{"debug5", "debug4", "debug3", "debug2", "debug1", "info", "notice",
+			"warning", "error", "log", "fatal", "panic"},
+		Default:     "warning",
+		Description: "Lowest message severity written to the server log.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "log_connections", DataType: paramTypeBoolean, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Default: "off",
+		Description: "Whether each successful connection attempt is logged.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "log_disconnections", DataType: paramTypeBoolean, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Default: "off",
+		Description: "Whether the end of each session is logged, with its duration.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "log_lock_waits", DataType: paramTypeBoolean, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Default: "on",
+		Description: "Whether a session waiting longer than deadlock_timeout for a lock is logged.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "log_temp_files", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: -1, Max: 2147483647, Default: "-1", Unit: "kB",
+		Description: "Size in kB above which a temporary file's removal is logged; 0 logs all, -1 disables.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "log_autovacuum_min_duration", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: -1, Max: 2147483647, Default: "-1", Unit: "ms",
+		Description: "Milliseconds an autovacuum action must run to be logged; -1 disables.",
+	},
+
+	// Timeouts and locale.
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "deadlock_timeout", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 1, Max: 2147483647, Default: "1000", Unit: "ms",
+		Description: "Milliseconds to wait on a lock before checking for a deadlock.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "timezone", DataType: paramTypeString, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Default: "UTC",
+		Description: "Time zone the server displays and interprets timestamps in.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "datestyle", DataType: paramTypeString, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Default: "ISO, MDY",
+		Description: "Display format for date and time values.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "track_activity_query_size", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Min: 100, Max: 1048576, Default: "1024", Unit: "B",
+		Description: "Bytes of each running query pg_stat_activity retains.",
+	},
+	ParameterSpec{
+		Name: "track_io_timing", DataType: paramTypeBoolean, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
+		IsModifiable: true, Default: "on",
+		Description: "Whether block read and write times are collected.",
+	},
+)
+
+// The bytes of class memory an RDS parameter formula divides. Real RDS exposes
+// it as {DBInstanceClassMemory}, and the resolver evaluates the formulas here
+// rather than passing them to the engine.
+const mibToBytes = 1024 * 1024
+
+// shared_buffers = {DBInstanceClassMemory/32768}, in 8 kB blocks — a quarter of
+// class memory, which is RDS's own default.
+func sharedBuffersFor(memoryMiB int64) string {
+	return strconv.FormatInt(clampInt64(memoryMiB*mibToBytes/32768, 16, 4194304), 10)
+}
+
+// effective_cache_size = {DBInstanceClassMemory/16384}, in 8 kB blocks — half of
+// class memory, the planner's assumption about what the OS is caching.
+func effectiveCacheSizeFor(memoryMiB int64) string {
+	return strconv.FormatInt(clampInt64(memoryMiB*mibToBytes/16384, 1, 4194304), 10)
+}
+
+// max_connections = LEAST({DBInstanceClassMemory/9531392}, 5000). The floor is
+// what keeps db.t3.micro above superuser_reserved_connections plus the workers
+// autovacuum and replication need, which is where the smallest class would
+// otherwise fail to start.
+func maxConnectionsFor(memoryMiB int64) string {
+	return strconv.FormatInt(clampInt64(memoryMiB*mibToBytes/9531392, 20, 5000), 10)
+}
+
+// maintenance_work_mem = {DBInstanceClassMemory/63963136}, in kB. Capped so a
+// large class does not let autovacuum_max_workers reserve the whole machine.
+func maintenanceWorkMemFor(memoryMiB int64) string {
+	return strconv.FormatInt(clampInt64(memoryMiB*mibToBytes/63963136*1024, 16384, 2097152), 10)
+}
+
+// Class ceilings deliberately leave substantial headroom above the defaults.
+// They prevent obviously impossible large-class literals without prescribing
+// production tuning for values the guest can support.
+func sharedBuffersCeilingFor(memoryMiB int64) int64 {
+	return clampInt64(memoryMiB*1024/8*3/4, 16, 4194304)
+}
+
+func effectiveCacheSizeCeilingFor(memoryMiB int64) int64 {
+	return clampInt64(memoryMiB*1024/8, 1, 4194304)
+}
+
+func maxConnectionsCeilingFor(memoryMiB int64) int64 {
+	defaults := clampInt64(memoryMiB*mibToBytes/9531392, 20, 5000)
+	return clampInt64(defaults*4, 20, 5000)
+}
+
+func maintenanceWorkMemCeilingFor(memoryMiB int64) int64 {
+	return clampInt64(memoryMiB*1024/2, 16384, 2147483647)
+}
+
+func clampInt64(v, lo, hi int64) int64 {
+	return min(max(v, lo), hi)
+}
+
+func validatePostgresParameterCombinations(params []Parameter) error {
+	values := make(map[string]string, len(params))
+	for _, param := range params {
+		values[param.Name] = strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(param.Value))
+	}
+
+	maxWALSenders, err := resolvedInteger(values, "max_wal_senders")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	maxReplicationSlots, err := resolvedInteger(values, "max_replication_slots")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if values["wal_level"] == "minimal" && (maxWALSenders != 0 || maxReplicationSlots != 0) {
+		return awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue,
+			"wal_level minimal requires max_wal_senders and max_replication_slots both to be 0")
+	}
+	maxConnections, err := resolvedInteger(values, "max_connections")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	reservedConnections, err := resolvedInteger(values, "superuser_reserved_connections")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if reservedConnections >= maxConnections {
+		return awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue,
+			"superuser_reserved_connections must be less than max_connections")
+	}
+	maxWorkerProcesses, err := resolvedInteger(values, "max_worker_processes")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	const (
+		postgres18MaxBackends           = 262143
+		postgres18AutovacuumWorkerSlots = 16
+		postgres18SpecialWorkerProcs    = 2
+	)
+	backends := maxConnections + postgres18AutovacuumWorkerSlots + maxWorkerProcesses + maxWALSenders + postgres18SpecialWorkerProcs
+	if backends > postgres18MaxBackends {
+		return awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue,
+			"max_connections, max_worker_processes and max_wal_senders reserve too many server processes")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func resolvedInteger(values map[string]string, name string) (int64, error) {
+	value, ok := values[name]
+	if !ok {
+		return 0, awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorServerInternal,
+			"resolved parameter set is missing %s", name)
+	}
+	n, err := strconv.ParseInt(value, 10, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorServerInternal,
+			"resolved parameter %s has invalid integer value %q", name, value)
+	}
+	return n, nil
+}
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/rds/engine_test.go b/spinifex/handlers/rds/engine_test.go
index 3a8f899ae..dd4580681 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/rds/engine_test.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/rds/engine_test.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func TestEngineValidateMasterUsername(t *testing.T) {
 		"empty":          "",
 		"leading digit":  "1user",
 		"hyphen":         "app-user",
-		"too long":       strings.Repeat("a", maxMasterUsernameLen+1),
+		"too long":       strings.Repeat("a", enginePostgres.maxUsernameLen+1),
 		"reserved":       "rdsadmin",
 		"reserved cased": "RDSAdmin",
 		// The cluster superuser and the group role the master's administrative
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/rds/paramcatalog.go b/spinifex/handlers/rds/paramcatalog.go
index dd3863df7..39ab3b523 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/rds/paramcatalog.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/rds/paramcatalog.go
@@ -15,11 +15,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mulgadc/spinifex/spinifex/instancetypes"
 )
 
-// The static PostgreSQL 18 parameter catalog, following the EKS add-on catalog
-// pattern: a curated in-binary table rather than the engine's full ~350 GUCs.
-// A curated subset that is genuinely validated is worth more than the whole set
-// passed through unchecked — a static parameter the engine refuses at startup
-// is a boot loop, and the bad config is on the persistent data volume.
+// The engine-neutral half of the parameter catalog: the spec type, its parsing
+// and range checks, and the resolver. Each engine supplies its own table, its
+// size-derived formulas and its combination checks; everything here is shared.
 
 // When a parameter takes effect. Static settings are stored and reported
 // pending-reboot; dynamic ones are adopted by a reload.
@@ -82,366 +80,6 @@ type ParameterSpec struct {
 	Unit string
 }
 
-// The catalog, keyed by parameter name. Every entry here is one a customer has a
-// real reason to tune; the platform-owned settings (port, listen_addresses,
-// ssl*, unix_socket_directories, data_directory) are deliberately absent rather
-// than present-and-unmodifiable, because they are not the customer's to set.
-var parameterCatalog = buildParameterCatalog(
-	// Connections. max_connections is what a size-derived default matters most
-	// for: RDS's own formula is LEAST({DBInstanceClassMemory/9531392}, 5000).
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "max_connections", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 6, Max: 5000,
-		DefaultFor:  maxConnectionsFor,
-		MaxFor:      maxConnectionsCeilingFor,
-		Description: "Maximum number of concurrent connections to the database server.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "superuser_reserved_connections", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 100, Default: "3",
-		Description: "Connection slots reserved for superusers.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "idle_in_transaction_session_timeout", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 2147483647, Default: "0", Unit: "ms",
-		Description: "Milliseconds an idle open transaction may live before it is aborted; 0 disables.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "statement_timeout", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 2147483647, Default: "0", Unit: "ms",
-		Description: "Milliseconds a statement may run before it is aborted; 0 disables.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "lock_timeout", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 2147483647, Default: "0", Unit: "ms",
-		Description: "Milliseconds to wait for a lock before failing the statement; 0 disables.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "tcp_keepalives_idle", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 3600, Default: "0", Unit: "s",
-		Description: "Idle seconds before the server sends a TCP keepalive; 0 takes the system default.",
-	},
-
-	// Memory. Every one of these is a fraction of class memory on real RDS, so a
-	// literal tuned for the large end makes db.t3.micro fail to start.
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "shared_buffers", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 16, Max: 4194304, Unit: "8kB",
-		DefaultFor:  sharedBuffersFor,
-		MaxFor:      sharedBuffersCeilingFor,
-		Description: "Shared memory buffers the server uses, in 8 kB blocks.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "effective_cache_size", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 1, Max: 4194304, Unit: "8kB",
-		DefaultFor:  effectiveCacheSizeFor,
-		MaxFor:      effectiveCacheSizeCeilingFor,
-		Description: "Planner assumption about the disk cache available to one query, in 8 kB blocks.",
-	},
-	// Per sort or hash rather than per connection, so RDS leaves it a literal
-	// even in the memory group; a size-derived default here would multiply by
-	// max_connections and by the parallel workers under each of them.
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "work_mem", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 64, Max: 2147483647, Default: "4096", Unit: "kB",
-		Description: "Memory one sort or hash operation may use before spilling to disk, in kB.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "maintenance_work_mem", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 1024, Max: 2147483647, Unit: "kB",
-		DefaultFor:  maintenanceWorkMemFor,
-		MaxFor:      maintenanceWorkMemCeilingFor,
-		Description: "Memory a VACUUM, CREATE INDEX or ALTER TABLE ADD FOREIGN KEY may use, in kB.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "temp_buffers", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 100, Max: 1073741823, Default: "1024", Unit: "8kB",
-		Description: "Per-session buffers for temporary tables, in 8 kB blocks.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "max_prepared_transactions", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 262143, Default: "0",
-		Description: "Maximum simultaneously prepared transactions; 0 disables two-phase commit.",
-	},
-
-	// Parallelism. Bounded by the class's vCPU count on a real deployment, but
-	// PostgreSQL degrades gracefully when they exceed it, so literals are honest.
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "max_worker_processes", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 262143, Default: "8",
-		Description: "Maximum background processes the server may start.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "max_parallel_workers", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 1024, Default: "8",
-		Description: "Maximum workers the server may use for parallel operations.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "max_parallel_workers_per_gather", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 1024, Default: "2",
-		Description: "Maximum parallel workers one Gather node may start.",
-	},
-
-	// WAL and checkpoints.
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "wal_level", DataType: paramTypeEnum, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Enum: []string{"minimal", "replica", "logical"}, Default: "replica",
-		Description: "How much information is written to the WAL.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "synchronous_commit", DataType: paramTypeEnum, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Enum: []string{"off", "local", "remote_write", "on", "remote_apply"}, Default: "on",
-		Description: "How much WAL processing must complete before a commit returns.",
-	},
-	// Alpine's PostgreSQL 18 package is built with both optional compression
-	// libraries, so every engine method is safe to expose.
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "wal_compression", DataType: paramTypeEnum, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Enum: []string{"off", "pglz", "lz4", "zstd", "on"}, Default: "off",
-		Description: "Compression method for full-page images written to the WAL.",
-	},
-	// The image uses PostgreSQL's 16 MiB WAL segments; both size settings must
-	// hold at least two segments or startup rejects the configuration.
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "max_wal_size", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 32, Max: 2097151, Default: "1024", Unit: "MB",
-		Description: "WAL size that triggers a checkpoint, in MB.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "min_wal_size", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 32, Max: 2097151, Default: "80", Unit: "MB",
-		Description: "WAL size below which old segments are recycled rather than removed, in MB.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "checkpoint_timeout", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 30, Max: 86400, Default: "300", Unit: "s",
-		Description: "Maximum seconds between automatic WAL checkpoints.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "checkpoint_completion_target", DataType: paramTypeReal, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 1, Default: "0.9",
-		Description: "Fraction of the checkpoint interval a checkpoint's writes are spread over.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "wal_buffers", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: -1, Max: 262143, Default: "-1", Unit: "8kB",
-		Description: "Shared memory used for WAL not yet written, in 8 kB blocks; -1 derives it from shared_buffers.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "max_wal_senders", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 262143, Default: "10",
-		Description: "Maximum simultaneously running WAL sender processes.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "max_replication_slots", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 262143, Default: "10",
-		Description: "Maximum replication slots the server may define.",
-	},
-
-	// Autovacuum. Turning it off is the single most reliable way to take a
-	// PostgreSQL database down slowly, so it is offered but its default is on.
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "autovacuum", DataType: paramTypeBoolean, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Default: "on",
-		Description: "Whether the autovacuum launcher runs.",
-	},
-	// PostgreSQL 18 moved this setting to SIGHUP; worker slot allocation is now
-	// controlled separately by the postmaster-only autovacuum_worker_slots.
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "autovacuum_max_workers", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 1, Max: 262143, Default: "3",
-		Description: "Maximum autovacuum worker processes running at once.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "autovacuum_naptime", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 1, Max: 2147483, Default: "60", Unit: "s",
-		Description: "Seconds between autovacuum runs on any one database.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "autovacuum_vacuum_threshold", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 2147483647, Default: "50",
-		Description: "Row updates or deletes before a table is vacuumed.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "autovacuum_vacuum_scale_factor", DataType: paramTypeReal, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 100, Default: "0.2",
-		Description: "Fraction of the table size added to autovacuum_vacuum_threshold.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "autovacuum_analyze_threshold", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 2147483647, Default: "50",
-		Description: "Row inserts, updates or deletes before a table is analyzed.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "autovacuum_analyze_scale_factor", DataType: paramTypeReal, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 100, Default: "0.1",
-		Description: "Fraction of the table size added to autovacuum_analyze_threshold.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "autovacuum_vacuum_cost_limit", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: -1, Max: 10000, Default: "-1",
-		Description: "Cost budget one autovacuum worker spends before sleeping; -1 takes vacuum_cost_limit.",
-	},
-
-	// Planner.
-	// The engine's own ceiling on a planner cost is DBL_MAX, which is not a bound
-	// worth reporting: a cost past four digits already makes the plan choice
-	// insensitive to it, so the range stays one a customer can read.
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "random_page_cost", DataType: paramTypeReal, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 10000, Default: "1.1",
-		Description: "Planner estimate of the cost of a non-sequentially fetched page.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "seq_page_cost", DataType: paramTypeReal, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 10000, Default: "1",
-		Description: "Planner estimate of the cost of a sequentially fetched page.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "effective_io_concurrency", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 0, Max: 1000, Default: "16",
-		Description: "Concurrent disk I/O operations the planner assumes are useful.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "default_statistics_target", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 1, Max: 10000, Default: "100",
-		Description: "Default statistics target for table columns without one of their own.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "jit", DataType: paramTypeBoolean, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Default: "on",
-		Description: "Whether JIT compilation may be used for qualifying queries.",
-	},
-
-	// Logging. The destination and the collector are platform-owned; what is
-	// logged is the customer's.
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "log_min_duration_statement", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: -1, Max: 2147483647, Default: "-1", Unit: "ms",
-		Description: "Milliseconds a statement must run to be logged; 0 logs every statement, -1 disables.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "log_statement", DataType: paramTypeEnum, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Enum: []string{"none", "ddl", "mod", "all"}, Default: "none",
-		Description: "Which SQL statements are written to the log.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "log_min_messages", DataType: paramTypeEnum, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true,
-		Enum: []string{"debug5", "debug4", "debug3", "debug2", "debug1", "info", "notice",
-			"warning", "error", "log", "fatal", "panic"},
-		Default:     "warning",
-		Description: "Lowest message severity written to the server log.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "log_connections", DataType: paramTypeBoolean, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Default: "off",
-		Description: "Whether each successful connection attempt is logged.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "log_disconnections", DataType: paramTypeBoolean, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Default: "off",
-		Description: "Whether the end of each session is logged, with its duration.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "log_lock_waits", DataType: paramTypeBoolean, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Default: "on",
-		Description: "Whether a session waiting longer than deadlock_timeout for a lock is logged.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "log_temp_files", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: -1, Max: 2147483647, Default: "-1", Unit: "kB",
-		Description: "Size in kB above which a temporary file's removal is logged; 0 logs all, -1 disables.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "log_autovacuum_min_duration", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: -1, Max: 2147483647, Default: "-1", Unit: "ms",
-		Description: "Milliseconds an autovacuum action must run to be logged; -1 disables.",
-	},
-
-	// Timeouts and locale.
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "deadlock_timeout", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 1, Max: 2147483647, Default: "1000", Unit: "ms",
-		Description: "Milliseconds to wait on a lock before checking for a deadlock.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "timezone", DataType: paramTypeString, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Default: "UTC",
-		Description: "Time zone the server displays and interprets timestamps in.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "datestyle", DataType: paramTypeString, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Default: "ISO, MDY",
-		Description: "Display format for date and time values.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "track_activity_query_size", DataType: paramTypeInteger, ApplyType: ApplyTypeStatic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Min: 100, Max: 1048576, Default: "1024", Unit: "B",
-		Description: "Bytes of each running query pg_stat_activity retains.",
-	},
-	ParameterSpec{
-		Name: "track_io_timing", DataType: paramTypeBoolean, ApplyType: ApplyTypeDynamic,
-		IsModifiable: true, Default: "on",
-		Description: "Whether block read and write times are collected.",
-	},
-)
-
-// The bytes of class memory an RDS parameter formula divides. Real RDS exposes
-// it as {DBInstanceClassMemory}, and the resolver evaluates the formulas here
-// rather than passing them to the engine.
-const mibToBytes = 1024 * 1024
-
-// shared_buffers = {DBInstanceClassMemory/32768}, in 8 kB blocks — a quarter of
-// class memory, which is RDS's own default.
-func sharedBuffersFor(memoryMiB int64) string {
-	return strconv.FormatInt(clampInt64(memoryMiB*mibToBytes/32768, 16, 4194304), 10)
-}
-
-// effective_cache_size = {DBInstanceClassMemory/16384}, in 8 kB blocks — half of
-// class memory, the planner's assumption about what the OS is caching.
-func effectiveCacheSizeFor(memoryMiB int64) string {
-	return strconv.FormatInt(clampInt64(memoryMiB*mibToBytes/16384, 1, 4194304), 10)
-}
-
-// max_connections = LEAST({DBInstanceClassMemory/9531392}, 5000). The floor is
-// what keeps db.t3.micro above superuser_reserved_connections plus the workers
-// autovacuum and replication need, which is where the smallest class would
-// otherwise fail to start.
-func maxConnectionsFor(memoryMiB int64) string {
-	return strconv.FormatInt(clampInt64(memoryMiB*mibToBytes/9531392, 20, 5000), 10)
-}
-
-// maintenance_work_mem = {DBInstanceClassMemory/63963136}, in kB. Capped so a
-// large class does not let autovacuum_max_workers reserve the whole machine.
-func maintenanceWorkMemFor(memoryMiB int64) string {
-	return strconv.FormatInt(clampInt64(memoryMiB*mibToBytes/63963136*1024, 16384, 2097152), 10)
-}
-
-// Class ceilings deliberately leave substantial headroom above the defaults.
-// They prevent obviously impossible large-class literals without prescribing
-// production tuning for values the guest can support.
-func sharedBuffersCeilingFor(memoryMiB int64) int64 {
-	return clampInt64(memoryMiB*1024/8*3/4, 16, 4194304)
-}
-
-func effectiveCacheSizeCeilingFor(memoryMiB int64) int64 {
-	return clampInt64(memoryMiB*1024/8, 1, 4194304)
-}
-
-func maxConnectionsCeilingFor(memoryMiB int64) int64 {
-	defaults := clampInt64(memoryMiB*mibToBytes/9531392, 20, 5000)
-	return clampInt64(defaults*4, 20, 5000)
-}
-
-func maintenanceWorkMemCeilingFor(memoryMiB int64) int64 {
-	return clampInt64(memoryMiB*1024/2, 16384, 2147483647)
-}
-
-func clampInt64(v, lo, hi int64) int64 {
-	return min(max(v, lo), hi)
-}
-
 // Indexes the specs by name and fails the build-equivalent — process start — on
 // a malformed entry, so a catalog typo cannot reach a customer's create.
 func buildParameterCatalog(specs ...ParameterSpec) map[string]ParameterSpec {
@@ -467,15 +105,15 @@ func buildParameterCatalog(specs ...ParameterSpec) map[string]ParameterSpec {
 
 // The catalog entry for a parameter name, or false when the engine has no such
 // setting or it is one this platform does not expose.
-func LookupParameter(name string) (ParameterSpec, bool) {
-	spec, ok := parameterCatalog[strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(name))]
+func (e Engine) LookupParameter(name string) (ParameterSpec, bool) {
+	spec, ok := e.catalog[strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(name))]
 	return spec, ok
 }
 
 // Sorted, so a describe returns the same order on every call and Terraform does
 // not read a reshuffle as drift.
-func CatalogParameterNames() []string {
-	return slices.Sorted(maps.Keys(parameterCatalog))
+func (e Engine) CatalogParameterNames() []string {
+	return slices.Sorted(maps.Keys(e.catalog))
 }
 
 // The engine default for one parameter at one instance class: the literal, or
@@ -549,8 +187,8 @@ func rejectFormulaValue(name, value string) error {
 // catalog does not hold, one the platform owns, and one outside its own range
 // are all rejected here — at the API, rather than by an engine that then refuses
 // to start with the bad config already on the data volume.
-func validateParameterValue(name, value string) (ParameterSpec, error) {
-	spec, ok := LookupParameter(name)
+func (e Engine) validateParameterValue(name, value string) (ParameterSpec, error) {
+	spec, ok := e.LookupParameter(name)
 	if !ok {
 		return ParameterSpec{}, awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue,
 			"%q is not a parameter this engine exposes", name)
@@ -692,18 +330,22 @@ func rangeError(spec ParameterSpec, value string) error {
 //
 // Overrides are re-validated rather than trusted: a catalog whose bounds
 // tightened must not keep handing the engine a value it would now reject.
-func ResolveEffectiveParameters(instanceClass string, overrides map[string]string) ([]Parameter, error) {
+func (e Engine) ResolveEffectiveParameters(instanceClass string, overrides map[string]string) ([]Parameter, error) {
+	if e.validateCombinations == nil {
+		return nil, awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorServerInternal,
+			"engine %s registers no parameter combination checks", e.Name)
+	}
 	memoryMiB, err := classMemoryMiB(instanceClass)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	names := CatalogParameterNames()
+	names := e.CatalogParameterNames()
 	resolved := make([]Parameter, 0, len(names))
 	for _, name := range names {
-		spec := parameterCatalog[name]
+		spec := e.catalog[name]
 		value := spec.DefaultAt(memoryMiB)
 		if override, ok := overrides[name]; ok {
-			if _, err := validateParameterValue(name, override); err != nil {
+			if _, err := e.validateParameterValue(name, override); err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
 			if err := validateClassParameterValue(instanceClass, memoryMiB, spec, override); err != nil {
@@ -713,7 +355,7 @@ func ResolveEffectiveParameters(instanceClass string, overrides map[string]strin
 		}
 		resolved = append(resolved, Parameter{Name: name, Value: value})
 	}
-	if err := validateParameterCombinations(resolved); err != nil {
+	if err := e.validateCombinations(resolved); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	return resolved, nil
@@ -735,64 +377,3 @@ func validateClassParameterValue(instanceClass string, memoryMiB int64, spec Par
 	}
 	return nil
 }
-
-func validateParameterCombinations(params []Parameter) error {
-	values := make(map[string]string, len(params))
-	for _, param := range params {
-		values[param.Name] = strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(param.Value))
-	}
-
-	maxWALSenders, err := resolvedInteger(values, "max_wal_senders")
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	maxReplicationSlots, err := resolvedInteger(values, "max_replication_slots")
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	if values["wal_level"] == "minimal" && (maxWALSenders != 0 || maxReplicationSlots != 0) {
-		return awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue,
-			"wal_level minimal requires max_wal_senders and max_replication_slots both to be 0")
-	}
-	maxConnections, err := resolvedInteger(values, "max_connections")
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	reservedConnections, err := resolvedInteger(values, "superuser_reserved_connections")
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	if reservedConnections >= maxConnections {
-		return awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue,
-			"superuser_reserved_connections must be less than max_connections")
-	}
-	maxWorkerProcesses, err := resolvedInteger(values, "max_worker_processes")
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	const (
-		postgres18MaxBackends           = 262143
-		postgres18AutovacuumWorkerSlots = 16
-		postgres18SpecialWorkerProcs    = 2
-	)
-	backends := maxConnections + postgres18AutovacuumWorkerSlots + maxWorkerProcesses + maxWALSenders + postgres18SpecialWorkerProcs
-	if backends > postgres18MaxBackends {
-		return awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue,
-			"max_connections, max_worker_processes and max_wal_senders reserve too many server processes")
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
-func resolvedInteger(values map[string]string, name string) (int64, error) {
-	value, ok := values[name]
-	if !ok {
-		return 0, awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorServerInternal,
-			"resolved parameter set is missing %s", name)
-	}
-	n, err := strconv.ParseInt(value, 10, 64)
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorServerInternal,
-			"resolved parameter %s has invalid integer value %q", name, value)
-	}
-	return n, nil
-}
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/rds/paramcatalog_test.go b/spinifex/handlers/rds/paramcatalog_test.go
index 67cd1b5f4..5a4f56aec 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/rds/paramcatalog_test.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/rds/paramcatalog_test.go
@@ -19,15 +19,15 @@ func TestParameterCatalog_DefaultsSatisfyTheirOwnConstraintsAtEveryClass(t *test
 			memoryMiB, err := classMemoryMiB(class)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 
-			for _, name := range CatalogParameterNames() {
-				spec, ok := LookupParameter(name)
+			for _, name := range enginePostgres.CatalogParameterNames() {
+				spec, ok := enginePostgres.LookupParameter(name)
 				require.True(t, ok)
 
 				value := spec.DefaultAt(memoryMiB)
 				assert.NotEmpty(t, value, "%s has an empty default at %s", name, class)
 				// Validated by the same function a customer's value goes through, so
 				// a default cannot be something the API would reject.
-				_, err := validateParameterValue(name, value)
+				_, err := enginePostgres.validateParameterValue(name, value)
 				assert.NoError(t, err, "the default %q of %s is not a value %s accepts", value, name, class)
 			}
 		})
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ func TestParameterCatalog_DefaultsSatisfyTheirOwnConstraintsAtEveryClass(t *test
 // Every entry has to be a shape the resolver and the describe can both render,
 // or a client reads a parameter with no type and no apply semantics.
 func TestParameterCatalog_EntriesAreWellFormed(t *testing.T) {
-	for _, name := range CatalogParameterNames() {
-		spec, _ := LookupParameter(name)
+	for _, name := range enginePostgres.CatalogParameterNames() {
+		spec, _ := enginePostgres.LookupParameter(name)
 
 		assert.Equal(t, name, spec.Name, "the catalog key and the spec name disagree")
 		assert.Contains(t, []string{ApplyTypeStatic, ApplyTypeDynamic}, spec.ApplyType, "%s", name)
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func TestParameterCatalog_SizeDerivedDefaultsScaleWithClassMemory(t *testing.T)
 	require.Less(t, smallest, largest)
 
 	for _, name := range []string{"shared_buffers", "effective_cache_size", "max_connections", "maintenance_work_mem"} {
-		spec, ok := LookupParameter(name)
+		spec, ok := enginePostgres.LookupParameter(name)
 		require.True(t, ok, "%s is expected to carry a computed default", name)
 		require.NotNil(t, spec.DefaultFor, "%s should be size-derived", name)
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ func TestValidateParameterValue_RejectsBadInput(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tc := range cases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			_, err := validateParameterValue(tc.param, tc.value)
+			_, err := enginePostgres.validateParameterValue(tc.param, tc.value)
 			require.Error(t, err)
 			assert.Equal(t, awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue, awserrors.ValidErrorCodeFromError(err),
 				"the code has to survive resolution or the client sees a 500")
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func TestValidateParameterValue_AcceptsPostgresStringValues(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, tc := range cases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			_, err := validateParameterValue(tc.param, tc.value)
+			_, err := enginePostgres.validateParameterValue(tc.param, tc.value)
 			assert.NoError(t, err)
 		})
 	}
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ func TestValidateParameterValue_AcceptsPostgresStringValues(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestValidateParameterValue_AcceptsEveryEnginesSpellingOfABoolean(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, value := range []string{"on", "OFF", "true", "False", "yes", "no", "1", "0"} {
-		_, err := validateParameterValue("autovacuum", value)
+		_, err := enginePostgres.validateParameterValue("autovacuum", value)
 		assert.NoError(t, err, "autovacuum rejected %q, which the engine accepts", value)
 	}
 }
@@ -161,9 +161,9 @@ func TestValidateParameterValue_AcceptsEveryEnginesSpellingOfABoolean(t *testing
 // A group's overrides are laid over the whole catalog, not merged into a subset:
 // every parameter is present, and one the group does not set carries its default.
 func TestResolveEffectiveParameters_OverlaysOverridesOnDefaults(t *testing.T) {
-	resolved, err := ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.t3.medium", map[string]string{"work_mem": "16384"})
+	resolved, err := enginePostgres.ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.t3.medium", map[string]string{"work_mem": "16384"})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.Len(t, resolved, len(CatalogParameterNames()))
+	require.Len(t, resolved, len(enginePostgres.CatalogParameterNames()))
 
 	values := map[string]string{}
 	for _, param := range resolved {
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func TestResolveEffectiveParameters_OverlaysOverridesOnDefaults(t *testing.T) {
 // Sorted output is what lets a re-resolve that changed nothing produce a
 // byte-identical include, so an apply does not restart an engine for no reason.
 func TestResolveEffectiveParameters_IsSortedAndCarriesNoFormula(t *testing.T) {
-	resolved, err := ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.m5.xlarge", nil)
+	resolved, err := enginePostgres.ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.m5.xlarge", nil)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	for i := 1; i < len(resolved); i++ {
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ func TestResolveEffectiveParameters_IsSortedAndCarriesNoFormula(t *testing.T) {
 // A stored value the catalog would now reject must not keep being handed to the
 // engine, so the resolve re-validates rather than trusting what was written.
 func TestResolveEffectiveParameters_RevalidatesStoredOverrides(t *testing.T) {
-	_, err := ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.t3.medium", map[string]string{"max_connections": "999999"})
+	_, err := enginePostgres.ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.t3.medium", map[string]string{"max_connections": "999999"})
 	require.Error(t, err)
 	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "max_connections")
 }
@@ -212,14 +212,14 @@ func TestResolveEffectiveParameters_BoundsSizeDerivedOverridesToTheClass(t *test
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			_, err := ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.t3.micro", map[string]string{tt.name: tt.value})
+			_, err := enginePostgres.ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.t3.micro", map[string]string{tt.name: tt.value})
 			require.Error(t, err)
 			assert.Equal(t, awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue, awserrors.ValidErrorCodeFromError(err))
 			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "db.t3.micro")
 			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), tt.value)
 			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "ceiling")
 
-			_, err = ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.m5.xlarge", map[string]string{tt.name: tt.value})
+			_, err = enginePostgres.ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.m5.xlarge", map[string]string{tt.name: tt.value})
 			assert.NoError(t, err, "the same literal should fit the larger class")
 		})
 	}
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ func TestResolveEffectiveParameters_RejectsFatalCombinations(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			_, err := ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.m5.xlarge", tt.overrides)
+			_, err := enginePostgres.ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.m5.xlarge", tt.overrides)
 			require.Error(t, err)
 			assert.Equal(t, awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue, awserrors.ValidErrorCodeFromError(err))
 			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), tt.want)
@@ -261,22 +261,22 @@ func TestResolveEffectiveParameters_RejectsFatalCombinations(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestResolveEffectiveParameters_AcceptsMinimalWALWithoutReplication(t *testing.T) {
-	_, err := ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.t3.micro", map[string]string{
+	_, err := enginePostgres.ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.t3.micro", map[string]string{
 		"wal_level": "minimal", "max_wal_senders": "0", "max_replication_slots": "0",
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
 
 func TestParameterCatalog_Postgres18ApplyTypesAndBuiltCompressionMethods(t *testing.T) {
-	autovacuumWorkers, _ := LookupParameter("autovacuum_max_workers")
+	autovacuumWorkers, _ := enginePostgres.LookupParameter("autovacuum_max_workers")
 	assert.Equal(t, ApplyTypeDynamic, autovacuumWorkers.ApplyType)
 
-	walCompression, _ := LookupParameter("wal_compression")
+	walCompression, _ := enginePostgres.LookupParameter("wal_compression")
 	assert.ElementsMatch(t, []string{"off", "pglz", "lz4", "zstd", "on"}, walCompression.Enum)
 }
 
 func TestResolveEffectiveParameters_RejectsAnUnknownClass(t *testing.T) {
-	_, err := ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.x99.mega", nil)
+	_, err := enginePostgres.ResolveEffectiveParameters("db.x99.mega", nil)
 	require.Error(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue, awserrors.ValidErrorCodeFromError(err),
 		"the code has to survive resolution or the client sees a 500")
@@ -285,15 +285,15 @@ func TestResolveEffectiveParameters_RejectsAnUnknownClass(t *testing.T) {
 // AllowedValues is what tells a customer what an integer means, so a unitful
 // parameter has to report its unit rather than a bare pair of numbers.
 func TestParameterSpec_AllowedValuesDescribesTheConstraint(t *testing.T) {
-	shared, _ := LookupParameter("shared_buffers")
+	shared, _ := enginePostgres.LookupParameter("shared_buffers")
 	assert.Equal(t, "16-4194304 (8kB)", shared.AllowedValues())
 
-	logStatement, _ := LookupParameter("log_statement")
+	logStatement, _ := enginePostgres.LookupParameter("log_statement")
 	assert.Equal(t, "none,ddl,mod,all", logStatement.AllowedValues())
 
-	timezone, _ := LookupParameter("timezone")
+	timezone, _ := enginePostgres.LookupParameter("timezone")
 	assert.Empty(t, timezone.AllowedValues(), "a free-form string has no constraint to report")
 
-	target, _ := LookupParameter("checkpoint_completion_target")
+	target, _ := enginePostgres.LookupParameter("checkpoint_completion_target")
 	assert.True(t, strings.HasPrefix(target.AllowedValues(), "0-1"), "got %q", target.AllowedValues())
 }
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/rds/parametergroup.go b/spinifex/handlers/rds/parametergroup.go
index 866c6fe1b..c1d1ae0e0 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/rds/parametergroup.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/rds/parametergroup.go
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ func (s *Service) ModifyDBParameterGroup(ctx context.Context, input *rds.ModifyD
 			"at most %d parameters may be modified in one request, got %d", maxParametersPerModify, len(input.Parameters))
 	}
 
-	updates, err := validateParameterUpdates(input.Parameters)
+	updates, err := validateParameterUpdates(enginePostgres, input.Parameters)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -253,8 +253,8 @@ func (s *Service) DescribeDBParameters(ctx context.Context, input *rds.DescribeD
 	}
 
 	out := &rds.DescribeDBParametersOutput{}
-	for _, param := range CatalogParameterNames() {
-		spec, _ := LookupParameter(param)
+	for _, param := range enginePostgres.CatalogParameterNames() {
+		spec, _ := enginePostgres.LookupParameter(param)
 		override, isOverride := overrides[param]
 		value := override.Value
 		if !isOverride {
@@ -331,13 +331,13 @@ type parameterUpdate struct {
 
 // Every entry is checked before any is written. A name repeated in one request
 // keeps its last value, as AWS does.
-func validateParameterUpdates(params []*rds.Parameter) ([]parameterUpdate, error) {
+func validateParameterUpdates(engine Engine, params []*rds.Parameter) ([]parameterUpdate, error) {
 	byName := make(map[string]parameterUpdate, len(params))
 	for _, param := range params {
 		if param == nil {
 			return nil, awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue, "a parameter entry is empty")
 		}
-		spec, err := validateParameterValue(aws.StringValue(param.ParameterName), aws.StringValue(param.ParameterValue))
+		spec, err := engine.validateParameterValue(aws.StringValue(param.ParameterName), aws.StringValue(param.ParameterValue))
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -437,10 +437,8 @@ func validateParameterGroupFamily(family string) (string, error) {
 	if trimmed == "" {
 		return enginePostgres.ParameterGroupFamily(), nil
 	}
-	for _, engine := range engines {
-		if trimmed == engine.ParameterGroupFamily() {
-			return engine.ParameterGroupFamily(), nil
-		}
+	if engine, ok := enginesByFamily[trimmed]; ok {
+		return engine.ParameterGroupFamily(), nil
 	}
 	return "", awserrors.Errorf(awserrors.ErrorInvalidParameterValue,
 		"DBParameterGroupFamily %q is not offered; %s is the only supported family", family, enginePostgres.ParameterGroupFamily())
@@ -508,5 +506,5 @@ func (s *Service) resolveGroupParameters(ctx context.Context, kv jetstream.KeyVa
 	for name, override := range overrides {
 		values[name] = override.Value
 	}
-	return ResolveEffectiveParameters(instanceClass, values)
+	return enginePostgres.ResolveEffectiveParameters(instanceClass, values)
 }
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/rds/parametergroup_test.go b/spinifex/handlers/rds/parametergroup_test.go
index 268310291..f90a71fde 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/rds/parametergroup_test.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/rds/parametergroup_test.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func TestCreateDBParameterGroup_StoresAnEmptyGroup(t *testing.T) {
 	// A fresh group and the default group resolve to the same effective set,
 	// because a group holds overrides rather than a copy of the catalog.
 	params := describedParameters(t, h, testParameterGroup)
-	require.Len(t, params, len(CatalogParameterNames()))
+	require.Len(t, params, len(enginePostgres.CatalogParameterNames()))
 	for _, param := range params {
 		assert.Equal(t, ParameterSourceEngineDefault, aws.StringValue(param.Source))
 	}
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ func TestDescribeDBParameters_FiltersOnSource(t *testing.T) {
 		Source:               aws.String(ParameterSourceEngineDefault),
 	}, testAccountID)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Len(t, defaults.Parameters, len(CatalogParameterNames())-1)
+	assert.Len(t, defaults.Parameters, len(enginePostgres.CatalogParameterNames())-1)
 }
 
 func TestDeleteDBParameterGroup_RemovesTheGroupAndItsValues(t *testing.T) {
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ func TestCreateDBInstance_ResolvesTheNamedGroupIntoTheBootstrapSet(t *testing.T)
 
 	rec := h.record(t, testDBInstanceID)
 	assert.Equal(t, testParameterGroup, rec.DBParameterGroupName)
-	require.Len(t, rec.Bootstrap.ResolvedParameters, len(CatalogParameterNames()))
+	require.Len(t, rec.Bootstrap.ResolvedParameters, len(enginePostgres.CatalogParameterNames()))
 
 	values := map[string]string{}
 	for _, param := range rec.Bootstrap.ResolvedParameters {
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ func TestCreateDBInstance_ResolvesTheDefaultGroupWhenNoneIsNamed(t *testing.T) {
 
 	rec := h.record(t, testDBInstanceID)
 	assert.Equal(t, testDefaultPG, rec.DBParameterGroupName)
-	assert.Len(t, rec.Bootstrap.ResolvedParameters, len(CatalogParameterNames()))
+	assert.Len(t, rec.Bootstrap.ResolvedParameters, len(enginePostgres.CatalogParameterNames()))
 }
 
 func TestCreateDBInstance_RejectsAnUnknownParameterGroup(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/spinifex/handlers/rds/pending_test.go b/spinifex/handlers/rds/pending_test.go
index 5f4f347a8..f790b6933 100644
--- a/spinifex/handlers/rds/pending_test.go
+++ b/spinifex/handlers/rds/pending_test.go
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ func TestApplyPendingModifications_ParameterGroupChangeRevertsTheOldGroupsValues
 	for _, param := range issued[0].Parameters {
 		applied[param.Name] = param.Value
 	}
-	workMem, _ := LookupParameter("work_mem")
+	workMem, _ := enginePostgres.LookupParameter("work_mem")
 	assert.Equal(t, workMem.Default, applied["work_mem"],
 		"the old group's value should have reverted to the catalog default")
 	assert.False(t, h.record(t).ParametersRolledBack, "a successful corrected apply clears the rollback state")