diff --git a/src/hush_utils.h b/src/hush_utils.h
index 1b1cb2eeb..6241b93ba 100644
--- a/src/hush_utils.h
+++ b/src/hush_utils.h
@@ -1383,8 +1383,14 @@ void hush_configfile(char *symbol,uint16_t rpcport)
 #endif
         } else {
             _hush_userpass(myusername,mypassword,fp);
-            mapArgs["-rpcpassword"] = mypassword;
-            mapArgs["-rpcusername"] = myusername;
+            // Feed the credentials read by InitRPCAuthentication (httprpc.cpp) and the
+            // CLI (bitcoin-cli.cpp) -- both read "-rpcuser"/"-rpcpassword". Use SoftSetArg
+            // so a value passed on the command line (or an explicit -rpcuser/-rpcpassword)
+            // still wins: the old direct assignment silently overwrote a command-line
+            // -rpcpassword on every restart once this conf existed, and the username was
+            // written to a misspelled "-rpcusername" key that nothing ever reads.
+            SoftSetArg("-rpcpassword", mypassword);
+            SoftSetArg("-rpcuser", myusername);
             fclose(fp);
         }
     }