diff --git a/services/storage/src/simcore_service_storage/modules/db/access_layer.py b/services/storage/src/simcore_service_storage/modules/db/access_layer.py
index 26169f1f9282..d32ffb9c1955 100644
--- a/services/storage/src/simcore_service_storage/modules/db/access_layer.py
+++ b/services/storage/src/simcore_service_storage/modules/db/access_layer.py
@@ -196,12 +196,12 @@ async def _list_projects_access_rights(
 
 
 async def get_project_access_rights(
-    conn: AsyncConnection, user_id: UserID, project_id: ProjectID
+    connection: AsyncConnection, user_id: UserID, project_id: ProjectID
 ) -> AccessRights:
     """
     Returns access-rights of user (user_id) over a project resource (project_id)
     """
-    user_group_ids: list[GroupID] = await _get_user_groups_ids(conn, user_id)
+    user_group_ids: list[GroupID] = await _get_user_groups_ids(connection, user_id)
 
     private_workspace_query = (
         sa.select(
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ async def get_project_access_rights(
 
     combined_query = sa.union_all(private_workspace_query, shared_workspace_query)
 
-    result = await conn.execute(combined_query)
+    result = await connection.execute(combined_query)
     row = result.one_or_none()
 
     if not row:
diff --git a/services/storage/src/simcore_service_storage/simcore_s3_dsm.py b/services/storage/src/simcore_service_storage/simcore_s3_dsm.py
index f63e9e022799..ecf4f810048c 100644
--- a/services/storage/src/simcore_service_storage/simcore_s3_dsm.py
+++ b/services/storage/src/simcore_service_storage/simcore_s3_dsm.py
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ async def list_files(
         async with self.engine.connect() as conn:
             if project_id is not None:
                 project_access_rights = await get_project_access_rights(
-                    conn=conn, user_id=user_id, project_id=project_id
+                    connection=conn, user_id=user_id, project_id=project_id
                 )
                 if not project_access_rights.read:
                     raise ProjectAccessRightError(
diff --git a/services/storage/src/simcore_service_storage/utils/simcore_s3_dsm_utils.py b/services/storage/src/simcore_service_storage/utils/simcore_s3_dsm_utils.py
index 253a7a241d88..7845c8a687db 100644
--- a/services/storage/src/simcore_service_storage/utils/simcore_s3_dsm_utils.py
+++ b/services/storage/src/simcore_service_storage/utils/simcore_s3_dsm_utils.py
@@ -215,13 +215,16 @@ async def list_child_paths_from_repository(
 
 
 async def get_accessible_project_ids(
-    conn: AsyncConnection, *, user_id: UserID, project_id: ProjectID | None
+    *,
+    user_id: UserID,
+    project_id: ProjectID | None,
+    connection: AsyncConnection | None = None,
 ) -> list[ProjectID]:
     if project_id:
         project_access_rights = await get_project_access_rights(
-            conn=conn, user_id=user_id, project_id=project_id
+            connection=connection, user_id=user_id, project_id=project_id
         )
         if not project_access_rights.read:
             raise ProjectAccessRightError(access_right="read", project_id=project_id)
         return [project_id]
-    return await get_readable_project_ids(conn, user_id)
+    return await get_readable_project_ids(connection, user_id)