diff --git a/src/aliby/io/omero.py b/src/aliby/io/omero.py
index a455af095ea8776ad592a4abdfcc1d169157fbf4..e7205a048e04261da150fcfc11e11b03b0ccda9c 100644
--- a/src/aliby/io/omero.py
+++ b/src/aliby/io/omero.py
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ class BridgeOmero:
 
     def __init__(
         self,
-        host="islay.bio.ed.ac.uk",
-        username="upload",
-        password="***REMOVED***",
+        host=None,
+        username=None,
+        password=None,
     ):
         """
         Parameters
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ class BridgeOmero:
         username: string
         password : string
         """
+        # assert all((host, username, password)), str(f"Invalid credentials host:{host}, user:{username}, pass:{pass}")
+        assert all(
+            (host, username, password)
+        ), f"Invalid credentials. host: {host}, user: {username}, pwd: {password}"
+
         self.conn = None
         self.host = host
         self.username = username