couchdb webapp user permissions not working

It seems like the permissions for the webapp are not allowed to do things with couchdb, from the apache error.log:

[ pid=20744 thr=9023580 file=utils.rb:176 time=2013-04-09 18:53:08.969 ]: *** Exception PhusionPassenger::UnknownError in PhusionPassenger::Rack::ApplicationSpawner (401 Unauthorized: (CouchRest::Model::Errors::ConnectionFailed)) (process 20744, thread #Thread:0x000000011360b8): from /srv/leap-webapp/core/lib/extensions/couchrest.rb:39:in `rescue in use_database'

it works as the admin user

(from redmine: created on 2013-04-09, closed on 2013-04-26, relates #2178 (closed), relates #2298 (closed), relates #2325 (closed), relates #2541 (closed), relates #797 (closed), relates #2854)