diff --git a/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/data/database/DatabaseModal/index.tsx b/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/data/database/DatabaseModal/index.tsx
index e4f27046666..c892816c387 100644
--- a/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/data/database/DatabaseModal/index.tsx
+++ b/superset-frontend/src/views/CRUD/data/database/DatabaseModal/index.tsx
@@ -551,6 +551,10 @@ const DatabaseModal: FunctionComponent<DatabaseModalProps> = ({
       });
       // cast the new encrypted extra object into a string
       dbToUpdate.encrypted_extra = JSON.stringify(additionalEncryptedExtra);
+      // this needs to be added by default to gsheets
+      if (dbToUpdate.engine === 'gsheets') {
+        dbToUpdate.impersonate_user = true;
+      }
     }
 
     if (dbToUpdate?.parameters?.catalog) {
diff --git a/superset/db_engine_specs/gsheets.py b/superset/db_engine_specs/gsheets.py
index 8136c1754b7..3889e990795 100644
--- a/superset/db_engine_specs/gsheets.py
+++ b/superset/db_engine_specs/gsheets.py
@@ -153,9 +153,12 @@ class GSheetsEngineSpec(SqliteEngineSpec):
         cls, parameters: GSheetsParametersType,
     ) -> List[SupersetError]:
         errors: List[SupersetError] = []
-        encrypted_credentials = json.loads(
-            parameters.get("service_account_info") or "{}"
-        )
+        encrypted_credentials = parameters.get("service_account_info") or "{}"
+
+        # On create the encrypted credentials are a string,
+        # at all other times they are a dict
+        if isinstance(encrypted_credentials, str):
+            encrypted_credentials = json.loads(encrypted_credentials)
 
         table_catalog = parameters.get("catalog", {})