diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 7306f22d..640f0765 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2008-04-21  James Henstridge  <james@jamesh.id.au>
+
+	* tests/*.py: use the DSN constructed in tests/__init__.py.
+
+	* tests/__init__.py: allow setting the host, port and user for the
+	DSN used by the tests through the environment.
+
 2008-03-17  Federico Di Gregorio <fog@initd.org>
 
 	* Release 2.0.7.
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
index 89dbfdaa..83a0be1a 100755
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -3,6 +3,18 @@ import os
 import unittest
 
 dbname = os.environ.get('PSYCOPG2_TESTDB', 'psycopg2_test')
+dbhost = os.environ.get('PSYCOPG2_TESTDB_HOST', None)
+dbport = os.environ.get('PSYCOPG2_TESTDB_PORT', None)
+dbuser = os.environ.get('PSYCOPG2_TESTDB_USER', None)
+
+# Construct a DSN to connect to the test database:
+dsn = 'dbname=%s' % dbname
+if dbhost is not None:
+    dsn += ' host=%s' % dbhost
+if dbport is not None:
+    dsn += ' port=%s' % dbport
+if dbuser is not None:
+    dsn += ' user=%s' % dbuser
 
 import bugX000
 import extras_dictcursor
diff --git a/tests/extras_dictcursor.py b/tests/extras_dictcursor.py
index c8e2222d..323cc93f 100755
--- a/tests/extras_dictcursor.py
+++ b/tests/extras_dictcursor.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class ExtrasDictCursorTests(unittest.TestCase):
     """Test if DictCursor extension class works."""
 
     def setUp(self):
-        self.conn = psycopg2.connect("dbname=%s" % tests.dbname)
+        self.conn = psycopg2.connect(tests.dsn)
         curs = self.conn.cursor()
         curs.execute("CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE ExtrasDictCursorTests (foo text)")
 
diff --git a/tests/test_connection.py b/tests/test_connection.py
index 0fe73a91..306c7c36 100644
--- a/tests/test_connection.py
+++ b/tests/test_connection.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import tests
 class ConnectionTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def connect(self):
-        return psycopg2.connect("dbname=%s" % tests.dbname)
+        return psycopg2.connect(tests.dsn)
 
     def test_closed_attribute(self):
         conn = self.connect()
diff --git a/tests/test_dates.py b/tests/test_dates.py
index 303391b2..7c555558 100644
--- a/tests/test_dates.py
+++ b/tests/test_dates.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import tests
 class CommonDatetimeTestsMixin:
 
     def execute(self, *args):
-        conn = psycopg2.connect("dbname=%s" % tests.dbname)
+        conn = psycopg2.connect(tests.dsn)
         curs = conn.cursor()
         curs.execute(*args)
         return curs.fetchone()[0]
diff --git a/tests/test_psycopg2_dbapi20.py b/tests/test_psycopg2_dbapi20.py
index 1d1b03e9..9b6b1192 100755
--- a/tests/test_psycopg2_dbapi20.py
+++ b/tests/test_psycopg2_dbapi20.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import tests
 class Psycopg2TestCase(dbapi20.DatabaseAPI20Test):
     driver = psycopg2
     connect_args = ()
-    connect_kw_args = {'dsn': 'dbname=%s' % tests.dbname}
+    connect_kw_args = {'dsn': tests.dsn}
 
     lower_func = 'lower' # For stored procedure test
 
diff --git a/tests/test_quote.py b/tests/test_quote.py
index 0603032b..62e7776f 100755
--- a/tests/test_quote.py
+++ b/tests/test_quote.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class QuotingTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.1/static/runtime-config-compatible.html
     """
     def setUp(self):
-        self.conn = psycopg2.connect("dbname=%s" % tests.dbname)
+        self.conn = psycopg2.connect(tests.dsn)
 
     def tearDown(self):
         self.conn.close()
diff --git a/tests/test_transaction.py b/tests/test_transaction.py
index 5145ace0..95175412 100755
--- a/tests/test_transaction.py
+++ b/tests/test_transaction.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import tests
 class TransactionTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
-        self.conn = psycopg2.connect("dbname=%s" % tests.dbname)
+        self.conn = psycopg2.connect(tests.dsn)
         self.conn.set_isolation_level(ISOLATION_LEVEL_SERIALIZABLE)
         curs = self.conn.cursor()
         curs.execute('''
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ class DeadlockSerializationTests(unittest.TestCase):
     """Test deadlock and serialization failure errors."""
 
     def connect(self):
-        conn = psycopg2.connect("dbname=%s" % tests.dbname)
+        conn = psycopg2.connect(tests.dsn)
         conn.set_isolation_level(ISOLATION_LEVEL_SERIALIZABLE)
         return conn
 
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ class QueryCancelationTests(unittest.TestCase):
     """Tests for query cancelation."""
 
     def setUp(self):
-        self.conn = psycopg2.connect("dbname=%s" % tests.dbname)
+        self.conn = psycopg2.connect(tests.dsn)
         self.conn.set_isolation_level(ISOLATION_LEVEL_SERIALIZABLE)
 
     def test_statement_timeout(self):
diff --git a/tests/types_basic.py b/tests/types_basic.py
index 58897b18..160455ec 100755
--- a/tests/types_basic.py
+++ b/tests/types_basic.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class TypesBasicTests(unittest.TestCase):
     """Test presence of mandatory attributes and methods."""
 
     def setUp(self):
-        self.conn = psycopg2.connect("dbname=%s" % tests.dbname)
+        self.conn = psycopg2.connect(tests.dsn)
 
     def execute(self, *args):
         curs = self.conn.cursor()