diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index f2775eb4..6f138b04 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 2008-01-19  James Henstridge  <james@jamesh.id.au>
 
+	* tests/test_connection.py (ConnectionTests): add simple tests for
+	the Connection and Cursor "closed" attributes.
+
+	* psycopg/cursor_type.c (psyco_curs_get_closed): add a "closed"
+	attribute to cursors.  It will be True if either the cursor or its
+	associated connection are closed.  This fixes bug #164.
+
 	* psycopg/pqpath.c (pq_raise): remove unused arguments to
 	function, and simplify.
 	(pq_resolve_critical): make function static, since it isn't being
diff --git a/psycopg/cursor_type.c b/psycopg/cursor_type.c
index 225b299e..083826f1 100644
--- a/psycopg/cursor_type.c
+++ b/psycopg/cursor_type.c
@@ -1431,6 +1431,22 @@ psyco_curs_isready(cursorObject *self, PyObject *args)
     }
 }
 
+/* extension: closed - return true if cursor is closed*/
+
+#define psyco_curs_closed_doc \
+"True if cursor is closed, False if cursor is open"
+
+static PyObject *
+psyco_curs_get_closed(cursorObject *self, void *closure)
+{
+    PyObject *closed;
+
+    closed = (self->closed || (self->conn && self->conn->closed)) ?
+        Py_True : Py_False;
+    Py_INCREF(closed);
+    return closed;
+}
+
 #endif
 
 
@@ -1542,6 +1558,15 @@ static struct PyMemberDef cursorObject_members[] = {
     {NULL}
 };
 
+/* object calculated member list */
+static struct PyGetSetDef cursorObject_getsets[] = {
+#ifdef PSYCOPG_EXTENSIONS
+    { "closed", (getter)psyco_curs_get_closed, NULL,
+      psyco_curs_closed_doc, NULL },
+#endif
+    {NULL}
+};
+
 /* initialization and finalization methods */
 
 static int
@@ -1703,7 +1728,7 @@ PyTypeObject cursorType = {
 
     cursorObject_methods, /*tp_methods*/
     cursorObject_members, /*tp_members*/
-    0,          /*tp_getset*/
+    cursorObject_getsets, /*tp_getset*/
     0,          /*tp_base*/
     0,          /*tp_dict*/
 
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
index 1b8adbe7..89dbfdaa 100755
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import extras_dictcursor
 import test_dates
 import test_psycopg2_dbapi20
 import test_quote
+import test_connection
 import test_transaction
 import types_basic
 
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ def test_suite():
     suite.addTest(test_dates.test_suite())
     suite.addTest(test_psycopg2_dbapi20.test_suite())
     suite.addTest(test_quote.test_suite())
+    suite.addTest(test_connection.test_suite())
     suite.addTest(test_transaction.test_suite())
     suite.addTest(types_basic.test_suite())
     return suite
diff --git a/tests/test_connection.py b/tests/test_connection.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0fe73a91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_connection.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+import unittest
+
+import psycopg2
+import tests
+
+
+class ConnectionTests(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def connect(self):
+        return psycopg2.connect("dbname=%s" % tests.dbname)
+
+    def test_closed_attribute(self):
+        conn = self.connect()
+        self.assertEqual(conn.closed, False)
+        conn.close()
+        self.assertEqual(conn.closed, True)
+
+    def test_cursor_closed_attribute(self):
+        conn = self.connect()
+        curs = conn.cursor()
+        self.assertEqual(curs.closed, False)
+        curs.close()
+        self.assertEqual(curs.closed, True)
+
+        # Closing the connection closes the cursor:
+        curs = conn.cursor()
+        conn.close()
+        self.assertEqual(curs.closed, True)
+
+
+def test_suite():
+    return unittest.TestLoader().loadTestsFromName(__name__)
+
diff --git a/tests/test_transaction.py b/tests/test_transaction.py
index bd96ce49..5145ace0 100755
--- a/tests/test_transaction.py
+++ b/tests/test_transaction.py
@@ -3,13 +3,12 @@ import threading
 import unittest
 
 import psycopg2
-import psycopg2
-import tests
-
 from psycopg2.extensions import (
     ISOLATION_LEVEL_SERIALIZABLE, STATUS_BEGIN, STATUS_READY)
+import tests
 
-class TransactionTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+
+class TransactionTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
         self.conn = psycopg2.connect("dbname=%s" % tests.dbname)
@@ -72,7 +71,7 @@ class TransactionTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(curs.fetchone()[0], 1)
 
 
-class DeadlockSerializationTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+class DeadlockSerializationTests(unittest.TestCase):
     """Test deadlock and serialization failure errors."""
 
     def connect(self):
@@ -223,6 +222,3 @@ class QueryCancelationTests(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_suite():
     return unittest.TestLoader().loadTestsFromName(__name__)
 
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    unittest.main()
-