diff --git a/lib/extras.py b/lib/extras.py
index b1d4d9e4..1560edd3 100644
--- a/lib/extras.py
+++ b/lib/extras.py
@@ -104,8 +104,7 @@ class DictCursorBase(_cursor):
 class DictConnection(_connection):
     """A connection that uses `DictCursor` automatically."""
     def cursor(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        if 'cursor_factory' not in kwargs:
-            kwargs['cursor_factory'] = DictCursor
+        kwargs.setdefault('cursor_factory', DictCursor)
         return _connection.cursor(self, *args, **kwargs)
 
 class DictCursor(DictCursorBase):
@@ -196,8 +195,7 @@ class DictRow(list):
 class RealDictConnection(_connection):
     """A connection that uses `RealDictCursor` automatically."""
     def cursor(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        if 'cursor_factory' not in kwargs:
-            kwargs['cursor_factory'] = RealDictCursor
+        kwargs.setdefault('cursor_factory', RealDictCursor)
         return _connection.cursor(self, *args, **kwargs)
 
 class RealDictCursor(DictCursorBase):
@@ -252,8 +250,7 @@ class RealDictRow(dict):
 class NamedTupleConnection(_connection):
     """A connection that uses `NamedTupleCursor` automatically."""
     def cursor(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        if 'cursor_factory' not in kwargs:
-            kwargs['cursor_factory'] = NamedTupleCursor
+        kwargs.setdefault('cursor_factory', NamedTupleCursor)
         return _connection.cursor(self, *args, **kwargs)
 
 class NamedTupleCursor(_cursor):
@@ -348,7 +345,7 @@ class LoggingConnection(_connection):
             self.log = self._logtologger
         else:
             self.log = self._logtofile
-    
+
     def filter(self, msg, curs):
         """Filter the query before logging it.
 
@@ -357,26 +354,24 @@ class LoggingConnection(_connection):
         just does nothing.
         """
         return msg
-    
+
     def _logtofile(self, msg, curs):
         msg = self.filter(msg, curs)
         if msg: self._logobj.write(msg + os.linesep)
-        
+
     def _logtologger(self, msg, curs):
         msg = self.filter(msg, curs)
         if msg: self._logobj.debug(msg)
-    
+
     def _check(self):
         if not hasattr(self, '_logobj'):
             raise self.ProgrammingError(
                 "LoggingConnection object has not been initialize()d")
-            
-    def cursor(self, name=None):
+
+    def cursor(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self._check()
-        if name is None:
-            return _connection.cursor(self, cursor_factory=LoggingCursor)
-        else:
-            return _connection.cursor(self, name, cursor_factory=LoggingCursor)
+        kwargs.setdefault('cursor_factory', LoggingCursor)
+        return _connection.cursor(self, *args, **kwargs)
 
 class LoggingCursor(_cursor):
     """A cursor that logs queries using its connection logging facilities."""
@@ -389,19 +384,19 @@ class LoggingCursor(_cursor):
 
     def callproc(self, procname, vars=None):
         try:
-            return _cursor.callproc(self, procname, vars)  
+            return _cursor.callproc(self, procname, vars)
         finally:
             self.connection.log(self.query, self)
 
 
 class MinTimeLoggingConnection(LoggingConnection):
     """A connection that logs queries based on execution time.
-    
+
     This is just an example of how to sub-class `LoggingConnection` to
     provide some extra filtering for the logged queries. Both the
     `inizialize()` and `filter()` methods are overwritten to make sure
     that only queries executing for more than ``mintime`` ms are logged.
-    
+
     Note that this connection uses the specialized cursor
     `MinTimeLoggingCursor`.
     """
@@ -414,20 +409,17 @@ class MinTimeLoggingConnection(LoggingConnection):
         if t > self._mintime:
             return msg + os.linesep + "  (execution time: %d ms)" % t
 
-    def cursor(self, name=None):
-        self._check()
-        if name is None:
-            return _connection.cursor(self, cursor_factory=MinTimeLoggingCursor)
-        else:
-            return _connection.cursor(self, name, cursor_factory=MinTimeLoggingCursor)
-    
+    def cursor(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        kwargs.setdefault('cursor_factory', MinTimeLoggingCursor)
+        return LoggingConnection.cursor(self, *args, **kwargs)
+
 class MinTimeLoggingCursor(LoggingCursor):
     """The cursor sub-class companion to `MinTimeLoggingConnection`."""
 
     def execute(self, query, vars=None):
         self.timestamp = time.time()
         return LoggingCursor.execute(self, query, vars)
-    
+
     def callproc(self, procname, vars=None):
         self.timestamp = time.time()
         return LoggingCursor.execute(self, procname, vars)