diff --git a/psycopg/connection.h b/psycopg/connection.h
index b7344d7e..8018a5e6 100644
--- a/psycopg/connection.h
+++ b/psycopg/connection.h
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ HIDDEN int  conn_get_server_version(PGconn *pgconn);
 HIDDEN void conn_notice_process(connectionObject *self);
 HIDDEN void conn_notice_clean(connectionObject *self);
 HIDDEN void conn_notifies_process(connectionObject *self);
-RAISES_NEG HIDDEN int  conn_setup(connectionObject *self, PGconn *pgconn);
+RAISES_NEG HIDDEN int  conn_setup(connectionObject *self);
 HIDDEN int  conn_connect(connectionObject *self, long int async);
 HIDDEN void conn_close(connectionObject *self);
 HIDDEN void conn_close_locked(connectionObject *self);
diff --git a/psycopg/connection_int.c b/psycopg/connection_int.c
index 8e5e937a..f7436022 100644
--- a/psycopg/connection_int.c
+++ b/psycopg/connection_int.c
@@ -649,24 +649,24 @@ conn_is_datestyle_ok(PGconn *pgconn)
 /* conn_setup - setup and read basic information about the connection */
 
 RAISES_NEG int
-conn_setup(connectionObject *self, PGconn *pgconn)
+conn_setup(connectionObject *self)
 {
     char *error = NULL;
     int rv = -1;
 
-    self->equote = conn_get_standard_conforming_strings(pgconn);
-    self->server_version = conn_get_server_version(pgconn);
+    self->equote = conn_get_standard_conforming_strings(self->pgconn);
+    self->server_version = conn_get_server_version(self->pgconn);
     self->protocol = conn_get_protocol_version(self->pgconn);
     if (3 != self->protocol) {
         PyErr_SetString(InterfaceError, "only protocol 3 supported");
         goto exit;
     }
 
-    if (0 > conn_read_encoding(self, pgconn)) {
+    if (0 > conn_read_encoding(self, self->pgconn)) {
         goto exit;
     }
 
-    if (0 > conn_setup_cancel(self, pgconn)) {
+    if (0 > conn_setup_cancel(self, self->pgconn)) {
         goto exit;
     }
 
@@ -708,7 +708,6 @@ exit:
 static int
 _conn_sync_connect(connectionObject *self)
 {
-    PGconn *pgconn;
     int green;
 
     /* store this value to prevent inconsistencies due to a change
@@ -716,31 +715,31 @@ _conn_sync_connect(connectionObject *self)
     green = psyco_green();
     if (!green) {
         Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS;
-        self->pgconn = pgconn = PQconnectdb(self->dsn);
+        self->pgconn = PQconnectdb(self->dsn);
         Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS;
-        Dprintf("conn_connect: new postgresql connection at %p", pgconn);
+        Dprintf("conn_connect: new PG connection at %p", self->pgconn);
     }
     else {
         Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS;
-        self->pgconn = pgconn = PQconnectStart(self->dsn);
+        self->pgconn = PQconnectStart(self->dsn);
         Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS;
-        Dprintf("conn_connect: new green postgresql connection at %p", pgconn);
+        Dprintf("conn_connect: new green PG connection at %p", self->pgconn);
     }
 
-    if (pgconn == NULL)
+    if (!self->pgconn)
     {
         Dprintf("conn_connect: PQconnectdb(%s) FAILED", self->dsn);
         PyErr_SetString(OperationalError, "PQconnectdb() failed");
         return -1;
     }
-    else if (PQstatus(pgconn) == CONNECTION_BAD)
+    else if (PQstatus(self->pgconn) == CONNECTION_BAD)
     {
         Dprintf("conn_connect: PQconnectdb(%s) returned BAD", self->dsn);
-        PyErr_SetString(OperationalError, PQerrorMessage(pgconn));
+        PyErr_SetString(OperationalError, PQerrorMessage(self->pgconn));
         return -1;
     }
 
-    PQsetNoticeProcessor(pgconn, conn_notice_callback, (void*)self);
+    PQsetNoticeProcessor(self->pgconn, conn_notice_callback, (void*)self);
 
     /* if the connection is green, wait to finish connection */
     if (green) {
@@ -757,7 +756,7 @@ _conn_sync_connect(connectionObject *self)
      */
     self->status = CONN_STATUS_READY;
 
-    if (conn_setup(self, self->pgconn) == -1) {
+    if (conn_setup(self) == -1) {
         return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/psycopg/connection_type.c b/psycopg/connection_type.c
index 96e56474..5f4bd1c2 100644
--- a/psycopg/connection_type.c
+++ b/psycopg/connection_type.c
@@ -1052,7 +1052,7 @@ psyco_conn_reset(connectionObject *self, PyObject *dummy)
     if (pq_reset(self) < 0)
         return NULL;
 
-    res = conn_setup(self, self->pgconn);
+    res = conn_setup(self);
     if (res < 0)
         return NULL;