diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b1748ae4..0931ed79 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -7,10 +7,13 @@ port=5432
 database=postgres
 verbose=false
 
+test-connection:
+	@node script/test-connection.js -u $(user) --password $(password) -p $(port) -d $(database) -h $(host) --verbose $(verbose)
+
 test-unit:
 	@find test/unit -name "*-tests.js" | xargs -n 1 -I file node file --verbose $(verbose)
 
-test-integration:
+test-integration: test-connection
 	@find test/integration -name "*-tests.js" | xargs -n 1 -I file node file -u $(user) --password $(password) -p $(port) -d $(database) -h $(host) --verbose $(verbose)
 
 test-all: test-unit test-integration
diff --git a/script/test-connection.js b/script/test-connection.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3099a4dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/script/test-connection.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+var helper = require(__dirname + '/../test/test-helper');
+var connectionString = helper.connectionString();
+console.log();
+console.log("testing ability to connect to '%s'", connectionString);
+var pg = require(__dirname + '/../lib');
+pg.connect(connectionString, function(err, client) {
+  if(err !== null) {
+    console.error("Recieved connection error when attempting to contact PostgreSQL:");
+    console.error(err);
+    process.exit(255);
+  }
+  console.log("Checking for existance of required test table 'person'")
+  client.query("SELECT COUNT(name) FROM person", function(err, callback) {
+    if(err != null) {
+      console.error("Recieved error when executing query 'SELECT COUNT(name) FROM person'")
+      console.error("It is possible you have not yet run the table create script under script/create-test-tables")
+      console.error("Consult the postgres-node wiki under the 'Testing' section for more information")
+      console.error(err);
+      process.exit(255);
+    }
+    pg.end();
+  })
+})
diff --git a/test/integration/test-helper.js b/test/integration/test-helper.js
index 756bae47..510a5855 100644
--- a/test/integration/test-helper.js
+++ b/test/integration/test-helper.js
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
 var helper = require(__dirname + '/../test-helper');
 //export parent helper stuffs
 module.exports = helper;
+
+if(helper.args.verbose) {
+}