diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index 659e5468..0d0f2e39 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -98,9 +98,11 @@ p.pulseQueryQueue = function() {
   }
 };
 
-p.query = function(config) {
+p.query = function(config, callback) {
   //can take in strings or config objects
-  var query = new Query((config.text || config.name) ? config : { text: config });
+  config = (config.text || config.name) ? config : { text: config };
+  config.callback = config.callback || callback;
+  var query = new Query(config);
   this.queryQueue.push(query);
   this.pulseQueryQueue();
   return query;
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 5dfcb4a1..5b5d8046 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -4,20 +4,32 @@ var net = require('net');
 
 var Client = require(__dirname+'/client');
 
+//wrap up common connection management boilerplate
 var connect = function(config, callback) {
   var client = new Client(config);
   client.connect();
-  var onError = function() {
-    
-  };
+
+  var onError = function(error) {
+    client.connection.removeListener('readyForQuery', onReady);
+    callback(error);
+  }
+
+  var onReady = function() {
+    client.removeListener('error', onError);
+    callback(null, client);
+    client.on('drain', client.end.bind(client));
+  }
+
   client.once('error', onError);
-  client.connection.once('readyForQuery', function() {
-    callback
-  });
-};
+
+  //TODO refactor
+  //i don't like reaching into the client's connection for attaching
+  //to specific events here
+  client.connection.once('readyForQuery', onReady);
+}
 
 module.exports = {
-  Client: Client
+  Client: Client,
   Connection: require(__dirname + '/connection'),
   connect: connect
-};
+}
diff --git a/lib/query.js b/lib/query.js
index 4e5cb8bd..f4ebc66f 100644
--- a/lib/query.js
+++ b/lib/query.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ var Query = function(config) {
   //for code clarity purposes we'll declare this here though it's not
   //set or used until a rowDescription message comes in
   this.rowDescription = null;
+  this.callback = config.callback;
   EventEmitter.call(this);
 };
 
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ p.submit = function(connection) {
   }
   var converters = [];
   var names = [];
+  var rows = [];
   var handleRowDescription = function(msg) {
     for(var i = 0; i < msg.fields.length; i++) {
       converters[i] = dataTypeParsers[msg.fields[i].dataTypeID] || noParse;
@@ -48,6 +50,11 @@ p.submit = function(connection) {
       result[names[i]] = rawValue === null ? null : converters[i](rawValue);
     }
     self.emit('row', result);
+    
+    //if no reciever, buffer rows
+    if(self.callback) {
+      rows.push(result);
+    }
   };
 
   var onError = function(err) {
@@ -56,6 +63,9 @@ p.submit = function(connection) {
     connection.removeListener('dataRow', handleDatarow);
     connection.removeListener('error', onError);
     connection.removeListener('readyForQuery', onReadyForQuery);
+    if(self.callback) {
+      self.callback(err);
+    }
     self.emit('error', err);
     self.emit('end');
   };
@@ -66,6 +76,9 @@ p.submit = function(connection) {
     connection.removeListener('dataRow', handleDatarow);
     connection.removeListener('readyForQuery', onReadyForQuery);
     connection.removeListener('error', onError);
+    if(self.callback) {
+      self.callback(null, {rows: rows});
+    }
     self.emit('end');
   };
 
diff --git a/test/integration/client/api-tests.js b/test/integration/client/api-tests.js
index addb37ac..af194141 100644
--- a/test/integration/client/api-tests.js
+++ b/test/integration/client/api-tests.js
@@ -1,9 +1,39 @@
 var helper = require(__dirname + '/../test-helper');
 var pg = require(__dirname + '/../../../lib');
 
-var connected = false;
-pg.connect(helper.args, function(err) {
-  connected = true;
-});
+var connected = false
+var called = false
+pg.connect(helper.args, function(err, client) {
+  connected = true
+  test('error is null', function() {
+    assert.equal(err, null)
+  })
+
+  test('query execution', function() {
+    client.query('CREATE TEMP TABLE band(name varchar(100))')
+    client.query("INSERT INTO band (name) VALUES ('dead black hearts')")
+    client.query("SELECT * FROM band WHERE name = 'dead black hearts'", function(err, result) {
+      called = true;
+      assert.equal(result.rows.pop().name, 'dead black hearts')
+    })
+  })
+
+})
+
+process.on('exit', function() {
+  assert.ok(connected, 'never connected')
+  assert.ok(called, 'query result callback was never called')
+})
+
+
+
+
+
+test('raises error if cannot connect', function() {
+  pg.connect({database:'asdlfkajsdf there is no way this is a real database, right?!'}, function(err, client) {
+    assert.ok(err, 'error was null')
+  })
+})
+
+
 
-assert.ok(connected);