diff --git a/records.py b/records.py
index 3fedb0e..3041978 100644
--- a/records.py
+++ b/records.py
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@
 
 import os
 from collections import OrderedDict
+from contextlib import contextmanager
 from inspect import isclass
 
 import tablib
 from docopt import docopt
-from sqlalchemy import create_engine, inspect, text
+from sqlalchemy import create_engine, exc, inspect, text
 
 DATABASE_URL = os.environ.get('DATABASE_URL')
 
@@ -238,7 +239,9 @@ class RecordCollection(object):
 
 
 class Database(object):
-    """A Database connection."""
+    """A Database. Encapsulates a url and an SQLAlchemy engine with a pool of
+    connections.
+    """
 
     def __init__(self, db_url=None, **kwargs):
         # If no db_url was provided, fallback to $DATABASE_URL.
@@ -247,15 +250,13 @@ class Database(object):
         if not self.db_url:
             raise ValueError('You must provide a db_url.')
 
+        # Create an engine. 
         self._engine = create_engine(self.db_url, **kwargs)
-
-        # Connect to the database.
-        self.db = self._engine.connect()
         self.open = True
 
     def close(self):
-        """Closes the connection to the Database."""
-        self.db.close()
+        """Closes the Database."""
+        self._engine.dispose()
         self.open = False
 
     def __enter__(self):
@@ -273,14 +274,84 @@ class Database(object):
         # Setup SQLAlchemy for Database inspection.
         return inspect(self._engine).get_table_names()
 
+    def get_connection(self):
+        """Get a connection to this Database. Connections are retrieved from a
+        pool.
+        """
+        if not self.open:
+            raise exc.ResourceClosedError('Database closed.')
+
+        return Connection(self._engine.connect())
+
     def query(self, query, fetchall=False, **params):
-        """Executes the given SQL query against the Database. Parameters
-        can, optionally, be provided. Returns a RecordCollection, which can be
+        """Executes the given SQL query against the Database. Parameters can,
+        optionally, be provided. Returns a RecordCollection, which can be
         iterated over to get result rows as dictionaries.
         """
+        with self.get_connection() as conn:
+            return conn.query(query, fetchall, **params)
+
+    def bulk_query(self, query, *multiparams):
+        """Bulk insert or update."""
+
+        with self.get_connection() as conn:
+            conn.bulk_query(query, *multiparams)
+
+    def query_file(self, path, fetchall=False, **params):
+        """Like Database.query, but takes a filename to load a query from."""
+
+        with self.get_connection() as conn:
+            return conn.query_file(path, fetchall, **params)
+
+    def bulk_query_file(self, path, *multiparams):
+        """Like Database.bulk_query, but takes a filename to load a query from."""
+
+        with self.get_connection() as conn:
+            conn.bulk_query_file(path, *multiparams)
+
+    @contextmanager
+    def transaction(self):
+        """A context manager for executing a transaction on this Database."""
+
+        conn = self.get_connection()
+        tx = conn.transaction()
+        try:
+            yield conn
+            tx.commit()
+        except:
+            tx.rollback()
+        finally:
+            conn.close()
+
+
+class Connection(object):
+    """A Database connection."""
+
+    def __init__(self, connection):
+        self._conn = connection
+        self.open = not connection.closed
+
+    def close(self):
+        self._conn.close()
+        self.open = False
+
+    def __enter__(self):
+        return self
+
+    def __exit__(self, exc, val, traceback):
+        self.close()
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return '<Connection open={}>'.format(self.open)
+
+    def query(self, query, fetchall=False, **params):
+        """Executes the given SQL query against the connected Database.
+        Parameters can, optionally, be provided. Returns a RecordCollection,
+        which can be iterated over to get result rows as dictionaries.
+        """
 
         # Execute the given query.
-        cursor = self.db.execute(text(query), **params) # TODO: PARAMS GO HERE
+        cursor = self._conn.execute(text(query), **params) # TODO: PARAMS GO HERE
 
         # Row-by-row Record generator.
         row_gen = (Record(cursor.keys(), row) for row in cursor)
@@ -297,10 +368,10 @@ class Database(object):
     def bulk_query(self, query, *multiparams):
         """Bulk insert or update."""
 
-        self.db.execute(text(query), *multiparams)
+        self._conn.execute(text(query), *multiparams)
 
     def query_file(self, path, fetchall=False, **params):
-        """Like Database.query, but takes a filename to load a query from."""
+        """Like Connection.query, but takes a filename to load a query from."""
 
         # If path doesn't exists
         if not os.path.exists(path):
@@ -318,7 +389,9 @@ class Database(object):
         return self.query(query=query, fetchall=fetchall, **params)
 
     def bulk_query_file(self, path, *multiparams):
-        """Like Database.bulk_query, but takes a filename to load a query from."""
+        """Like Connection.bulk_query, but takes a filename to load a query
+        from.
+        """
 
          # If path doesn't exists
         if not os.path.exists(path):
@@ -332,12 +405,13 @@ class Database(object):
         with open(path) as f:
             query = f.read()
 
-        self.db.execute(text(query), *multiparams)
+        self._conn.execute(text(query), *multiparams)
 
     def transaction(self):
         """Returns a transaction object. Call ``commit`` or ``rollback``
         on the returned object as appropriate."""
-        return self.db.begin()
+
+        return self._conn.begin()
 
 def _reduce_datetimes(row):
     """Receives a row, converts datetimes to strings."""
diff --git a/tests/test_transactions.py b/tests/test_transactions.py
index b416918..f2d5e92 100644
--- a/tests/test_transactions.py
+++ b/tests/test_transactions.py
@@ -1,29 +1,60 @@
+import pytest
+
 import records
 
 db = records.Database('sqlite:///:memory:')
 
-db.query('CREATE TABLE foo (a integer)')
 
-def test_failing_transaction():
-    tx = db.transaction()
+@pytest.fixture
+def table_setup(request):
+    db.query('CREATE TABLE foo (a integer)')
+    def drop_table():
+        db.query('DROP TABLE foo')
+    request.addfinalizer(drop_table)
+
+
+def test_failing_transaction_self_managed(table_setup):
+    conn = db.get_connection()
+    tx = conn.transaction()
     try:
-        db.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (42)')
-        db.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (43)')
+        conn.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (42)')
+        conn.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (43)')
         raise ValueError()
         tx.commit()
-        db.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (44)')
+        conn.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (44)')
     except:
         tx.rollback()
     finally:
+        conn.close()
         assert db.query('SELECT count(*) AS n FROM foo')[0].n == 0
 
-def test_passing_transaction():
-    tx = db.transaction()
+
+def test_failing_transaction(table_setup):
+    with db.transaction() as conn:
+        conn.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (42)')
+        conn.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (43)')
+        raise ValueError()
+
+    assert db.query('SELECT count(*) AS n FROM foo')[0].n == 0
+
+
+def test_passing_transaction_self_managed(table_setup):
+    conn = db.get_connection()
+    tx = conn.transaction()
     try:
-        db.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (42)')
-        db.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (43)')
+        conn.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (42)')
+        conn.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (43)')
         tx.commit()
     except:
         tx.rollback()
     finally:
+        conn.close()
         assert db.query('SELECT count(*) AS n FROM foo')[0].n == 2
+
+
+def test_passing_transaction(table_setup):
+    with db.transaction() as conn:
+        conn.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (42)')
+        conn.query('INSERT INTO foo VALUES (43)')
+
+    assert db.query('SELECT count(*) AS n FROM foo')[0].n == 2