def _cursor(self, settings):
        if not self._valid_connection():
            kwargs = {
                'conv': django_conversions,
                'charset': 'utf8',
                'use_unicode': True,
            }
            if settings.DATABASE_USER:
                kwargs['user'] = settings.DATABASE_USER
            if settings.DATABASE_NAME:
                kwargs['db'] = settings.DATABASE_NAME
            if settings.DATABASE_PASSWORD:
                kwargs['passwd'] = settings.DATABASE_PASSWORD
            if settings.DATABASE_HOST.startswith('/'):
                kwargs['unix_socket'] = settings.DATABASE_HOST
            elif settings.DATABASE_HOST:
                kwargs['host'] = settings.DATABASE_HOST
            if settings.DATABASE_PORT:
                kwargs['port'] = int(settings.DATABASE_PORT)
            kwargs.update(self.options)
            self.connection = Database.connect(**kwargs)
            self.connection.encoders[SafeUnicode] = self.connection.encoders[unicode]
            self.connection.encoders[SafeString] = self.connection.encoders[str]
        cursor = CursorWrapper(self.connection.cursor())
        return cursor