diff --git a/mythtv/libs/libmythbase/mythdbcon.cpp b/mythtv/libs/libmythbase/mythdbcon.cpp
index 6bdcb09..560c0c8 100644
--- a/mythtv/libs/libmythbase/mythdbcon.cpp
+++ b/mythtv/libs/libmythbase/mythdbcon.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ bool MSqlDatabase::isOpen()
     return false;
 }

-bool MSqlDatabase::OpenDatabase()
+bool MSqlDatabase::OpenDatabase(bool skipdb)
 {
     if (!m_db.isValid())
     {
@@ -68,44 +68,45 @@ bool MSqlDatabase::OpenDatabase()

     if (!m_db.isOpen())
     {
-        DatabaseParams dbparms = GetMythDB()->GetDatabaseParams();
-        m_db.setDatabaseName(dbparms.dbName);
-        m_db.setUserName(dbparms.dbUserName);
-        m_db.setPassword(dbparms.dbPassword);
-        m_db.setHostName(dbparms.dbHostName);
+        if (!skipdb)
+            m_dbparms = GetMythDB()->GetDatabaseParams();
+        m_db.setDatabaseName(m_dbparms.dbName);
+        m_db.setUserName(m_dbparms.dbUserName);
+        m_db.setPassword(m_dbparms.dbPassword);
+        m_db.setHostName(m_dbparms.dbHostName);

-        if (dbparms.dbHostName.isEmpty())  // Bootstrapping without a database?
+        if (m_dbparms.dbHostName.isEmpty())  // Bootstrapping without a database?
         {
             connected = true;              // Pretend to be connected
             return true;                   // to reduce errors
         }

-        if (dbparms.dbPort)
-            m_db.setPort(dbparms.dbPort);
+        if (m_dbparms.dbPort)
+            m_db.setPort(m_dbparms.dbPort);

-        if (dbparms.dbPort && dbparms.dbHostName == "localhost")
+        if (m_dbparms.dbPort && m_dbparms.dbHostName == "localhost")
             m_db.setHostName("127.0.0.1");

         connected = m_db.open();

-        if (!connected && dbparms.wolEnabled)
+        if (!connected && m_dbparms.wolEnabled)
         {
             int trycount = 0;

-            while (!connected && trycount++ < dbparms.wolRetry)
+            while (!connected && trycount++ < m_dbparms.wolRetry)
             {
                 VERBOSE(VB_GENERAL, QString(
                          "Using WOL to wakeup database server (Try %1 of %2)")
-                         .arg(trycount).arg(dbparms.wolRetry));
+                         .arg(trycount).arg(m_dbparms.wolRetry));

-                if (myth_system(dbparms.wolCommand) != GENERIC_EXIT_OK)
+                if (myth_system(m_dbparms.wolCommand) != GENERIC_EXIT_OK)
                 {
                     VERBOSE(VB_IMPORTANT,
                             QString("Failed to run WOL command '%1'")
-                            .arg(dbparms.wolCommand));
+                            .arg(m_dbparms.wolCommand));
                 }

-                sleep(dbparms.wolReconnect);
+                sleep(m_dbparms.wolReconnect);
                 connected = m_db.open();
             }

@@ -139,6 +140,22 @@ bool MSqlDatabase::OpenDatabase()
     return connected;
 }

+bool MSqlDatabase::TestDatabase(QString dbHostName,
+                                QString dbUserName,
+                                QString dbPassword,
+                                QString dbName)
+{
+    if (dbHostName.isEmpty() || dbUserName.isEmpty())
+        return false;
+
+    m_dbparms.dbName = dbName;
+    m_dbparms.dbUserName = dbUserName;
+    m_dbparms.dbPassword = dbPassword;
+    m_dbparms.dbHostName = dbHostName;
+
+    return OpenDatabase(true);
+}
+
 bool MSqlDatabase::KickDatabase()
 {
     // Some explanation is called for.  This exists because the mysql
diff --git a/mythtv/libs/libmythbase/mythdbcon.h b/mythtv/libs/libmythbase/mythdbcon.h
index 77fad59..b30f87e 100644
--- a/mythtv/libs/libmythbase/mythdbcon.h
+++ b/mythtv/libs/libmythbase/mythdbcon.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include <QList>

 #include "mythbaseexp.h"
+#include "mythdbparams.h"

 class QSemaphore;

@@ -24,7 +25,19 @@ class MBASE_PUBLIC MSqlDatabase

   private:
     bool isOpen(void);
-    bool OpenDatabase(void);
+    bool OpenDatabase(bool skipdb = false);
+    bool TestDatabase(QString dbHostName,
+                      QString dbUserName,
+                      QString dbPassword,
+                      QString dbName = "mythconverg");
+/*                      int     dbPort = 0,
+                      bool    localEnabled = false,
+                      QString localHostName = "localhost",
+                      bool    wolEnabled = false,
+                      int     wolReconnect = 3,
+                      int     wolRetry = 10,
+                      QString wolCommand = QString(),
+                      bool    dbHostPing = true);*/
     bool KickDatabase(void);
     QString GetConnectionName(void) const { return m_name; }
     QSqlDatabase db(void) const { return m_db; }
@@ -34,6 +47,7 @@ class MBASE_PUBLIC MSqlDatabase
     QString m_name;
     QSqlDatabase m_db;
     QDateTime m_lastDBKick;
+    DatabaseParams m_dbparms;
 };

 /// \brief DB connection pool, used by MSqlQuery. Do not use directly.