diff --git a/cmd/populate_blocks/main.go b/cmd/populate_blocks/main.go
index 19250fa7..8d34d2ef 100644
--- a/cmd/populate_blocks/main.go
+++ b/cmd/populate_blocks/main.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/geth"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/history"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/repositories"
-	"github.com/jmoiron/sqlx"
 )
 
 func main() {
@@ -23,12 +22,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	blockchain := geth.NewGethBlockchain(cfg.Client.IPCPath)
-	connectString := config.DbConnectionString(cfg.Database)
-	db, err := sqlx.Connect("postgres", connectString)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Error connecting to DB: %v\n", err)
-	}
-	repository := repositories.NewPostgres(db)
+	repository := repositories.NewPostgres(cfg.Database)
 	numberOfBlocksCreated := history.PopulateBlocks(blockchain, repository, int64(*startingBlockNumber))
 	fmt.Printf("Populated %d blocks", numberOfBlocksCreated)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/run/main.go b/cmd/run/main.go
index 4b63e52f..a0225e06 100644
--- a/cmd/run/main.go
+++ b/cmd/run/main.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/geth"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/observers"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/repositories"
-	"github.com/jmoiron/sqlx"
 )
 
 func main() {
@@ -26,12 +25,7 @@ func main() {
 	fmt.Println("Client Path ", cfg.Client.IPCPath)
 	blockchain := geth.NewGethBlockchain(cfg.Client.IPCPath)
 	loggingObserver := observers.BlockchainLoggingObserver{}
-	connectString := config.DbConnectionString(cfg.Database)
-	db, err := sqlx.Connect("postgres", connectString)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Error connecting to DB: %v\n", err)
-	}
-	repository := repositories.NewPostgres(db)
+	repository := repositories.NewPostgres(cfg.Database)
 	dbObserver := observers.NewBlockchainDbObserver(repository)
 	listener := blockchain_listener.NewBlockchainListener(blockchain, []core.BlockchainObserver{
 		loggingObserver,
diff --git a/pkg/repositories/postgres.go b/pkg/repositories/postgres.go
index 57b88b09..72cdd660 100644
--- a/pkg/repositories/postgres.go
+++ b/pkg/repositories/postgres.go
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@ package repositories
 
 import (
 	"database/sql"
+	"log"
 
 	"context"
 
 	"errors"
 
+	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/core"
 	"github.com/jmoiron/sqlx"
 	_ "github.com/lib/pq"
@@ -16,6 +18,15 @@ type Postgres struct {
 	Db *sqlx.DB
 }
 
+func NewPostgres(databaseConfig config.Database) Postgres {
+	connectString := config.DbConnectionString(databaseConfig)
+	db, err := sqlx.Connect("postgres", connectString)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Error connecting to DB: %v\n", err)
+	}
+	return Postgres{Db: db}
+}
+
 var (
 	ErrDBInsertFailed = errors.New("postgres: insert failed")
 )
@@ -40,10 +51,6 @@ func (repository Postgres) MissingBlockNumbers(startingBlockNumber int64, highes
 	return numbers
 }
 
-func NewPostgres(db *sqlx.DB) Postgres {
-	return Postgres{Db: db}
-}
-
 func (repository Postgres) FindBlockByNumber(blockNumber int64) *core.Block {
 	blockRows, _ := repository.Db.Query(
 		`SELECT id, block_number, block_gaslimit, block_gasused, block_time, block_difficulty, block_hash, block_nonce, block_parenthash, block_size, uncle_hash FROM blocks`)
diff --git a/pkg/repositories/repository_test.go b/pkg/repositories/repository_test.go
index 797697b0..98e0fe28 100644
--- a/pkg/repositories/repository_test.go
+++ b/pkg/repositories/repository_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/core"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/repositories"
+	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/repositories/testing"
 	"github.com/jmoiron/sqlx"
 	_ "github.com/lib/pq"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
@@ -225,7 +226,6 @@ var _ = Describe("Repositories", func() {
 		})
 
 		It("does not commit block if block is invalid", func() {
-
 			//badNonce violates db Nonce field length
 			badNonce := fmt.Sprintf("x %s", strings.Repeat("1", 100))
 			badBlock := core.Block{
@@ -234,10 +234,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Repositories", func() {
 				Transactions: []core.Transaction{},
 			}
 			cfg, _ := config.NewConfig("private")
-			pgConfig := config.DbConnectionString(cfg.Database)
-			db, _ := sqlx.Connect("postgres", pgConfig)
-			Expect(db).ShouldNot(BeNil())
-			repository := repositories.NewPostgres(db)
+			repository := repositories.NewPostgres(cfg.Database)
 
 			err := repository.CreateBlock(badBlock)
 			savedBlock := repository.FindBlockByNumber(123)
@@ -247,19 +244,15 @@ var _ = Describe("Repositories", func() {
 		})
 
 		It("does not commit block or transactions if transaction is invalid", func() {
-
 			//badHash violates db To field length
 			badHash := fmt.Sprintf("x %s", strings.Repeat("1", 100))
 			badTransaction := core.Transaction{To: badHash}
-			cfg, _ := config.NewConfig("private")
-			pgConfig := config.DbConnectionString(cfg.Database)
 			block := core.Block{
 				Number:       123,
 				Transactions: []core.Transaction{badTransaction},
 			}
-			db, _ := sqlx.Connect("postgres", pgConfig)
-			Expect(db).ShouldNot(BeNil())
-			repository := repositories.NewPostgres(db)
+			cfg, _ := config.NewConfig("private")
+			repository := repositories.NewPostgres(cfg.Database)
 
 			err := repository.CreateBlock(block)
 			savedBlock := repository.FindBlockByNumber(123)
@@ -270,11 +263,9 @@ var _ = Describe("Repositories", func() {
 
 		AssertRepositoryBehavior(func() repositories.Repository {
 			cfg, _ := config.NewConfig("private")
-			pgConfig := config.DbConnectionString(cfg.Database)
-			db, _ := sqlx.Connect("postgres", pgConfig)
-			db.MustExec("DELETE FROM transactions")
-			db.MustExec("DELETE FROM blocks")
-			return repositories.NewPostgres(db)
+			repository := repositories.NewPostgres(cfg.Database)
+			testing.ClearData(repository)
+			return repository
 		})
 	})
 
diff --git a/pkg/repositories/testing/helpers.go b/pkg/repositories/testing/helpers.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e95407ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/repositories/testing/helpers.go
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package testing
+
+import "github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/repositories"
+
+func ClearData(postgres repositories.Postgres) {
+	postgres.Db.MustExec("DELETE FROM transactions")
+	postgres.Db.MustExec("DELETE FROM blocks")
+}