diff --git a/openlp/core/__init__.py b/openlp/core/__init__.py
index 01d34956e..305398b9a 100644
--- a/openlp/core/__init__.py
+++ b/openlp/core/__init__.py
@@ -228,26 +228,29 @@ def main(args=None):
         help='Set the Qt4 style (passed directly to Qt4).')
     parser.add_option('--testing', dest='testing',
         action='store_true', help='Run by testing framework')
-    # Set up logging
-    log_path = AppLocation.get_directory(AppLocation.CacheDir)
-    check_directory_exists(log_path)
-    filename = os.path.join(log_path, u'openlp.log')
-    logfile = logging.FileHandler(filename, u'w')
-    logfile.setFormatter(logging.Formatter(
-        u'%(asctime)s %(name)-55s %(levelname)-8s %(message)s'))
-    log.addHandler(logfile)
-    logging.addLevelName(15, u'Timer')
     # Parse command line options and deal with them.
     # Use args supplied programatically if possible.
     (options, args) = parser.parse_args(args) if args else parser.parse_args()
+    # Set up logging
+    # In test mode it is skipped
+    if not options.testing:
+        log_path = AppLocation.get_directory(AppLocation.CacheDir)
+        check_directory_exists(log_path)
+        filename = os.path.join(log_path, u'openlp.log')
+        logfile = logging.FileHandler(filename, u'w')
+        logfile.setFormatter(logging.Formatter(
+            u'%(asctime)s %(name)-55s %(levelname)-8s %(message)s'))
+        log.addHandler(logfile)
+        logging.addLevelName(15, u'Timer')
+        if options.loglevel.lower() in ['d', 'debug']:
+            log.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+            print 'Logging to:', filename
+        elif options.loglevel.lower() in ['w', 'warning']:
+            log.setLevel(logging.WARNING)
+        else:
+            log.setLevel(logging.INFO)
+    # Deal with other command line options.
     qt_args = []
-    if options.loglevel.lower() in ['d', 'debug']:
-        log.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
-        print 'Logging to:', filename
-    elif options.loglevel.lower() in ['w', 'warning']:
-        log.setLevel(logging.WARNING)
-    else:
-        log.setLevel(logging.INFO)
     if options.style:
         qt_args.extend(['-style', options.style])
     # Throw the rest of the arguments at Qt, just in case.
diff --git a/openlp/core/lib/db.py b/openlp/core/lib/db.py
index 2e5d011cf..7bb42b321 100644
--- a/openlp/core/lib/db.py
+++ b/openlp/core/lib/db.py
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ class Manager(object):
     Provide generic object persistence management
     """
     def __init__(self, plugin_name, init_schema, db_file_name=None,
-                 upgrade_mod=None):
+                 db_file_path=None, upgrade_mod=None):
         """
         Runs the initialisation process that includes creating the connection
         to the database and the tables if they don't exist.
@@ -176,6 +176,10 @@ class Manager(object):
         ``db_file_name``
             The file name to use for this database. Defaults to None resulting
             in the plugin_name being used.
+
+        ``db_file_path``
+            The path to sqlite file to use for this database. This is useful
+            for testing purposes.
         """
         settings = QtCore.QSettings()
         settings.beginGroup(plugin_name)
@@ -184,7 +188,11 @@ class Manager(object):
         db_type = unicode(
             settings.value(u'db type', QtCore.QVariant(u'sqlite')).toString())
         if db_type == u'sqlite':
-            if db_file_name:
+            # For automated tests we need to supply file_path directly
+            if db_file_path:
+                self.db_url = u'sqlite:///%s' % os.path.normpath(
+                    os.path.abspath(db_file_path))
+            elif db_file_name:
                 self.db_url = u'sqlite:///%s/%s' % (
                     AppLocation.get_section_data_path(plugin_name),
                     db_file_name)
diff --git a/testing/conftest.py b/testing/conftest.py
index f38018c17..3f3b79bc7 100644
--- a/testing/conftest.py
+++ b/testing/conftest.py
@@ -30,16 +30,57 @@
 Configuration file for pytest framework.
 """
 
+import logging
+import random
+import string
+
+from PyQt4 import QtCore
+from sqlalchemy.orm import clear_mappers
+
 from openlp.core import main as openlp_main
+from openlp.core.lib.db import Manager
+from openlp.plugins.songs.lib.db import init_schema
+
+# set up logging to stderr (console)
+_handler = logging.StreamHandler(stream=None)
+_handler.setFormatter(logging.Formatter(
+    u'%(asctime)s %(name)-55s %(levelname)-8s %(message)s'))
+logging.addLevelName(15, u'Timer')
+log = logging.getLogger()
+log.addHandler(_handler)
+log.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
 
 
 # Test function argument to make openlp gui instance persistent for all tests.
-# All test cases have to access the same instance. To allow create multiple
+# Test cases in module have to access the same instance. To allow creating
+# multiple
 # instances it would be necessary use diffrent configuraion and data files.
 # Created instance will use your OpenLP settings.
 def pytest_funcarg__openlpapp(request):
     def setup():
         return openlp_main(['--testing'])
     def teardown(app):
-        pass
-    return request.cached_setup(setup=setup, teardown=teardown, scope='session')
+        # sqlalchemy allows to map classess to only one database at a time
+        clear_mappers()
+    return request.cached_setup(setup=setup, teardown=teardown, scope='module')
+
+
+# Test function argument to make openlp gui instance persistent for all tests.
+def pytest_funcarg__empty_dbmanager(request):
+    def setup():
+        tmpdir = request.getfuncargvalue('tmpdir')
+        db_file_path = tmpdir.join('songs.sqlite')
+        print db_file_path
+        unique = ''.join(random.choice(string.letters + string.digits)
+            for i in range(8))
+        plugin_name = 'test_songs_%s' % unique
+        settings = QtCore.QSettings()
+        settings.beginGroup(plugin_name)
+        settings.setValue(u'db type', QtCore.QVariant(u'sqlite'))
+        settings.endGroup()
+        manager = Manager(plugin_name, init_schema,
+            db_file_path=db_file_path.strpath)
+        return manager
+    def teardown(manager):
+        clear_mappers()
+    return request.cached_setup(setup=setup, teardown=teardown, scope='function')