diff --git a/db_testing.py b/db_testing.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc7017d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db_testing.py
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2015  The Software Heritage developers
+# See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
+# License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
+# See top-level LICENSE file for more information
+
+import os
+import psycopg2
+import subprocess
+
+
+TEST_DB_NAME = 'softwareheritage-test'
+TEST_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+SQL_DIR = os.path.join(TEST_DIR, '../../../sql')
+TEST_DB_DUMP = os.path.join(SQL_DIR, 'swh.dump')
+
+
+def pg_restore(dbname, dumpfile):
+    subprocess.check_call(['pg_restore', '--no-owner', '--no-privileges',
+                           '--dbname', dbname, dumpfile])
+
+
+def pg_dump(dbname, dumpfile):
+    subprocess.check_call(['pg_dump', '--no-owner', '--no-privileges', '-Fc',
+                           '-f', dumpfile, dbname])
+
+
+def pg_dropdb(dbname):
+    subprocess.check_call(['dropdb', dbname])
+
+
+def pg_createdb(dbname):
+    subprocess.check_call(['createdb', dbname])
+
+
+def db_create(test_subj, dbname=TEST_DB_NAME, dbdump=TEST_DB_DUMP):
+    """create the test DB and load the test data dump into it
+
+    context: setUpClass
+
+    """
+    try:
+        pg_createdb(dbname)
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:  # try recovering once, in case
+        pg_dropdb(dbname)                  # the db already existed
+        pg_createdb(dbname)
+    pg_restore(dbname, dbdump)
+    test_subj.dbname = dbname
+
+
+def db_destroy(test_subj):
+    """destroy the test DB
+
+    context: tearDownClass
+
+    """
+    pg_dropdb(test_subj.dbname)
+
+
+def db_connect(test_subj):
+    """connect to the test DB and open a cursor
+
+    context: setUp
+
+    """
+    test_subj.conn = psycopg2.connect('dbname=' + test_subj.dbname)
+    test_subj.cursor = test_subj.conn.cursor()
+
+
+def db_close(test_subj):
+    """rollback current transaction and disconnet from the test DB
+
+    context: tearDown
+
+    """
+    test_subj.conn.rollback()
+    test_subj.conn.close()
+
+
+class DbTestFixture():
+    """Mix this in a test subject class to get DB testing support.
+
+    The test case class will then have the following attributes, accessible via
+    self:
+
+        dbname: name of the test database
+        conn: psycopg2 connection object
+        cursor: open psycopg2 cursor to the DB
+
+    To ensure test isolation, each test method of the test case class will
+    execute in its own connection, cursor, and transaction.
+
+    To ensure setup/teardown methods are called, in case of multiple
+    inheritance DbTestFixture should be the first class in the inheritance
+    hierarchy.
+
+    Note that if you want to define setup/teardown methods, you need to
+    explicitly call super() to ensure that the fixture setup/teardown methods
+    are invoked. Here is an example where all setup/teardown methods are
+    defined in a test case:
+
+        class TestDb(DbTestFixture, unittest.TestCase):
+
+            @classmethod
+            def setUpClass(cls):
+                super().setUpClass()
+                # your class setup code here
+
+            def setUp(self):
+                super().setUp()
+                # your instance setup code here
+
+            def tearDown(self):
+                # your instance teardown code here
+                super().tearDown()
+
+            @classmethod
+            def tearDownClass(cls):
+                # your class teardown code here
+                super().tearDownClass()
+
+    """
+
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls):
+        db_create(cls)
+        super()
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        db_connect(self)
+        super()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        super()
+        db_close(self)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def tearDownClass(cls):
+        super()
+        db_destroy(cls)