diff --git a/src/backend/file/test/test-xml-commodity.c b/src/backend/file/test/test-xml-commodity.c
index a91ad62532..43d9678f9f 100644
--- a/src/backend/file/test/test-xml-commodity.c
+++ b/src/backend/file/test/test-xml-commodity.c
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ test_real_commodity(const char *tag, gpointer globaldata, gpointer data)
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
+    gnc_engine_init (argc, argv);
     if(argc > 1)
     {
         test_files_in_dir(argc, argv, test_real_commodity,
diff --git a/src/backend/postgres/test/.cvsignore b/src/backend/postgres/test/.cvsignore
index 282522db03..f53fc6178b 100644
--- a/src/backend/postgres/test/.cvsignore
+++ b/src/backend/postgres/test/.cvsignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 Makefile
 Makefile.in
+gnc_test
diff --git a/src/backend/postgres/test/Makefile.am b/src/backend/postgres/test/Makefile.am
index 304a884e65..1afd9d2470 100644
--- a/src/backend/postgres/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/backend/postgres/test/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,32 @@
-TESTS=test-load-module 
+TESTS = \
+  test-load-module \
+  test-db
 
 TESTS_ENVIRONMENT=\
   GNC_MODULE_PATH=${top_srcdir}/src/engine:${top_srcdir}/src/backend/postgres \
   GUILE_LOAD_PATH=${G_WRAP_MODULE_DIR}:..:${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module \
   LTDL_LIBRARY_PATH=${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module \
   LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module:${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module/.libs:${top_srcdir}/src/engine:${top_srcdir}/src/engine/.libs
+
+noinst_PROGRAMS = \
+  test-db
+
+LDADD = -L${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module -L${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module/.libs \
+        -L${top_srcdir}/src/engine -L${top_srcdir}/src/engine/.libs \
+        ${top_srcdir}/src/test-core/libgncmod-test.la \
+        ${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module/libgncmodule.la \
+        ${top_srcdir}/src/engine/libgncmod-engine.la \
+        ${top_srcdir}/src/engine/test-core/libgncmod-test-engine.la \
+        -lltdl
+
+CFLAGS = ${GLIB_CFLAGS}
+
+INCLUDES = \
+  -I${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module \
+  -I${top_srcdir}/src/test-core \
+  -I${top_srcdir}/src/engine \
+  -I${top_srcdir}/src/engine/test-core \
+  -I..
+
+EXTRA_DIST = \
+  db-control.sh
diff --git a/src/backend/postgres/test/db-control.sh b/src/backend/postgres/test/db-control.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..362c7969b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backend/postgres/test/db-control.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+EXIT_VALUE=0
+
+DB=$PWD/gnc_test
+
+case $1 in
+  create)
+    rm -rf $DB
+    initdb $DB || EXIT_VALUE=1
+    ;;
+  destroy)
+    rm -rf $DB
+    ;;
+  start)
+    pg_ctl -D $DB -o "-p 7777" start
+    ;;
+  stop)
+    pg_ctl -D $DB -o "-p 7777" stop
+    ;;
+  *)
+    echo "Bad command: $1"
+    ;;
+esac
+
+exit $EXIT_VALUE
diff --git a/src/backend/postgres/test/test-db.c b/src/backend/postgres/test/test-db.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f71337e8f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backend/postgres/test/test-db.c
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#include <glib.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <dirent.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "Backend.h"
+#include "TransLog.h"
+#include "gnc-book.h"
+#include "gnc-engine.h"
+#include "gnc-module.h"
+
+#include "test-stuff.h"
+#include "test-engine-stuff.h"
+
+static void
+guile_main (int argc, char **argv)
+{
+  gnc_module_system_init ();
+  gnc_module_load ("gnucash/engine", 0);
+
+  gnc_engine_init (argc, argv);
+
+  xaccLogDisable ();
+
+  print_test_results ();
+  exit (get_rv ());
+}
+
+int
+main (int argc, char ** argv)
+{
+  gh_enter (argc, argv, guile_main);
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/engine/test-core/test-engine-stuff.c b/src/engine/test-core/test-engine-stuff.c
index 7689abd963..0abd5ed1cd 100644
--- a/src/engine/test-core/test-engine-stuff.c
+++ b/src/engine/test-core/test-engine-stuff.c
@@ -16,8 +16,16 @@
 #include "test-engine-stuff.h"
 #include "test-stuff.h"
 
+static gboolean add_comms_to_engine = TRUE;
+
 /***********************************************************************/
 
+void
+add_random_commodities_to_engine (gboolean add)
+{
+  add_comms_to_engine = add;
+}
+
 Timespec*
 get_random_timespec(void)
 {
@@ -110,14 +118,11 @@ get_random_price(void)
   return p;
 }
 
-GNCPriceDB *
-get_random_pricedb(void)
+void
+make_random_pricedb (GNCPriceDB *db)
 {
-  GNCPriceDB *db;
   int num_prices;
 
-  db = gnc_pricedb_create ();
-
   num_prices = get_random_int_in_range (0, 40);
 
   while (num_prices-- > 0)
@@ -130,6 +135,15 @@ get_random_pricedb(void)
 
     gnc_price_unref (p);
   }
+}
+
+GNCPriceDB *
+get_random_pricedb(void)
+{
+  GNCPriceDB *db;
+
+  db = gnc_pricedb_create ();
+  make_random_pricedb (db);
 
   return db;
 }
@@ -506,18 +520,33 @@ get_random_commodity(void)
     gchar *xcode;
     int ran_int;
 
-    name = get_random_string();
-    space = get_random_commodity_namespace();
     mn = get_random_string();
+    space = get_random_commodity_namespace();
+
+    if (add_comms_to_engine)
+    {
+      ret = gnc_commodity_table_lookup (gnc_engine_commodities (), space, mn);
+
+      if (ret)
+      {
+        g_free (mn);
+        return ret;
+      }
+    }
+
+    name = get_random_string();
     xcode = get_random_string();
     ran_int = get_random_int_in_range(1, 100000);
 
-    ret = gnc_commodity_new(name, space, mn, xcode, ran_int);
+    ret = gnc_commodity_new (name, space, mn, xcode, ran_int);
 
-    g_free(name);
     g_free(mn);
+    g_free(name);
     g_free(xcode);
 
+    if (add_comms_to_engine)
+      ret = gnc_commodity_table_insert (gnc_engine_commodities (), ret);
+
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -708,3 +737,16 @@ get_random_query(void)
   return q;
 }
 
+GNCBook *
+get_random_book (void)
+{
+  GNCBook *book;
+
+  book = gnc_book_new ();
+
+  gnc_book_set_group (book, get_random_group ());
+
+  /* make_random_pricedb (gnc_book_get_pricedb (book)); */
+
+  return book;
+}
diff --git a/src/engine/test-core/test-engine-stuff.h b/src/engine/test-core/test-engine-stuff.h
index bad8e87c64..11d8170e29 100644
--- a/src/engine/test-core/test-engine-stuff.h
+++ b/src/engine/test-core/test-engine-stuff.h
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
-#include "Group.h"
+#include "gnc-book.h"
 #include "Query.h"
 #include "date.h"
 #include "gnc-pricedb.h"
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ GUID* get_random_guid(void);
 GList* get_random_glist(void);
 
 GNCPrice * get_random_price(void);
+void make_random_pricedb (GNCPriceDB *pdb);
 GNCPriceDB * get_random_pricedb(void);
 AccountGroup * get_random_group(void);
 Account* get_random_account(void);
@@ -43,5 +44,9 @@ const char *get_random_commodity_namespace(void);
 
 Query* get_random_query(void);
 
+GNCBook * get_random_book (void);
+
+void add_random_commodities_to_engine (gboolean add);
+
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/engine/test/test-commodities.c b/src/engine/test/test-commodities.c
index cb54e75409..ece36fa145 100644
--- a/src/engine/test/test-commodities.c
+++ b/src/engine/test/test-commodities.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "gnc-engine-util.h"
 
 #include "gnc-commodity.h"
+#include "gnc-engine.h"
 #include "test-engine-stuff.h"
 #include "test-stuff.h"
 
@@ -146,6 +147,8 @@ test_commodity(void)
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
+    gnc_engine_init (argc, argv);
+    add_random_commodities_to_engine (FALSE);
     test_commodity();
     print_test_results();
     exit(get_rv());