diff --git a/synapse/app/homeserver.py b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
index 504557b2f..65562222c 100755
--- a/synapse/app/homeserver.py
+++ b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
@@ -255,12 +255,13 @@ class SynapseHomeServer(HomeServer):
             quit_with_error(e.message)
 
     def get_db_conn(self):
-        db_conn = self.database_engine.module.connect(
-            **{
-                k: v for k, v in self.db_config.get("args", {}).items()
-                if not k.startswith("cp_")
-            }
-        )
+        # Any param beginning with cp_ is a parameter for adbapi, and should
+        # not be passed to the database engine.
+        db_params = {
+            k: v for k, v in self.db_config.get("args", {}).items()
+            if not k.startswith("cp_")
+        }
+        db_conn = self.database_engine.module.connect(**db_params)
 
         self.database_engine.on_new_connection(db_conn)
         return db_conn
diff --git a/synapse/server.py b/synapse/server.py
index e013a349c..5fee7fe13 100644
--- a/synapse/server.py
+++ b/synapse/server.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ from synapse.notifier import Notifier
 from synapse.api.auth import Auth
 from synapse.handlers import Handlers
 from synapse.state import StateHandler
-from synapse.storage import get_datastore
+from synapse.storage import DataStore
 from synapse.util import Clock
 from synapse.util.distributor import Distributor
 from synapse.streams.events import EventSources
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class HomeServer(object):
 
     def setup(self):
         logger.info("Setting up.")
-        self.datastore = get_datastore(self)
+        self.datastore = DataStore(self.get_db_conn(), self)
         logger.info("Finished setting up.")
 
     def get_ip_from_request(self, request):
diff --git a/synapse/storage/__init__.py b/synapse/storage/__init__.py
index c8cab45f7..eb8884230 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/__init__.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/__init__.py
@@ -61,22 +61,6 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 LAST_SEEN_GRANULARITY = 120*1000
 
 
-def get_datastore(hs):
-    logger.info("getting called!")
-
-    conn = hs.get_db_conn()
-    try:
-        cur = conn.cursor()
-        cur.execute("SELECT MIN(stream_ordering) FROM events",)
-        rows = cur.fetchall()
-        min_token = rows[0][0] if rows and rows[0] and rows[0][0] else -1
-        min_token = min(min_token, -1)
-
-        return DataStore(conn, hs, min_token)
-    finally:
-        conn.close()
-
-
 class DataStore(RoomMemberStore, RoomStore,
                 RegistrationStore, StreamStore, ProfileStore,
                 PresenceStore, TransactionStore,
@@ -98,10 +82,17 @@ class DataStore(RoomMemberStore, RoomStore,
                 EventPushActionsStore
                 ):
 
-    def __init__(self, db_conn, hs, min_stream_token):
+    def __init__(self, db_conn, hs):
         self.hs = hs
 
-        self.min_stream_token = min_stream_token
+        cur = db_conn.cursor()
+        try:
+            cur.execute("SELECT MIN(stream_ordering) FROM events",)
+            rows = cur.fetchall()
+            self.min_stream_token = rows[0][0] if rows and rows[0] and rows[0][0] else -1
+            self.min_stream_token = min(self.min_stream_token, -1)
+        finally:
+            cur.close()
 
         self.client_ip_last_seen = Cache(
             name="client_ip_last_seen",