diff --git a/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/Context/Initializer/SilverStripeAwareInitializer.php b/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/Context/Initializer/SilverStripeAwareInitializer.php
index 4042364..f9abf99 100644
--- a/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/Context/Initializer/SilverStripeAwareInitializer.php
+++ b/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/Context/Initializer/SilverStripeAwareInitializer.php
@@ -24,8 +24,13 @@ use SilverStripe\BehatExtension\Context\SilverStripeAwareContextInterface;
  */
 class SilverStripeAwareInitializer implements InitializerInterface
 {
-    
-    private $databaseName;
+
+    /**
+     * @var bool
+     */
+    protected $createTempDatabase;
+
+    protected $databaseName;
     
     /**
      * @var Array
@@ -57,40 +62,36 @@ class SilverStripeAwareInitializer implements InitializerInterface
 	 */
 	protected $testSessionEnvironment;
 
-    /**
-     * Initializes initializer.
-     */
-    public function __construct($frameworkPath)
-    {
-        $this->bootstrap($frameworkPath);
+	protected $frameworkPath;
 
-		file_put_contents('php://stdout', "Creating test session environment" . PHP_EOL);
+	public function initTestSession() {
+		$this->bootstrap($this->frameworkPath);
 
-		$testEnv = \Injector::inst()->get('TestSessionEnvironment');
-		$testEnv->startTestSession(array(
-			'createDatabase' => true
-		));
+		if($this->createTempDatabase) {
+			file_put_contents('php://stdout', "Creating test session environment" . PHP_EOL);
 
-		$state = $testEnv->getState();
+			$testEnv = \Injector::inst()->get('TestSessionEnvironment');
+			$testEnv->startTestSession();
 
-		$this->databaseName = $state->database;
-		$this->testSessionEnvironment = $testEnv;
+			$state = $testEnv->getState();
+			$this->databaseName = $state->database;
+			$this->testSessionEnvironment = $testEnv;
 
-		file_put_contents('php://stdout', "Temp Database: $this->databaseName" . PHP_EOL . PHP_EOL);
+			file_put_contents('php://stdout', "Temp Database: $this->databaseName" . PHP_EOL . PHP_EOL);
 
-        register_shutdown_function(array($this, '__destruct'));
-    }
+			register_shutdown_function(array($this, 'killTestSession'));
+		}
+	}
 
-    public function __destruct()
-    {
-        file_put_contents('php://stdout', "Killing test session environment...");
+	public function killTestSession() {
+		file_put_contents('php://stdout', "Killing test session environment...");
 
-        if($this->testSessionEnvironment) {
-            $this->testSessionEnvironment->endTestSession();
-        }
+		if($this->testSessionEnvironment) {
+			$this->testSessionEnvironment->endTestSession();
+		}
 
-        file_put_contents('php://stdout', " done!" . PHP_EOL);
-    }
+		file_put_contents('php://stdout', " done!" . PHP_EOL);
+	}
 
     /**
      * Checks if initializer supports provided context.
@@ -111,6 +112,7 @@ class SilverStripeAwareInitializer implements InitializerInterface
      */
     public function initialize(ContextInterface $context)
     {
+        $context->setCreateTempDatabase($this->createTempDatabase);
         $context->setDatabase($this->databaseName);
         $context->setAjaxSteps($this->ajaxSteps);
         $context->setAjaxTimeout($this->ajaxTimeout);
@@ -118,6 +120,18 @@ class SilverStripeAwareInitializer implements InitializerInterface
         $context->setRegionMap($this->regionMap);
         $context->setAdminUrl($this->adminUrl);
         $context->setLoginUrl($this->loginUrl);
+
+        $this->initTestSession();
+    }
+
+    public function setFrameworkPath($path)
+    {
+        $this->frameworkPath = $path;
+    }
+
+    public function setCreateTempDatabase($bool)
+    {
+        $this->createTempDatabase = $bool;
     }
 
     public function setAjaxSteps($ajaxSteps)
@@ -193,4 +207,4 @@ class SilverStripeAwareInitializer implements InitializerInterface
         // Remove the error handler so that PHPUnit can add its own
         restore_error_handler();
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/Context/SilverStripeContext.php b/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/Context/SilverStripeContext.php
index fce6d9f..0a4d216 100644
--- a/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/Context/SilverStripeContext.php
+++ b/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/Context/SilverStripeContext.php
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ require_once 'vendor/autoload.php';
  */
 class SilverStripeContext extends MinkContext implements SilverStripeAwareContextInterface
 {
+
+	protected $createTempDatabase;
+
 	protected $databaseName;
 
 	/**
@@ -76,6 +79,10 @@ class SilverStripeContext extends MinkContext implements SilverStripeAwareContex
 		$this->testSessionEnvironment = new \TestSessionEnvironment();
 	}
 
+	public function setCreateTempDatabase($bool) {
+		$this->createTempDatabase = $bool;
+	}
+
 	public function setDatabase($databaseName) {
 		$this->databaseName = $databaseName;
 	}
@@ -180,29 +187,31 @@ class SilverStripeContext extends MinkContext implements SilverStripeAwareContex
 	 * @BeforeScenario
 	 */
 	public function before(ScenarioEvent $event) {
-		if (!isset($this->databaseName)) {
-			throw new \LogicException(
-				'Context\'s $databaseName has to be set when implementing SilverStripeAwareContextInterface.'
-			);
-		}
+		if($this->createTempDatabase) {
+			if (!isset($this->databaseName)) {
+				throw new \LogicException(
+					'Context\'s $databaseName has to be set when implementing SilverStripeAwareContextInterface.'
+				);
+			}
 
-		$state = $this->getTestSessionState();
-		$this->testSessionEnvironment->startTestSession($state);
+			$state = $this->getTestSessionState();
+			$this->testSessionEnvironment->startTestSession($state);
 
-		// Optionally import database
-		if(!empty($state['importDatabasePath'])) {
-			$this->testSessionEnvironment->importDatabase(
-				$state['importDatabasePath'],
-				!empty($state['requireDefaultRecords']) ? $state['requireDefaultRecords'] : false
-			);
-		} else if(!empty($state['requireDefaultRecords']) && $state['requireDefaultRecords']) {
-			$this->testSessionEnvironment->requireDefaultRecords();
-		}
+			// Optionally import database
+			if(!empty($state['importDatabasePath'])) {
+				$this->testSessionEnvironment->importDatabase(
+					$state['importDatabasePath'],
+					!empty($state['requireDefaultRecords']) ? $state['requireDefaultRecords'] : false
+				);
+			} else if(!empty($state['requireDefaultRecords']) && $state['requireDefaultRecords']) {
+				$this->testSessionEnvironment->requireDefaultRecords();
+			}
 
-		// Fixtures
-		$fixtureFile = (!empty($params['fixture'])) ? $params['fixture'] : null;
-		if($fixtureFile) {
-			$this->testSessionEnvironment->loadFixtureIntoDb($fixtureFile);
+			// Fixtures
+			$fixtureFile = (!empty($params['fixture'])) ? $params['fixture'] : null;
+			if($fixtureFile) {
+				$this->testSessionEnvironment->loadFixtureIntoDb($fixtureFile);
+			}
 		}
 
 		if($screenSize = getenv('BEHAT_SCREEN_SIZE')) {
diff --git a/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/Extension.php b/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/Extension.php
index b8ea3f7..e2cf836 100644
--- a/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/Extension.php
+++ b/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/Extension.php
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ class Extension implements ExtensionInterface
         $container->setParameter('behat.silverstripe_extension.admin_url', $config['admin_url']);
         $container->setParameter('behat.silverstripe_extension.login_url', $config['login_url']);
         $container->setParameter('behat.silverstripe_extension.screenshot_path', $config['screenshot_path']);
+        $container->setParameter('behat.silverstripe_extension.create_temp_database', $config['create_temp_database']);
         $container->setParameter('behat.silverstripe_extension.ajax_timeout', $config['ajax_timeout']);
         if (isset($config['ajax_steps'])) {
             $container->setParameter('behat.silverstripe_extension.ajax_steps', $config['ajax_steps']);
@@ -82,6 +83,9 @@ class Extension implements ExtensionInterface
     {
         $builder->
             children()->
+                scalarNode('create_temp_database')->
+                    defaultValue(true)->
+                end()->
                 scalarNode('framework_path')->
                     defaultValue('framework')->
                 end()->
diff --git a/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/services/silverstripe.yml b/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/services/silverstripe.yml
index 756e4d0..b5dc968 100644
--- a/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/services/silverstripe.yml
+++ b/src/SilverStripe/BehatExtension/services/silverstripe.yml
@@ -10,15 +10,16 @@ parameters:
   behat.silverstripe_extension.admin_url: ~
   behat.silverstripe_extension.login_url: ~
   behat.silverstripe_extension.screenshot_path: ~
+  behat.silverstripe_extension.create_temp_database: true
   behat.silverstripe_extension.module:
   behat.silverstripe_extension.region_map: ~
   behat.silverstripe_extension.context.path_suffix: tests/behat/features/
 services:
   behat.silverstripe_extension.context.initializer:
     class: %behat.silverstripe_extension.context.initializer.class%
-    arguments:
-      - %behat.silverstripe_extension.framework_path%
     calls:
+      - [setFrameworkPath, [%behat.silverstripe_extension.framework_path%]]
+      - [setCreateTempDatabase, [%behat.silverstripe_extension.create_temp_database%]]
       - [setAjaxSteps, [%behat.silverstripe_extension.ajax_steps%]]
       - [setAjaxTimeout, [%behat.silverstripe_extension.ajax_timeout%]]
       - [setAdminUrl, [%behat.silverstripe_extension.admin_url%]]
@@ -33,4 +34,4 @@ services:
       - %behat.silverstripe_extension.context.namespace_suffix%
       - %behat.context.class%
     tags:
-      - { name: behat.context.class_guesser, priority: 10 }
\ No newline at end of file
+      - { name: behat.context.class_guesser, priority: 10 }