diff --git a/connection.go b/connection.go
index 06b3286d..fe24d99a 100644
--- a/connection.go
+++ b/connection.go
@@ -10,32 +10,35 @@ import (
 	"net"
 )
 
+type ConnectionParameters struct {
+	socket   string // path to unix domain socket (e.g. /private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432)
+	database string
+	user     string
+	password string
+}
+
 type Connection struct {
-	conn          net.Conn          // the underlying TCP or unix domain socket connection
-	buf           []byte            // work buffer to avoid constant alloc and dealloc
-	pid           int32             // backend pid
-	secretKey     int32             // key to use to send a cancel query message to the server
-	runtimeParams map[string]string // parameters that have been reported by the server
-	options       map[string]string // options used when establishing connection
+	conn          net.Conn             // the underlying TCP or unix domain socket connection
+	buf           []byte               // work buffer to avoid constant alloc and dealloc
+	pid           int32                // backend pid
+	secretKey     int32                // key to use to send a cancel query message to the server
+	runtimeParams map[string]string    // parameters that have been reported by the server
+	parameters    ConnectionParameters // parameters used when establishing this connection
 	txStatus      byte
 }
 
 // options:
 //   socket: path to unix domain socket
+//   host: TCP address
+//   port:
 //   database: name of database
-func Connect(options map[string]string) (c *Connection, err error) {
+func Connect(paramaters ConnectionParameters) (c *Connection, err error) {
 	c = new(Connection)
 
-	c.options = make(map[string]string)
-	for k, v := range options {
-		c.options[k] = v
-	}
+	c.parameters = paramaters
 
-	var present bool
-	var socket string
-
-	if socket, present = options["socket"]; present {
-		c.conn, err = net.Dial("unix", socket)
+	if c.parameters.socket != "" {
+		c.conn, err = net.Dial("unix", c.parameters.socket)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -46,12 +49,10 @@ func Connect(options map[string]string) (c *Connection, err error) {
 
 	// conn, err := net.Dial("tcp", "localhost:5432")
 
-	var database string
-
 	msg := newStartupMessage()
-	msg.options["user"], _ = options["user"]
-	if database, present = options["database"]; present {
-		msg.options["database"] = database
+	msg.options["user"] = c.parameters.user
+	if c.parameters.database != "" {
+		msg.options["database"] = c.parameters.database
 	}
 	c.txStartupMessage(msg)
 
@@ -240,10 +241,10 @@ func (c *Connection) rxAuthenticationX(r *messageReader) (err error) {
 	switch code {
 	case 0: // AuthenticationOk
 	case 3: // AuthenticationCleartextPassword
-		c.txPasswordMessage(c.options["password"])
+		c.txPasswordMessage(c.parameters.password)
 	case 5: // AuthenticationMD5Password
 		salt := r.readByteString(4)
-		digestedPassword := "md5" + hexMD5(hexMD5(c.options["password"]+c.options["user"])+salt)
+		digestedPassword := "md5" + hexMD5(hexMD5(c.parameters.password+c.parameters.user)+salt)
 		c.txPasswordMessage(digestedPassword)
 	default:
 		err = errors.New("Received unknown authentication message")
diff --git a/connection_pool.go b/connection_pool.go
index 7a668c1b..256c72bb 100644
--- a/connection_pool.go
+++ b/connection_pool.go
@@ -2,25 +2,22 @@ package pgx
 
 type ConnectionPool struct {
 	connectionChannel chan *Connection
-	options           map[string]string // options used when establishing connection
+	parameters        ConnectionParameters // options used when establishing connection
 	MaxConnections    int
 }
 
 // options: options used by Connect
 // MaxConnections: max simultaneous connections to use (currently all are immediately connected)
-func NewConnectionPool(options map[string]string, MaxConnections int) (p *ConnectionPool, err error) {
+func NewConnectionPool(parameters ConnectionParameters, MaxConnections int) (p *ConnectionPool, err error) {
 	p = new(ConnectionPool)
 	p.connectionChannel = make(chan *Connection, MaxConnections)
 	p.MaxConnections = MaxConnections
 
-	p.options = make(map[string]string)
-	for k, v := range options {
-		p.options[k] = v
-	}
+	p.parameters = parameters
 
 	for i := 0; i < p.MaxConnections; i++ {
 		var c *Connection
-		c, err = Connect(options)
+		c, err = Connect(p.parameters)
 		if err != nil {
 			return
 		}
diff --git a/connection_pool_test.go b/connection_pool_test.go
index d00a017e..d0be865d 100644
--- a/connection_pool_test.go
+++ b/connection_pool_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func createConnectionPool(maxConnections int) *ConnectionPool {
-	connectionOptions := map[string]string{"socket": "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", "user": "pgx_none", "database": "pgx_test"}
+	connectionOptions := ConnectionParameters{socket: "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", user: "pgx_none", database: "pgx_test"}
 	pool, err := NewConnectionPool(connectionOptions, maxConnections)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic("Unable to create connection pool")
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ func createConnectionPool(maxConnections int) *ConnectionPool {
 }
 
 func TestNewConnectionPool(t *testing.T) {
-	connectionOptions := map[string]string{"socket": "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", "user": "pgx_none", "database": "pgx_test"}
+	connectionOptions := ConnectionParameters{socket: "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", user: "pgx_none", database: "pgx_test"}
 	pool, err := NewConnectionPool(connectionOptions, 5)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("Unable to establish connection pool")
diff --git a/connection_test.go b/connection_test.go
index b32c7911..0e43ab7d 100644
--- a/connection_test.go
+++ b/connection_test.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ var SharedConnection *Connection
 func getSharedConnection() (c *Connection) {
 	if SharedConnection == nil {
 		var err error
-		SharedConnection, err = Connect(map[string]string{"socket": "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", "user": "pgx_none", "database": "pgx_test"})
+		SharedConnection, err = Connect(ConnectionParameters{socket: "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", user: "pgx_none", database: "pgx_test"})
 		if err != nil {
 			panic("Unable to establish connection")
 		}
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func getSharedConnection() (c *Connection) {
 }
 
 func TestConnect(t *testing.T) {
-	conn, err := Connect(map[string]string{"socket": "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", "user": "pgx_none", "database": "pgx_test"})
+	conn, err := Connect(ConnectionParameters{socket: "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", user: "pgx_none", database: "pgx_test"})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("Unable to establish connection")
 	}
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func TestConnect(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestConnectWithInvalidUser(t *testing.T) {
-	_, err := Connect(map[string]string{"socket": "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", "user": "invalid_user", "database": "pgx_test"})
+	_, err := Connect(ConnectionParameters{socket: "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", user: "invalid_user", database: "pgx_test"})
 	pgErr := err.(PgError)
 	if pgErr.Code != "28000" {
 		t.Fatal("Did not receive expected error when connecting with invalid user")
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func TestConnectWithInvalidUser(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestConnectWithPlainTextPassword(t *testing.T) {
-	conn, err := Connect(map[string]string{"socket": "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", "user": "pgx_pw", "password": "secret", "database": "pgx_test"})
+	conn, err := Connect(ConnectionParameters{socket: "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", user: "pgx_pw", password: "secret", database: "pgx_test"})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("Unable to establish connection: " + err.Error())
 	}
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func TestConnectWithPlainTextPassword(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestConnectWithMD5Password(t *testing.T) {
-	conn, err := Connect(map[string]string{"socket": "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", "user": "pgx_md5", "password": "secret", "database": "pgx_test"})
+	conn, err := Connect(ConnectionParameters{socket: "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", user: "pgx_md5", password: "secret", database: "pgx_test"})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("Unable to establish connection: " + err.Error())
 	}