diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index be88def..502e300 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ import (
 // will test that order with a different status, cannot be cancelled
 func TestShouldNotCancelOrderWithNonPendingStatus(t *testing.T) {
     // open database stub
-    db, err := sql.Open("mock", "")
+    db, err := sqlmock.New()
     if err != nil {
         t.Errorf("An error '%s' was not expected when opening a stub database connection", err)
     }
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ func TestShouldNotCancelOrderWithNonPendingStatus(t *testing.T) {
 // will test order cancellation
 func TestShouldRefundUserWhenOrderIsCancelled(t *testing.T) {
     // open database stub
-    db, err := sql.Open("mock", "")
+    db, err := sqlmock.New()
     if err != nil {
         t.Errorf("An error '%s' was not expected when opening a stub database connection", err)
     }
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ func TestShouldRefundUserWhenOrderIsCancelled(t *testing.T) {
 // will test order cancellation
 func TestShouldRollbackOnError(t *testing.T) {
     // open database stub
-    db, err := sql.Open("mock", "")
+    db, err := sqlmock.New()
     if err != nil {
         t.Errorf("An error '%s' was not expected when opening a stub database connection", err)
     }
@@ -320,6 +320,10 @@ Visit [godoc](http://godoc.org/github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock)
 
 ## Changes
 
+- **2014-04-21** introduce **sqlmock.New()** to open a mock database connection for tests. This method
+calls sql.DB.Ping to ensure that connection is open, see [issue](https://github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock/issues/4).
+This way on Close it will surely assert if all expectations are met, even if database was not triggered at all.
+The old way is still available, but it is advisable to call db.Ping manually before asserting with db.Close.
 - **2014-02-14** RowsFromCSVString is now a part of Rows interface named as FromCSVString.
 It has changed to allow more ways to construct rows and to easily extend this API in future.
 See [issue 1](https://github.com/DATA-DOG/go-sqlmock/issues/1)
diff --git a/sqlmock.go b/sqlmock.go
index 15660a0..2386363 100644
--- a/sqlmock.go
+++ b/sqlmock.go
@@ -85,6 +85,19 @@ func init() {
 	sql.Register("mock", mock)
 }
 
+// New creates sqlmock database connection
+// and pings it so that all expectations could be
+// asserted on Close.
+func New() (db *sql.DB, err error) {
+	db, err = sql.Open("mock", "")
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	// ensure open connection, otherwise Close does not assert expectations
+	db.Ping()
+	return
+}
+
 // ExpectBegin expects transaction to be started
 func ExpectBegin() Mock {
 	e := &expectedBegin{}
diff --git a/sqlmock_test.go b/sqlmock_test.go
index 59deb74..a7d2d61 100644
--- a/sqlmock_test.go
+++ b/sqlmock_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,22 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+// test the case when db is not triggered and expectations
+// are not asserted on close
+func TestIssue4(t *testing.T) {
+	db, err := New()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("an error '%s' was not expected when opening a stub database connection", err)
+	}
+	ExpectQuery("some sql query which will not be called").
+		WillReturnRows(NewRows([]string{"id"}))
+
+	err = db.Close()
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Was expecting an error, since expected query was not matched")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestMockQuery(t *testing.T) {
 	db, err := sql.Open("mock", "")
 	if err != nil {