diff --git a/connection.go b/connection.go
index cb58a839..c71b2e53 100644
--- a/connection.go
+++ b/connection.go
@@ -90,14 +90,23 @@ func (c *Connection) Open() error {
 	if c.Store != nil {
 		return nil
 	}
+	if c.Dialect == nil {
+		return errors.New("invalid connection instance")
+	}
 	details := c.Dialect.Details()
 	db, err := sqlx.Open(details.Dialect, c.Dialect.URL())
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "could not open database connection")
+	}
 	db.SetMaxOpenConns(details.Pool)
 	db.SetMaxIdleConns(details.IdlePool)
-	if err == nil {
-		c.Store = &dB{db}
+	c.Store = &dB{db}
+
+	err = c.Dialect.afterOpen(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Store = nil
 	}
-	return errors.Wrap(err, "couldn't connect to database")
+	return errors.Wrap(err, "could not open database connection")
 }
 
 // Close destroys an active datasource connection
diff --git a/connection_test.go b/connection_test.go
index d1d86cf5..5fc8b284 100644
--- a/connection_test.go
+++ b/connection_test.go
@@ -1 +1,52 @@
 package pop
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func Test_Connection_SimpleFlow(t *testing.T) {
+	r := require.New(t)
+
+	cd := &ConnectionDetails{
+		URL: "sqlite:///foo.db",
+	}
+	c, err := NewConnection(cd)
+	r.NoError(err)
+
+	err = c.Open()
+	r.NoError(err)
+	err = c.Open() // open again
+	r.NoError(err)
+	err = c.Close()
+	r.NoError(err)
+}
+
+func Test_Connection_Open_NoDialect(t *testing.T) {
+	r := require.New(t)
+
+	cd := &ConnectionDetails{
+		URL: "sqlite:///foo.db",
+	}
+	c, err := NewConnection(cd)
+	r.NoError(err)
+
+	c.Dialect = nil
+	err = c.Open()
+	r.Error(err)
+}
+
+func Test_Connection_Open_BadDialect(t *testing.T) {
+	r := require.New(t)
+
+	cd := &ConnectionDetails{
+		URL: "sqlite:///foo.db",
+	}
+	c, err := NewConnection(cd)
+	r.NoError(err)
+
+	cd.Dialect = "unknown"
+	err = c.Open()
+	r.Error(err)
+}
diff --git a/dialect.go b/dialect.go
index e28e8821..11b961d1 100644
--- a/dialect.go
+++ b/dialect.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ type dialect interface {
 	FizzTranslator() fizz.Translator
 	Lock(func() error) error
 	TruncateAll(*Connection) error
+	afterOpen(*Connection) error
 }
 
 func genericCreate(s store, model *Model, cols columns.Columns) error {
diff --git a/dialect_cockroach.go b/dialect_cockroach.go
index cc8ab3eb..87759657 100644
--- a/dialect_cockroach.go
+++ b/dialect_cockroach.go
@@ -32,19 +32,19 @@ func init() {
 var _ dialect = &cockroach{}
 
 // ServerInfo holds informational data about connected database server.
-type ServerInfo struct {
+type cockroachInfo struct {
 	VersionString string `db:"version"`
-	Product       string `db:"-"`
-	License       string `db:"-"`
-	Version       string `db:"-"`
-	BuildInfo     string `db:"-"`
+	product       string `db:"-"`
+	license       string `db:"-"`
+	version       string `db:"-"`
+	buildInfo     string `db:"-"`
 }
 
 type cockroach struct {
 	translateCache    map[string]string
 	mu                sync.Mutex
 	ConnectionDetails *ConnectionDetails
-	Server            ServerInfo
+	info              cockroachInfo
 }
 
 func (p *cockroach) Name() string {
@@ -218,33 +218,13 @@ func (p *cockroach) LoadSchema(r io.Reader) error {
 	return genericLoadSchema(p.ConnectionDetails, p.MigrationURL(), r)
 }
 
-func (p *cockroach) FillServerInfo(tx *Connection) error {
-	if err := tx.RawQuery(`select version() AS "version"`).First(&p.Server); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	if s := strings.Split(p.Server.VersionString, " "); len(s) > 3 {
-		p.Server.Product = s[0]
-		p.Server.License = s[1]
-		p.Server.Version = s[2]
-		p.Server.BuildInfo = s[3]
-	}
-	log(logging.Debug, "server: %v %v %v", p.Server.Product, p.Server.License, p.Server.Version)
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (p *cockroach) TruncateAll(tx *Connection) error {
 	type table struct {
 		TableName string `db:"table_name"`
 	}
 
-	// move it to `newCockroach()` if it need more
-	if err := p.FillServerInfo(tx); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	tableQuery := "select table_name from information_schema.tables where table_schema = 'public' and table_type = 'BASE TABLE' and table_catalog = ?"
-	if strings.HasPrefix(p.Server.Version, "v1") {
+	if strings.HasPrefix(p.info.version, "v1") {
 		tableQuery = "select table_name from information_schema.tables where table_schema = ?"
 	}
 
@@ -272,6 +252,21 @@ func (p *cockroach) TruncateAll(tx *Connection) error {
 	// return tx3.RawQuery(fmt.Sprintf("truncate %s cascade;", strings.Join(tableNames, ", "))).Exec()
 }
 
+func (p *cockroach) afterOpen(c *Connection) error {
+	if err := c.RawQuery(`select version() AS "version"`).First(&p.info); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if s := strings.Split(p.info.VersionString, " "); len(s) > 3 {
+		p.info.product = s[0]
+		p.info.license = s[1]
+		p.info.version = s[2]
+		p.info.buildInfo = s[3]
+	}
+	log(logging.Debug, "server: %v %v %v", p.info.product, p.info.license, p.info.version)
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func newCockroach(deets *ConnectionDetails) (dialect, error) {
 	deets.Dialect = "postgres"
 	cd := &cockroach{
diff --git a/dialect_mysql.go b/dialect_mysql.go
index 833b5c00..a4013663 100644
--- a/dialect_mysql.go
+++ b/dialect_mysql.go
@@ -185,6 +185,10 @@ func (m *mysql) TruncateAll(tx *Connection) error {
 	return tx.RawQuery(qb.String()).Exec()
 }
 
+func (m *mysql) afterOpen(c *Connection) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 func newMySQL(deets *ConnectionDetails) (dialect, error) {
 	cd := &mysql{
 		ConnectionDetails: deets,
diff --git a/dialect_postgresql.go b/dialect_postgresql.go
index ec9578d5..8597d5c2 100644
--- a/dialect_postgresql.go
+++ b/dialect_postgresql.go
@@ -199,6 +199,10 @@ func (p *postgresql) TruncateAll(tx *Connection) error {
 	return tx.RawQuery(fmt.Sprintf(pgTruncate, tx.MigrationTableName())).Exec()
 }
 
+func (p *postgresql) afterOpen(c *Connection) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 func newPostgreSQL(deets *ConnectionDetails) (dialect, error) {
 	cd := &postgresql{
 		ConnectionDetails: deets,
diff --git a/dialect_sqlite.go b/dialect_sqlite.go
index d3e378bc..b6efd5b4 100644
--- a/dialect_sqlite.go
+++ b/dialect_sqlite.go
@@ -211,6 +211,10 @@ func (m *sqlite) TruncateAll(tx *Connection) error {
 	return tx.RawQuery(strings.Join(stmts, "; ")).Exec()
 }
 
+func (m *sqlite) afterOpen(c *Connection) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 func newSQLite(deets *ConnectionDetails) (dialect, error) {
 	deets.URL = fmt.Sprintf("sqlite3://%s", deets.Database)
 	cd := &sqlite{