diff --git a/tests/Dbal/AllTests.php b/tests/Dbal/AllTests.php
index aa04f07af..307d86ebf 100644
--- a/tests/Dbal/AllTests.php
+++ b/tests/Dbal/AllTests.php
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class Dbal_AllTests
 
     public static function suite()
     {
-        $suite = new Doctrine_TestSuite('Doctrine Dbal');
+        $suite = new Doctrine_DbalTestSuite('Doctrine Dbal');
 
         $suite->addTest(Dbal_Component_AllTests::suite());
         
diff --git a/tests/Dbal/Component/TestTest.php b/tests/Dbal/Component/TestTest.php
index 798b1c86d..71fe58b55 100644
--- a/tests/Dbal/Component/TestTest.php
+++ b/tests/Dbal/Component/TestTest.php
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 require_once 'lib/DoctrineTestInit.php';
  
-class Dbal_Component_TestTest extends Doctrine_TestCase
+class Dbal_Component_TestTest extends Doctrine_DbalTestCase
 {
     public function testTest()
     {
diff --git a/tests/Orm/AllTests.php b/tests/Orm/AllTests.php
index 85e95bb3f..25ae73573 100644
--- a/tests/Orm/AllTests.php
+++ b/tests/Orm/AllTests.php
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class Orm_AllTests
 
     public static function suite()
     {
-        $suite = new Doctrine_TestSuite('Doctrine Orm');
+        $suite = new Doctrine_OrmTestSuite('Doctrine Orm');
 
         $suite->addTest(Orm_Component_AllTests::suite());
         
diff --git a/tests/Orm/Component/TestTest.php b/tests/Orm/Component/TestTest.php
index 94c678dcf..52af8a462 100644
--- a/tests/Orm/Component/TestTest.php
+++ b/tests/Orm/Component/TestTest.php
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 require_once 'lib/DoctrineTestInit.php';
  
-class Orm_Component_TestTest extends Doctrine_TestCase
+class Orm_Component_TestTest extends Doctrine_OrmTestCase
 {
     public function testTest()
     {
diff --git a/tests/lib/DoctrineTestInit.php b/tests/lib/DoctrineTestInit.php
index f5aef9be7..cd3f6af4e 100644
--- a/tests/lib/DoctrineTestInit.php
+++ b/tests/lib/DoctrineTestInit.php
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@
 require_once 'PHPUnit/Framework.php';
 require_once 'PHPUnit/TextUI/TestRunner.php';
 require_once 'Doctrine_TestCase.php';
+require_once 'Doctrine_DbalTestCase.php';
+require_once 'Doctrine_OrmTestCase.php';
 require_once 'Doctrine_TestSuite.php';
+require_once 'Doctrine_OrmTestSuite.php';
+require_once 'Doctrine_DbalTestSuite.php';
 
 require_once '../lib/Doctrine.php';
 spl_autoload_register(array('Doctrine', 'autoload'));
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/lib/Doctrine_DbalTestCase.php b/tests/lib/Doctrine_DbalTestCase.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7cb510c45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lib/Doctrine_DbalTestCase.php
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Base testcase class for all dbal testcases.
+ */
+class Doctrine_DbalTestCase extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
+{
+    
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/lib/Doctrine_DbalTestSuite.php b/tests/lib/Doctrine_DbalTestSuite.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..407c591ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lib/Doctrine_DbalTestSuite.php
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<?php 
+/**
+ * The outermost test suite for all dbal related testcases & suites.
+ * 
+ * Currently the dbal suite uses a normal connection object, too, just like the orm suite.
+ * Upon separation of the DBAL and ORM package this suite should just use a DBAL
+ * connection in the shared fixture.
+ */
+class Doctrine_DbalTestSuite extends Doctrine_TestSuite
+{
+    
+    protected function setUp()
+    {
+        $pdo = new PDO('sqlite::memory:');
+        $this->sharedFixture['connection'] = $this->loadConnection($pdo, 'sqlite_memory');
+    }
+
+    protected function loadConnection($conn, $name)
+    {
+        return Doctrine_Manager::connection($conn, $name);
+    }
+    
+    protected function tearDown()
+    {
+        Doctrine_Manager::getInstance()->getConnection('sqlite_memory')->close();
+        $this->sharedFixture = NULL;
+    }
+    
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/lib/Doctrine_OrmTestCase.php b/tests/lib/Doctrine_OrmTestCase.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8130573ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lib/Doctrine_OrmTestCase.php
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Base testcase class for all orm testcases.
+ *
+ * Provides the testcases with fixture support and other orm related capabilities.
+ */
+class Doctrine_OrmTestCase extends Doctrine_TestCase
+{
+    public function loadFixturesPackage($package, $models = array())
+    {
+        $packagePath = 'fixtures' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $package;
+
+        if ( ! file_exists($packagePath)) {
+            throw new Exception("Could not find fixtures package: $package.");
+        }
+
+        $modelsPath = $packagePath . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'models';
+        $dataPath = $packagePath . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'data';
+        
+        Doctrine::loadModels($modelsPath);
+        Doctrine::createTablesFromModels($modelsPath);
+        
+        $data = new Doctrine_Data();
+        $data->importData($dataPath, 'yml', $models);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/lib/Doctrine_OrmTestSuite.php b/tests/lib/Doctrine_OrmTestSuite.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8153fc599
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lib/Doctrine_OrmTestSuite.php
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+<?php 
+/**
+ * The outermost test suite for all orm related testcases & suites.
+ *
+ * Currently the orm suite uses a normal connection object.
+ * Upon separation of the DBAL and ORM package this suite should just use a orm
+ * connection/session/manager instance as the shared fixture.
+ */
+class Doctrine_OrmTestSuite extends Doctrine_TestSuite
+{
+    protected function setUp()
+    {
+        $pdo = new PDO('sqlite::memory:');
+        $this->sharedFixture['connection'] = $this->loadConnection($pdo, 'sqlite_memory');
+    }
+
+    protected function loadConnection($conn, $name)
+    {
+        return Doctrine_Manager::connection($conn, $name);
+    }
+    
+    protected function tearDown()
+    {
+        Doctrine_Manager::getInstance()->getConnection('sqlite_memory')->close();
+        $this->sharedFixture = NULL;
+    }    
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/lib/Doctrine_TestCase.php b/tests/lib/Doctrine_TestCase.php
index f1f8324a0..65724d9e4 100644
--- a/tests/lib/Doctrine_TestCase.php
+++ b/tests/lib/Doctrine_TestCase.php
@@ -1,39 +1,8 @@
 <?php
+/**
+ * Base testcase class for all Doctrine testcases.
+ */
 class Doctrine_TestCase extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
 {
-    public function setUp()
-    {
-        $pdo = new PDO('sqlite::memory:');
-        $this->sharedFixture = $this->loadConnection($pdo, 'sqlite_memory');
-    }
-
-    public function loadConnection($conn, $name)
-    {
-        return Doctrine_Manager::connection($conn, $name);
-    }
-
-    public function loadFixturesPackage($package, $models = array())
-    {
-        $packagePath = 'fixtures' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $package;
-
-        if ( ! file_exists($packagePath)) {
-            throw new Exception('Could not find fixtures package: "' . $package . '"');
-        }
-
-        $modelsPath = $packagePath . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'models';
-        $dataPath = $packagePath . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'data';
-        
-        Doctrine::loadModels($modelsPath);
-        Doctrine::createTablesFromModels($modelsPath);
-        
-        $data = new Doctrine_Data();
-        $data->importData($dataPath, 'yml', $models);
-    }
-
-    public function tearDown()
-    {
-        Doctrine_Manager::getInstance()->getConnection('sqlite_memory')->close();
-
-        $this->sharedFixture = NULL;
-    }
+    
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/lib/Doctrine_TestSuite.php b/tests/lib/Doctrine_TestSuite.php
index e866e1b3c..e0c0e283e 100644
--- a/tests/lib/Doctrine_TestSuite.php
+++ b/tests/lib/Doctrine_TestSuite.php
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 <?php
+/**
+ * Doctrine's basic test suite implementation. Provides functionality needed by all
+ * test suites.
+ */
 class Doctrine_TestSuite extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestSuite
 {
-  
+    
 }
\ No newline at end of file