diff --git a/pyfpdb/Configuration.py b/pyfpdb/Configuration.py
index e6f620bc..b43c8ea5 100755
--- a/pyfpdb/Configuration.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/Configuration.py
@@ -230,10 +230,11 @@ class Tv:
                 (self.combinedStealFold, self.combined2B3B, self.combinedPostflop) )
 
 class Config:
-    def __init__(self, file = None):
+    def __init__(self, file = None, dbname = 'fpdb'):
 
 #    "file" is a path to an xml file with the fpdb/HUD configuration
 #    we check the existence of "file" and try to recover if it doesn't exist
+        self.dbname = dbname
 
         self.default_config_path = self.get_default_config_path()
         if file != None: # configuration file path has been passed
@@ -308,7 +309,7 @@ class Config:
             tv = Tv(node = tv_node)
             self.tv = tv
 
-        db = self.get_db_parameters('fpdb')
+        db = self.get_db_parameters()
         if db['db-password'] == 'YOUR MYSQL PASSWORD':
             df_file = self.find_default_conf()
             if df_file == None: # this is bad
@@ -448,9 +449,9 @@ class Config:
             else:
                 self.aux_windows[aux_name].layout[max].location[i] = ( locations[i][0], locations[i][1] )
 
-    def get_db_parameters(self, name = None):
-        if name == None: name = 'fpdb'
+    def get_db_parameters(self):
         db = {}
+        name = self.dbname
         try:    db['db-databaseName'] = name
         except: pass
 
diff --git a/pyfpdb/fpdb.py b/pyfpdb/fpdb.py
index b5931bde..0f0f3bf3 100755
--- a/pyfpdb/fpdb.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/fpdb.py
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ from optparse import OptionParser
 parser = OptionParser()
 parser.add_option("-x", "--errorsToConsole", action="store_true",
                 help="If passed error output will go to the console rather than .")
+parser.add_option("-d", "--databaseName", dest="dbname", default="fpdb",
+                help="Overrides the default database name")
 (options, sys.argv) = parser.parse_args()
 
 if not options.errorsToConsole:
@@ -371,7 +373,7 @@ This program is licensed under the AGPL3, see docs"""+os.sep+"agpl-3.0.txt")
     def __init__(self):
         self.threads=[]
         self.db=None
-        self.config = Configuration.Config()
+        self.config = Configuration.Config(dbname=options.dbname)
         self.load_profile()
 
         self.window = gtk.Window(gtk.WINDOW_TOPLEVEL)