diff --git a/tokio-postgres/src/config.rs b/tokio-postgres/src/config.rs
index bac19e56..de120ea9 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/src/config.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/src/config.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 //! Connection configuration.
 
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+use crate::connect::connect;
 use crate::connect_raw::connect_raw;
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+use crate::tls::MakeTlsConnect;
 use crate::tls::TlsConnect;
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+use crate::Socket;
 use crate::{Client, Connection, Error};
 use std::borrow::Cow;
 #[cfg(unix)]
@@ -367,6 +373,17 @@ impl Config {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// Opens a connection to a PostgreSQL database.
+    ///
+    /// Requires the `runtime` Cargo feature (enabled by default).
+    #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+    pub async fn connect<T>(&self, tls: T) -> Result<(Client, Connection<Socket, T::Stream>), Error>
+    where
+        T: MakeTlsConnect<Socket>,
+    {
+        connect(tls, self).await
+    }
+
     /// Connects to a PostgreSQL database over an arbitrary stream.
     ///
     /// All of the settings other than `user`, `password`, `dbname`, `options`, and `application` name are ignored.
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/src/connect.rs b/tokio-postgres/src/connect.rs
index 8b137891..8bb234d0 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/src/connect.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/src/connect.rs
@@ -1 +1,60 @@
+use crate::config::{Host, TargetSessionAttrs};
+use crate::connect_raw::connect_raw;
+use crate::connect_socket::connect_socket;
+use crate::tls::{MakeTlsConnect, TlsConnect};
+use crate::{Client, Config, Connection, Error, Socket};
 
+pub async fn connect<T>(
+    mut tls: T,
+    config: &Config,
+) -> Result<(Client, Connection<Socket, T::Stream>), Error>
+where
+    T: MakeTlsConnect<Socket>,
+{
+    if config.host.is_empty() {
+        return Err(Error::config("host missing".into()));
+    }
+
+    if config.port.len() > 1 && config.port.len() != config.host.len() {
+        return Err(Error::config("invalid number of ports".into()));
+    }
+
+    let mut error = None;
+    for (i, host) in config.host.iter().enumerate() {
+        let hostname = match host {
+            Host::Tcp(host) => &**host,
+            // postgres doesn't support TLS over unix sockets, so the choice here doesn't matter
+            #[cfg(unix)]
+            Host::Unix(_) => "",
+        };
+
+        let tls = tls
+            .make_tls_connect(hostname)
+            .map_err(|e| Error::tls(e.into()))?;
+
+        match connect_once(i, tls, config).await {
+            Ok((client, connection)) => return Ok((client, connection)),
+            Err(e) => error = Some(e),
+        }
+    }
+
+    return Err(error.unwrap());
+}
+
+async fn connect_once<T>(
+    idx: usize,
+    tls: T,
+    config: &Config,
+) -> Result<(Client, Connection<Socket, T::Stream>), Error>
+where
+    T: TlsConnect<Socket>,
+{
+    let socket = connect_socket(idx, config).await?;
+    let (client, connection) = connect_raw(socket, tls, config, Some(idx)).await?;
+
+    if let TargetSessionAttrs::ReadWrite = config.target_session_attrs {
+        unimplemented!()
+    }
+
+    Ok((client, connection))
+}
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/src/connect_socket.rs b/tokio-postgres/src/connect_socket.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d88edbc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tokio-postgres/src/connect_socket.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+use crate::config::Host;
+use crate::{Config, Error, Socket};
+use std::future::Future;
+use std::io;
+use std::net::{IpAddr, SocketAddr, ToSocketAddrs};
+use tokio::net::TcpStream;
+#[cfg(unix)]
+use tokio::net::UnixStream;
+use tokio::timer::Timeout;
+
+pub async fn connect_socket(idx: usize, config: &Config) -> Result<Socket, Error> {
+    let port = *config
+        .port
+        .get(idx)
+        .or_else(|| config.port.get(0))
+        .unwrap_or(&5432);
+
+    match &config.host[idx] {
+        Host::Tcp(host) => {
+            let addrs = match host.parse::<IpAddr>() {
+                Ok(ip) => {
+                    // avoid dealing with blocking DNS entirely if possible
+                    vec![SocketAddr::new(ip, port)].into_iter()
+                }
+                Err(_) => {
+                    // FIXME what do?
+                    (&**host, port).to_socket_addrs().map_err(Error::connect)?
+                }
+            };
+
+            let mut error = None;
+            for addr in addrs {
+                let new_error = match connect_timeout(TcpStream::connect(&addr), config).await {
+                    Ok(socket) => return Ok(Socket::new_tcp(socket)),
+                    Err(e) => e,
+                };
+                error = Some(new_error);
+            }
+
+            let error = error.unwrap_or_else(|| {
+                Error::connect(io::Error::new(
+                    io::ErrorKind::InvalidData,
+                    "resolved 0 addresses",
+                ))
+            });
+            Err(error)
+        }
+        #[cfg(unix)]
+        Host::Unix(path) => {
+            let socket = connect_timeout(UnixStream::connect(path), config).await?;
+            Ok(Socket::new_unix(socket))
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+async fn connect_timeout<F, T>(connect: F, config: &Config) -> Result<T, Error>
+where
+    F: Future<Output = io::Result<T>>,
+{
+    match config.connect_timeout {
+        Some(connect_timeout) => match Timeout::new(connect, connect_timeout).await {
+            Ok(Ok(socket)) => Ok(socket),
+            Ok(Err(e)) => Err(Error::connect(e)),
+            Err(_) => Err(Error::connect(io::Error::new(
+                io::ErrorKind::TimedOut,
+                "connection timed out",
+            ))),
+        },
+        None => match connect.await {
+            Ok(socket) => Ok(socket),
+            Err(e) => Err(Error::connect(e)),
+        },
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/src/lib.rs b/tokio-postgres/src/lib.rs
index c1bba074..ea4921ee 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/src/lib.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/src/lib.rs
@@ -112,19 +112,48 @@
 #![warn(rust_2018_idioms, clippy::all, missing_docs)]
 #![feature(async_await)]
 
-pub use client::Client;
-pub use config::Config;
-pub use connection::Connection;
-pub use error::Error;
+pub use crate::client::Client;
+pub use crate::config::Config;
+pub use crate::connection::Connection;
+pub use crate::error::Error;
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+pub use crate::socket::Socket;
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+use crate::tls::MakeTlsConnect;
+pub use crate::tls::NoTls;
 
 mod client;
 mod codec;
 pub mod config;
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
 mod connect;
 mod connect_raw;
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+mod connect_socket;
 mod connect_tls;
 mod connection;
 pub mod error;
 mod maybe_tls_stream;
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+mod socket;
 pub mod tls;
 pub mod types;
+
+/// A convenience function which parses a connection string and connects to the database.
+///
+/// See the documentation for [`Config`] for details on the connection string format.
+///
+/// Requires the `runtime` Cargo feature (enabled by default).
+///
+/// [`Config`]: ./Config.t.html
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+pub async fn connect<T>(
+    config: &str,
+    tls: T,
+) -> Result<(Client, Connection<Socket, T::Stream>), Error>
+where
+    T: MakeTlsConnect<Socket>,
+{
+    let config = config.parse::<Config>()?;
+    config.connect(tls).await
+}
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/src/socket.rs b/tokio-postgres/src/socket.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..74663cf6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tokio-postgres/src/socket.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+use bytes::{Buf, BufMut};
+use std::io;
+use std::pin::Pin;
+use std::task::{Context, Poll};
+use tokio::io::{AsyncRead, AsyncWrite};
+use tokio::net::TcpStream;
+#[cfg(unix)]
+use tokio::net::UnixStream;
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+enum Inner {
+    Tcp(TcpStream),
+    Unix(UnixStream),
+}
+
+/// The standard stream type used by the crate.
+///
+/// Requires the `runtime` Cargo feature (enabled by default).
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct Socket(Inner);
+
+impl Socket {
+    pub(crate) fn new_tcp(stream: TcpStream) -> Socket {
+        Socket(Inner::Tcp(stream))
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    pub(crate) fn new_unix(stream: UnixStream) -> Socket {
+        Socket(Inner::Unix(stream))
+    }
+}
+
+impl AsyncRead for Socket {
+    unsafe fn prepare_uninitialized_buffer(&self, buf: &mut [u8]) -> bool {
+        match &self.0 {
+            Inner::Tcp(s) => s.prepare_uninitialized_buffer(buf),
+            #[cfg(unix)]
+            Inner::Unix(s) => s.prepare_uninitialized_buffer(buf),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn poll_read(
+        mut self: Pin<&mut Self>,
+        cx: &mut Context<'_>,
+        buf: &mut [u8],
+    ) -> Poll<io::Result<usize>> {
+        match &mut self.0 {
+            Inner::Tcp(s) => Pin::new(s).poll_read(cx, buf),
+            #[cfg(unix)]
+            Inner::Unix(s) => Pin::new(s).poll_read(cx, buf),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn poll_read_buf<B>(
+        mut self: Pin<&mut Self>,
+        cx: &mut Context<'_>,
+        buf: &mut B,
+    ) -> Poll<io::Result<usize>>
+    where
+        Self: Sized,
+        B: BufMut,
+    {
+        match &mut self.0 {
+            Inner::Tcp(s) => Pin::new(s).poll_read_buf(cx, buf),
+            #[cfg(unix)]
+            Inner::Unix(s) => Pin::new(s).poll_read_buf(cx, buf),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl AsyncWrite for Socket {
+    fn poll_write(
+        mut self: Pin<&mut Self>,
+        cx: &mut Context<'_>,
+        buf: &[u8],
+    ) -> Poll<io::Result<usize>> {
+        match &mut self.0 {
+            Inner::Tcp(s) => Pin::new(s).poll_write(cx, buf),
+            #[cfg(unix)]
+            Inner::Unix(s) => Pin::new(s).poll_write(cx, buf),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn poll_flush(mut self: Pin<&mut Self>, cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<io::Result<()>> {
+        match &mut self.0 {
+            Inner::Tcp(s) => Pin::new(s).poll_flush(cx),
+            #[cfg(unix)]
+            Inner::Unix(s) => Pin::new(s).poll_flush(cx),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn poll_shutdown(mut self: Pin<&mut Self>, cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<io::Result<()>> {
+        match &mut self.0 {
+            Inner::Tcp(s) => Pin::new(s).poll_shutdown(cx),
+            #[cfg(unix)]
+            Inner::Unix(s) => Pin::new(s).poll_shutdown(cx),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn poll_write_buf<B>(
+        mut self: Pin<&mut Self>,
+        cx: &mut Context<'_>,
+        buf: &mut B,
+    ) -> Poll<io::Result<usize>>
+    where
+        Self: Sized,
+        B: Buf,
+    {
+        match &mut self.0 {
+            Inner::Tcp(s) => Pin::new(s).poll_write_buf(cx, buf),
+            #[cfg(unix)]
+            Inner::Unix(s) => Pin::new(s).poll_write_buf(cx, buf),
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/src/tls.rs b/tokio-postgres/src/tls.rs
index 99300521..1e1adeb2 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/src/tls.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/src/tls.rs
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ pub trait MakeTlsConnect<S> {
     type Stream: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite + Unpin;
     /// The `TlsConnect` implementation created by this type.
     type TlsConnect: TlsConnect<S, Stream = Self::Stream>;
-    /// The error type retured by the `TlsConnect` implementation.
+    /// The error type returned by the `TlsConnect` implementation.
     type Error: Into<Box<dyn Error + Sync + Send>>;
 
     /// Creates a new `TlsConnect`or.
@@ -73,6 +73,17 @@ pub trait TlsConnect<S> {
 /// This can be used when `sslmode` is `none` or `prefer`.
 pub struct NoTls;
 
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+impl<S> MakeTlsConnect<S> for NoTls {
+    type Stream = NoTlsStream;
+    type TlsConnect = NoTls;
+    type Error = NoTlsError;
+
+    fn make_tls_connect(&mut self, _: &str) -> Result<NoTls, NoTlsError> {
+        Ok(NoTls)
+    }
+}
+
 impl<S> TlsConnect<S> for NoTls {
     type Stream = NoTlsStream;
     type Error = NoTlsError;
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/tests/test/main.rs b/tokio-postgres/tests/test/main.rs
index 1403cbfa..9bddea87 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/tests/test/main.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/tests/test/main.rs
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ use tokio_postgres::tls::{NoTls, NoTlsStream};
 use tokio_postgres::{Client, Config, Connection, Error};
 
 mod parse;
-/*
 #[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
 mod runtime;
+/*
 mod types;
 */
 
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/tests/test/runtime.rs b/tokio-postgres/tests/test/runtime.rs
index 2af9a18d..c18e5be4 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/tests/test/runtime.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/tests/test/runtime.rs
@@ -5,70 +5,65 @@ use tokio::timer::Delay;
 use tokio_postgres::error::SqlState;
 use tokio_postgres::NoTls;
 
-fn smoke_test(s: &str) {
-    let mut runtime = Runtime::new().unwrap();
-    let connect = tokio_postgres::connect(s, NoTls);
-    let (mut client, connection) = runtime.block_on(connect).unwrap();
+async fn smoke_test(s: &str) {
+    let (mut client, connection) = tokio_postgres::connect(s, NoTls).await.unwrap();
+    /*
     let connection = connection.map_err(|e| panic!("{}", e));
     runtime.spawn(connection);
 
     let execute = client.simple_query("SELECT 1").for_each(|_| Ok(()));
     runtime.block_on(execute).unwrap();
+    */
 }
 
-#[test]
+#[tokio::test]
 #[ignore] // FIXME doesn't work with our docker-based tests :(
-fn unix_socket() {
-    smoke_test("host=/var/run/postgresql port=5433 user=postgres");
+async fn unix_socket() {
+    smoke_test("host=/var/run/postgresql port=5433 user=postgres").await;
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn tcp() {
-    smoke_test("host=localhost port=5433 user=postgres")
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn tcp() {
+    smoke_test("host=localhost port=5433 user=postgres").await;
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn multiple_hosts_one_port() {
-    smoke_test("host=foobar.invalid,localhost port=5433 user=postgres");
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn multiple_hosts_one_port() {
+    smoke_test("host=foobar.invalid,localhost port=5433 user=postgres").await;
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn multiple_hosts_multiple_ports() {
-    smoke_test("host=foobar.invalid,localhost port=5432,5433 user=postgres");
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn multiple_hosts_multiple_ports() {
+    smoke_test("host=foobar.invalid,localhost port=5432,5433 user=postgres").await;
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn wrong_port_count() {
-    let mut runtime = Runtime::new().unwrap();
-    let f = tokio_postgres::connect("host=localhost port=5433,5433 user=postgres", NoTls);
-    runtime.block_on(f).err().unwrap();
-
-    let f = tokio_postgres::connect(
-        "host=localhost,localhost,localhost port=5433,5433 user=postgres",
-        NoTls,
-    );
-    runtime.block_on(f).err().unwrap();
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn wrong_port_count() {
+    tokio_postgres::connect("host=localhost port=5433,5433 user=postgres", NoTls)
+        .await
+        .err()
+        .unwrap();
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn target_session_attrs_ok() {
-    let mut runtime = Runtime::new().unwrap();
-    let f = tokio_postgres::connect(
+/*
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn target_session_attrs_ok() {
+    tokio_postgres::connect(
         "host=localhost port=5433 user=postgres target_session_attrs=read-write",
         NoTls,
-    );
-    runtime.block_on(f).unwrap();
+    )
+    .await
+    .err()
+    .unwrap();
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn target_session_attrs_err() {
-    let mut runtime = Runtime::new().unwrap();
-    let f = tokio_postgres::connect(
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn target_session_attrs_err() {
+    tokio_postgres::connect(
         "host=localhost port=5433 user=postgres target_session_attrs=read-write
          options='-c default_transaction_read_only=on'",
         NoTls,
-    );
-    runtime.block_on(f).err().unwrap();
+    ).await.err().unwrap();
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -100,3 +95,4 @@ fn cancel_query() {
 
     let ((), ()) = runtime.block_on(sleep.join(cancel)).unwrap();
 }
+*/