diff --git a/tokio-postgres-openssl/src/test.rs b/tokio-postgres-openssl/src/test.rs
index a85cc534..ee37202d 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres-openssl/src/test.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres-openssl/src/test.rs
@@ -77,10 +77,7 @@ fn runtime() {
     builder.set_ca_file("../test/server.crt").unwrap();
     let connector = MakeTlsConnector::new(builder.build());
 
-    let connect = "host=localhost port=5433 user=postgres"
-        .parse::<tokio_postgres::Builder>()
-        .unwrap()
-        .connect(RequireTls(connector));
+    let connect = tokio_postgres::connect("host=localhost port=5433 user=postgres", RequireTls(connector));
     let (mut client, connection) = runtime.block_on(connect).unwrap();
     let connection = connection.map_err(|e| panic!("{}", e));
     runtime.spawn(connection);
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/src/builder.rs b/tokio-postgres/src/builder.rs
index c64ad729..998e4843 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/src/builder.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/src/builder.rs
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ impl Builder {
     where
         T: MakeTlsMode<Socket>,
     {
-        Connect(ConnectFuture::new(make_tls_mode, self.clone()))
+        Connect(ConnectFuture::new(make_tls_mode, Ok(self.clone())))
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/src/lib.rs b/tokio-postgres/src/lib.rs
index 660dc4db..2b160a3e 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/src/lib.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/src/lib.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,14 @@ fn next_portal() -> String {
     format!("p{}", ID.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst))
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "runtime")]
+pub fn connect<T>(config: &str, tls_mode: T) -> Connect<T>
+where
+    T: MakeTlsMode<Socket>,
+{
+    Connect(proto::ConnectFuture::new(tls_mode, config.parse()))
+}
+
 pub fn cancel_query<S, T>(stream: S, tls_mode: T, cancel_data: CancelData) -> CancelQuery<S, T>
 where
     S: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite,
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/src/proto/connect.rs b/tokio-postgres/src/proto/connect.rs
index f99cd87c..d272db16 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/src/proto/connect.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/src/proto/connect.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,10 @@ where
     T: MakeTlsMode<Socket>,
 {
     #[state_machine_future(start, transitions(MakingTlsMode))]
-    Start { make_tls_mode: T, config: Builder },
+    Start {
+        make_tls_mode: T,
+        config: Result<Builder, Error>,
+    },
     #[state_machine_future(transitions(Connecting))]
     MakingTlsMode {
         future: T::Future,
@@ -38,15 +41,17 @@ where
     fn poll_start<'a>(state: &'a mut RentToOwn<'a, Start<T>>) -> Poll<AfterStart<T>, Error> {
         let mut state = state.take();
 
-        if state.config.0.host.is_empty() {
+        let config = state.config?;
+
+        if config.0.host.is_empty() {
             return Err(Error::missing_host());
         }
 
-        if state.config.0.port.len() > 1 && state.config.0.port.len() != state.config.0.host.len() {
+        if config.0.port.len() > 1 && config.0.port.len() != config.0.host.len() {
             return Err(Error::invalid_port_count());
         }
 
-        let hostname = match &state.config.0.host[0] {
+        let hostname = match &config.0.host[0] {
             Host::Tcp(host) => &**host,
             // postgres doesn't support TLS over unix sockets, so the choice here doesn't matter
             #[cfg(unix)]
@@ -58,7 +63,7 @@ where
             future,
             idx: 0,
             make_tls_mode: state.make_tls_mode,
-            config: state.config,
+            config,
         })
     }
 
@@ -113,7 +118,7 @@ impl<T> ConnectFuture<T>
 where
     T: MakeTlsMode<Socket>,
 {
-    pub fn new(make_tls_mode: T, config: Builder) -> ConnectFuture<T> {
+    pub fn new(make_tls_mode: T, config: Result<Builder, Error>) -> ConnectFuture<T> {
         Connect::start(make_tls_mode, config)
     }
 }
diff --git a/tokio-postgres/tests/test/runtime.rs b/tokio-postgres/tests/test/runtime.rs
index 576ca02f..67246876 100644
--- a/tokio-postgres/tests/test/runtime.rs
+++ b/tokio-postgres/tests/test/runtime.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,10 @@
 use futures::Future;
 use tokio::runtime::current_thread::Runtime;
-use tokio_postgres::{Client, Connection, Error, NoTls, Socket};
-
-fn connect(s: &str) -> impl Future<Item = (Client, Connection<Socket>), Error = Error> {
-    s.parse::<tokio_postgres::Builder>().unwrap().connect(NoTls)
-}
+use tokio_postgres::NoTls;
 
 fn smoke_test(s: &str) {
     let mut runtime = Runtime::new().unwrap();
-    let connect = connect(s);
+    let connect = tokio_postgres::connect(s, NoTls);
     let (mut client, connection) = runtime.block_on(connect).unwrap();
     let connection = connection.map_err(|e| panic!("{}", e));
     runtime.spawn(connection);
@@ -41,9 +37,12 @@ fn multiple_hosts_multiple_ports() {
 #[test]
 fn wrong_port_count() {
     let mut runtime = Runtime::new().unwrap();
-    let f = connect("host=localhost port=5433,5433 user=postgres");
+    let f = tokio_postgres::connect("host=localhost port=5433,5433 user=postgres", NoTls);
     runtime.block_on(f).err().unwrap();
 
-    let f = connect("host=localhost,localhost,localhost port=5433,5433 user=postgres");
+    let f = tokio_postgres::connect(
+        "host=localhost,localhost,localhost port=5433,5433 user=postgres",
+        NoTls,
+    );
     runtime.block_on(f).err().unwrap();
 }