diff --git a/bitshift/database/__init__.py b/bitshift/database/__init__.py
index bc4b451..1a2b373 100644
--- a/bitshift/database/__init__.py
+++ b/bitshift/database/__init__.py
@@ -16,15 +16,15 @@ class Database(object):
     """Represents the MySQL database."""
 
     def __init__(self, migrate=False):
-        self._connect()
+        self._conn = self._connect()
         self._check_version(migrate)
 
     def _connect(self):
         """Establish a connection to the database."""
         root = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
         default_file = os.path.join(root, ".my.cnf")
-        self._conn = oursql.connect(read_default_file=default_file,
-                                    autoping=True, autoreconnect=True)
+        return oursql.connect(db="bitshift", read_default_file=default_file,
+                              autoping=True, autoreconnect=True)
 
     def _migrate(self, cursor, current):
         """Migrate the database to the latest schema version."""
@@ -58,8 +58,9 @@ class Database(object):
     def _insert_symbols(self, cursor, code_id, sym_type, symbols):
         """Insert a list of symbols of a given type into the database."""
         sym_types = ["functions", "classes", "variables"]
-        query1 = "INSERT INTO symbols VALUES (?, ?, ?)"
-        query2 = "INSERT INTO symbol_locations VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)"
+        query1 = "INSERT INTO symbols VALUES (DEFAULT, ?, ?, ?)"
+        query2 = """INSERT INTO symbol_locations VALUES
+                    (DEFAULT, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)"""
 
         for (name, decls, uses) in symbols:
             cursor.execute(query1, (code_id, sym_types.index(sym_type), name))
@@ -105,8 +106,8 @@ class Database(object):
         query1 = """INSERT INTO code VALUES (?, ?)
                     ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE code_id=code_id"""
         query2 = """INSERT INTO codelets VALUES
-                    (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)"""
-        query3 = "INSERT INTO authors VALUES (?, ?, ?)"
+                    (DEFAULT, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)"""
+        query3 = "INSERT INTO authors VALUES (DEFAULT, ?, ?, ?)"
 
         code_id = mmh3.hash64(codelet.code.encode("utf8"))[0]
         origin, url = self._decompose_url(codelet.url)