diff --git a/bottle_redis.py b/bottle_redis.py
index cca3627..ae1a6fb 100644
--- a/bottle_redis.py
+++ b/bottle_redis.py
@@ -8,12 +8,11 @@ class RedisPlugin(object):
     name = 'redis'
     api = 2
 
-    def __init__(self, host='localhost', port=6379, database=0, keyword='rdb'):
-      self.host = host
-      self.port = port
-      self.database = database
+    def __init__(self, keyword='rdb', *args, **kwargs):
       self.keyword = keyword
       self.redisdb = None
+      self.args = args
+      self.kwargs = kwargs
 
     def setup(self, app):
         for other in app.plugins:
@@ -23,9 +22,7 @@ def setup(self, app):
                 raise PluginError("Found another redis plugin with "\
                         "conflicting settings (non-unique keyword).")
         if self.redisdb is None:
-            self.redisdb = redis.ConnectionPool(host=self.host,
-                                                port=self.port,
-                                                db=self.database)
+            self.redisdb = redis.ConnectionPool(*self.args, **self.kwargs)
 
     def apply(self, callback, route):
         # hack to support bottle v0.9.x
diff --git a/test.py b/test.py
index f955c4f..73d824f 100644
--- a/test.py
+++ b/test.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 import unittest
-import os
 import sys
 import bottle
 from bottle.ext import redis as redis_plugin
@@ -21,7 +20,8 @@ def test_with_keyword(self):
         @self.app.get('/')
         def test(rdb):
             self.assertEqual(type(rdb), type(redis.client.Redis()))
-        self.app({'PATH_INFO':'/', 'REQUEST_METHOD':'GET'}, lambda x, y: None)
+        self.app({'PATH_INFO': '/', 'REQUEST_METHOD': 'GET'},
+                 lambda x, y: None)
 
     def test_without_keyword(self):
         self.plugin = self.app.install(redis_plugin.Plugin())
@@ -29,22 +29,28 @@ def test_without_keyword(self):
         @self.app.get('/')
         def test():
             pass
-        self.app({'PATH_INFO':'/', 'REQUEST_METHOD':'GET'}, lambda x, y: None)
+        self.app({'PATH_INFO': '/', 'REQUEST_METHOD': 'GET'},
+                 lambda x, y: None)
 
         @self.app.get('/2')
         def test_kw(**kw):
             self.assertFalse('rdb' in kw)
-        self.app({'PATH_INFO':'/2', 'REQUEST_METHOD':'GET'}, lambda x, y: None)
-    
+        self.app({'PATH_INFO': '/2', 'REQUEST_METHOD': 'GET'},
+                 lambda x, y: None)
+
     def test_optional_args(self):
-        self.plugin = self.app.install(redis_plugin.Plugin(database=1))
+        self.plugin = self.app.install(redis_plugin.Plugin(
+            db=1, decode_responses=True))
 
         @self.app.get('/db/1')
         def test_db_arg(rdb):
-            self.assertTrue(rdb.connection_pool.connection_kwargs['db'] == 1)
-        self.app({'PATH_INFO':'/db/1', 'REQUEST_METHOD':'GET'},
-                 lambda x,y: None)
-        
+            pool = rdb.connection_pool
+            self.assertTrue(pool.connection_kwargs['db'] == 1)
+            self.assertTrue(pool.connection_kwargs['decode_responses'] == True)
+            rdb.set('test', 'bottle')
+            self.assertEqual(rdb.get('test'), 'bottle')
+        self.app({'PATH_INFO': '/db/1', 'REQUEST_METHOD': 'GET'},
+                 lambda x, y: None)
 
     def test_save(self):
         self.plugin = self.app.install(redis_plugin.Plugin())
@@ -58,8 +64,9 @@ def test(rdb):
             else:
                 self.assertEqual(rdb.get('test'), 'bottle')
             self.assertEqual(rdb.get('test'), r.get('test'))
-        self.app({'PATH_INFO':'/', 'REQUEST_METHOD':'GET'}, lambda x,y: None)
- 
+        self.app({'PATH_INFO': '/', 'REQUEST_METHOD': 'GET'},
+                 lambda x, y: None)
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()