diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9ebcad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+require 'rake'
+require 'rake/testtask'
+
+desc 'Default: build and install.'
+task :default => :build
+
+desc 'Run performance tests.'
+Rake::TestTask.new(:test) do |t|
+  t.libs = [] #reference the installed gem instead
+  t.pattern = 'test/*_test.rb'
+  t.verbose = true
+end
+
+task :build do |t|
+  configure
+  install
+end
+
+def configure
+  puts "** building gem"
+  puts %x{gem build mysqlplus.gemspec}
+end
+
+def install
+  puts "** installing gem"
+  _mysql_config = mysql_config
+  puts "** using mysql_config: #{_mysql_config}"
+  puts %x{sudo gem install mysqlplus-#{version}.gem -- --with-mysql-config=#{_mysql_config}}
+end
+
+def gem_spec
+  @gem_spec ||= eval( IO.read( 'mysqlplus.gemspec') )
+end
+
+def version
+  gem_spec.version.to_s
+end
+
+def mysql_configs
+  %w(mysql_config mysql_config5)
+end
+
+def mysql_config
+  mysql_configs.each do |config|
+    path = mysql_config!( config )
+    return path unless path.empty?
+  end
+end
+
+def mysql_config!( config )
+  %x{which #{config}}
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mysqlplus.gemspec b/mysqlplus.gemspec
index 8771f8e..9d8c492 100755
--- a/mysqlplus.gemspec
+++ b/mysqlplus.gemspec
@@ -12,9 +12,12 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.files    = [ 
 		"mysqlplus.gemspec", 
 		"README",
+		"Rakefile",
 		"lib/mysqlplus.rb",
-		"test/test_threaded.rb",
-		"test/test_evented.rb",
+		"test/test_helper.rb",
+		"test/threaded_test.rb",
+		"test/evented_test.rb",
+		"ext/error_const.h",
 		"ext/extconf.rb",
 		"ext/mysql.c"
 	]
diff --git a/test/test_evented.rb b/test/evented_test.rb
similarity index 80%
rename from test/test_evented.rb
rename to test/evented_test.rb
index 3b4feea..83ddf14 100644
--- a/test/test_evented.rb
+++ b/test/evented_test.rb
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
-require 'mysqlplus'
-
+require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/test_helper'
 @count = 10
 @connections = {}
 
 @count.times do
-   c = Mysql.real_connect('localhost','root',nil)
+   c = Mysql.real_connect('localhost','root','3421260')
    @connections[IO.new(c.socket)] = c
 end
 
@@ -28,4 +27,4 @@ loop do
       end
     end 
   end
-end
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/test_helper.rb b/test/test_helper.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b257359
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_helper.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+require 'rubygems'
+require 'mysqlplus'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/test_threaded.rb b/test/threaded_test.rb
similarity index 73%
rename from test/test_threaded.rb
rename to test/threaded_test.rb
index 91f72a9..3bc75c3 100644
--- a/test/test_threaded.rb
+++ b/test/threaded_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require 'mysqlplus'
+require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/test_helper'
 
 $count = 10
 
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ $start = Time.now
 
 $connections = []
 $count.times do  
-  $connections << Mysql.real_connect('localhost','root')
+  $connections << Mysql.real_connect('localhost','root','3421260')
 end
 
 puts 'connection pool ready'