diff --git a/Readme.markdown b/Readme.markdown
--- a/Readme.markdown
+++ b/Readme.markdown
@@ -158,11 +158,14 @@
 cabal configure --enable-tests && cabal build -j
 ```
 
-To execute the tests, you need a running PostgreSQL server with an empty
-database called _test_. Tests are executed through cabal as follows:
+To execute the tests, you need a running PostgreSQL server. You need to set the correct
+environment varaiables for the psql connection.
 
+Tests are executed through cabal as follows:
+
 ```bash
-cabal configure --enable-tests && cabal test
+cabal configure --enable-tests 
+PGHOST=localhost PGDATABASE=test make-cabal test
 ```
 
 To build with stack use the following command
@@ -174,8 +177,11 @@
 To run the tests with stack use the following command
 
 ```bash
-stack test
+PGHOST=localhost PGDATABASE=test make stack-test
 ```
+
+NB note that the **psql** test argument must be set for the test suite to run. This is so that other CI environments like
+stackage or nix that wont have a running test psql instance will not fail on these tests
 
 
 # Changes from the original postgresql-simple-migration (version 0.1)
diff --git a/postgresql-migration.cabal b/postgresql-migration.cabal
--- a/postgresql-migration.cabal
+++ b/postgresql-migration.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:              3.0
 name:                       postgresql-migration
-version:                    0.2.1.2
+version:                    0.2.1.3
 synopsis:                   PostgreSQL Schema Migrations
 homepage:                   https://github.com/andrevdm/postgresql-migration
 Bug-reports:                https://github.com/andrevdm/postgresql-migration/issues
@@ -103,4 +103,4 @@
                         , base                        >= 4.9      && < 5.0
                         , bytestring                  >= 0.10     && < 0.11
                         , postgresql-simple           >= 0.4      && < 0.7
-                        , hspec                       >= 2.2      && < 2.8
+                        , hspec                       >= 2.2      && < 2.9
diff --git a/test/Main.hs b/test/Main.hs
--- a/test/Main.hs
+++ b/test/Main.hs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 -- The test entry-point for postgresql-migration.
 
 {-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE LambdaCase #-}
 
 module Main
     ( main
@@ -21,14 +22,28 @@
 import qualified Database.PostgreSQL.Simple.TransactionPerRunTest as V2TrnRun
 import qualified Database.PostgreSQL.Simple.TransactionPerStepTest as V2TrnStep
 import           Database.PostgreSQL.Simple.Util          (withTransactionRolledBack)
+import qualified System.Environment as Env
+
 import           Test.Hspec                               (hspec)
 
 main :: IO ()
 main = do
-    conRollback <- connectPostgreSQL ""
-    withTransactionRolledBack conRollback (hspec (V2.migrationSpec conRollback))
-    withTransactionRolledBack conRollback (hspec (V1.migrationSpec conRollback))
-    withTransactionRolledBack conRollback (hspec (V2TrnRun.migrationSpec conRollback))
+  Env.getArgs >>= \case
+    ("psql":as) -> Env.withArgs as $ do
+      conRollback <- connectPostgreSQL ""
+      withTransactionRolledBack conRollback (hspec (V2.migrationSpec conRollback))
+      withTransactionRolledBack conRollback (hspec (V1.migrationSpec conRollback))
+      withTransactionRolledBack conRollback (hspec (V2TrnRun.migrationSpec conRollback))
 
-    conPerStep <- connectPostgreSQL ""
-    hspec (V2TrnStep.migrationSpec conPerStep)
+      conPerStep <- connectPostgreSQL ""
+      hspec (V2TrnStep.migrationSpec conPerStep)
+
+    _ -> do
+      putStrLn "Skipping tests, no 'psql' argument provided"
+      putStrLn "  To run the tests please use one of the following make commands"
+      putStrLn "   make cabal-test"
+      putStrLn "   make stack-test"
+      putStrLn "  or directly"
+      putStrLn "   stack test --ta psql"
+      putStrLn "   cabal run --test-show-details=direct test:tests psql"
+