diff --git a/selda-postgresql.cabal b/selda-postgresql.cabal
--- a/selda-postgresql.cabal
+++ b/selda-postgresql.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                selda-postgresql
-version:             0.1.5.1
+version:             0.1.6.0
 synopsis:            PostgreSQL backend for the Selda database EDSL.
 description:         PostgreSQL backend for the Selda database EDSL.
                      Requires the PostgreSQL @libpq@ development libraries to be
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@
     OverloadedStrings
     CPP
   build-depends:
-      base       >=4.8     && <5
-    , bytestring >=0.9 && <0.11
-    , exceptions >=0.8     && <0.9
-    , selda      >=0.1.8.0 && <0.2
-    , text       >=1.0     && <1.3
+      base       >=4.8      && <5
+    , bytestring >=0.9      && <0.11
+    , exceptions >=0.8      && <0.9
+    , selda      >=0.1.10.0 && <0.2
+    , text       >=1.0      && <1.3
   if !flag(haste)
     build-depends:
       postgresql-libpq >=0.9 && <0.10
diff --git a/src/Database/Selda/PostgreSQL.hs b/src/Database/Selda/PostgreSQL.hs
--- a/src/Database/Selda/PostgreSQL.hs
+++ b/src/Database/Selda/PostgreSQL.hs
@@ -91,33 +91,31 @@
 #ifdef __HASTE__
 withPostgreSQL _ _ = return $ error "withPostgreSQL called in JS context"
 #else
-withPostgreSQL ci m = do
-  c <- pgOpen ci
-  runSeldaT m c `finally` seldaClose c
+withPostgreSQL ci m = bracket (pgOpen ci) seldaClose (runSeldaT m)
 #endif
 
 -- | Open a new PostgreSQL connection. The connection will persist across
 --   calls to 'runSeldaT', and must be explicitly closed using 'seldaClose'
 --   when no longer needed.
-pgOpen :: (MonadIO m, MonadThrow m) => PGConnectInfo -> m SeldaConnection
+pgOpen :: (MonadIO m, MonadMask m) => PGConnectInfo -> m SeldaConnection
 #ifdef __HASTE__
 pgOpen _ = return $ error "pgOpen called in JS context"
 #else
-pgOpen ci = do
-  conn <- liftIO $ connectdb connstr
-  st <- liftIO $ status conn
-  case st of
-    ConnectionOk -> do
-      let backend = pgBackend conn
-      liftIO $ runStmt backend "SET client_min_messages TO WARNING;" []
-      newConnection backend (decodeUtf8 connstr)
-    nope -> do
-      connFailed nope
-  where
-    connstr = pgConnString ci
-    connFailed f = throwM $ DbError $ unwords
-      [ "unable to connect to postgres server: " ++ show f
-      ]
+pgOpen ci =
+  bracketOnError (liftIO $ connectdb connstr) (liftIO . finish) $ \conn -> do
+    st <- liftIO $ status conn
+    case st of
+      ConnectionOk -> do
+        let backend = pgBackend conn
+        liftIO $ runStmt backend "SET client_min_messages TO WARNING;" []
+        newConnection backend (decodeUtf8 connstr)
+      nope -> do
+        connFailed nope
+    where
+      connstr = pgConnString ci
+      connFailed f = throwM $ DbError $ unwords
+        [ "unable to connect to postgres server: " ++ show f
+        ]
 
 -- | Create a `SeldaBackend` for PostgreSQL `Connection`
 pgBackend :: Connection   -- ^ PostgreSQL connection object.