diff --git a/cake/libs/class_registry.php b/cake/libs/class_registry.php
index f299a7084..6350d327e 100644
--- a/cake/libs/class_registry.php
+++ b/cake/libs/class_registry.php
@@ -51,6 +51,13 @@ class ClassRegistry {
  * @access private
  */
 	var $__map = array();
+/**
+ * Default constructor parameter settings, indexed by type
+ *
+ * @var array
+ * @access private
+ */
+	var $__params = array();
 /**
  * Return a singleton instance of the ClassRegistry.
  *
@@ -99,11 +106,16 @@ class ClassRegistry {
 			$objects = array(array('class' => $class));
 		}
 
+		$defaults = array_merge(
+			array('id' => false, 'table' => null, 'ds' => null, 'alias' => null, 'name' => null),
+			isset($_this->__params[$type]) ? $_this->__params[$type] : array()
+		);
+
 		$count = count($objects);
 		foreach ($objects as $key => $settings) {
 			if (is_array($settings)) {
 				$plugin = null;
-				$settings = array_merge(array('id' => false, 'table' => null, 'ds' => null, 'alias' => null, 'name' => null), $settings);
+				$settings = array_merge($defaults, $settings);
 
 				extract($settings, EXTR_OVERWRITE);
 
@@ -237,6 +249,29 @@ class ClassRegistry {
 		$return = false;
 		return $return;
 	}
+/*
+ * Sets the default constructor parameter for an object type
+ *
+ * @param string $type Type of object.  If this parameter is omitted, defaults to "Model"
+ * @param array $param The parameter that will be passed to object constructors when objects
+ *                      of $type are created
+ * @return mixed Void if $param is being set.  Otherwise, if only $type is passed, returns
+ *               the previously-set value of $param, or null if not set.
+ */
+	function params($type, $param = array()) {
+		$_this =& ClassRegistry::getInstance();
+
+		if (empty($param) && is_array($type)) {
+			$param = $type;
+			$type = 'Model';
+		} elseif (is_null($param)) {
+			unset($_this->__params[$type]);
+		} elseif (empty($param) && is_string($type)) {
+			return isset($_this->__params[$type]) ? $_this->__params[$type] : null;
+		}
+
+		$_this->__params[$type] = $param;
+	}
 /**
  * Checks to see if $alias is a duplicate $class Object
  *
diff --git a/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_case.php b/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_case.php
index 30b74e2f4..ebf6c493d 100644
--- a/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_case.php
+++ b/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_case.php
@@ -654,6 +654,8 @@ class CakeTestCase extends UnitTestCase {
 		$this->db =& ConnectionManager::getDataSource('test_suite');
 		$this->db->cacheSources  = false;
 		$this->db->fullDebug = false;
+
+		ClassRegistry::params(array('ds' => 'test_suite'));
 	}
 /**
  * Load fixtures specified in var $fixtures.
diff --git a/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_fixture.php b/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_fixture.php
index a5db62d2f..630d4d4a9 100644
--- a/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_fixture.php
+++ b/cake/tests/lib/cake_test_fixture.php
@@ -78,7 +78,11 @@ class CakeTestFixture extends Object {
 			}
 
 			if (isset($import['model']) && (class_exists($import['model']) || App::import('Model', $import['model']))) {
-				$model =& new $import['model'];
+				$connection = isset($import['connection'])
+						? $import['connection']
+						: 'test_suite';
+				ClassRegistry::params(array('ds' => $connection));
+				$model =& ClassRegistry::init($import['model']);
 
 				$db =& ConnectionManager::getDataSource($model->useDbConfig);
 				$db->cacheSources = false;