diff --git a/memsql/common/database.py b/memsql/common/database.py
index 3510a17..d4e4fcf 100644
--- a/memsql/common/database.py
+++ b/memsql/common/database.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 """A lightweight wrapper around _mysql."""
 
 from MySQLdb import _mysql
+import MySQLdb
 import time
 import operator
 
@@ -55,6 +56,13 @@ def __init__(self, host, port=3306, database="information_schema", user=None, pa
             assert isinstance(options, dict), "Options to database.Connection must be an dictionary of { str: value } pairs."
             args.update(options)
 
+        # Fix for parameter name changes in mysqlclient v2.1.0
+        if MySQLdb.version_info[:2] >= (2, 1):
+            if "db" in args:
+                args["database"] = args.pop("db")
+            if "passwd" in args:
+                args["password"] = args.pop("passwd")
+
         self._db = None
         self._db_args = args
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index fcbf909..1615248 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
     'wraptor',
     'simplejson',
     'python-dateutil<3.0',
-    'mysqlclient<2.0',
+    'mysqlclient>=1.4',
 ]
 
 class PyTest(TestCommand):