diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index af6fed2b3..974a20bcc 100755
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -230,17 +230,18 @@ def create_trade(stake_amount: float, _exchange: exchange.Exchange) -> Optional[
                  is_open=True)
 
 
-def init(config: dict) -> None:
+def init(config: dict, db_url: Optional[str]=None) -> None:
     """
     Initializes all modules and updates the config
     :param config: config as dict
+    :param db_url: database connector string for sqlalchemy (Optional)
     :return: None
     """
     global _conf
 
     # Initialize all modules
     telegram.init(config)
-    persistence.init(config)
+    persistence.init(config, db_url)
     exchange.init(config)
     _conf.update(config)
 
diff --git a/persistence.py b/persistence.py
index ce1a1999a..d85a2a27c 100644
--- a/persistence.py
+++ b/persistence.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from datetime import datetime
+from typing import Optional
 
 from sqlalchemy import Boolean, Column, DateTime, Float, Integer, String, create_engine
 from sqlalchemy.ext.declarative import declarative_base
@@ -10,29 +11,28 @@ from sqlalchemy.types import Enum
 import exchange
 
 
-_db_handle = None
 _conf = {}
 
-
 Base = declarative_base()
 
 
-def init(config: dict) -> None:
+def init(config: dict, db_url: Optional[str]=None) -> None:
     """
     Initializes this module with the given config,
     registers all known command handlers
     and starts polling for message updates
     :param config: config to use
+    :param db_url: database connector string for sqlalchemy (Optional)
     :return: None
     """
-    global _db_handle
     _conf.update(config)
-    if _conf.get('dry_run', False):
-        _db_handle = 'sqlite:///tradesv2.dry_run.sqlite'
-    else:
-        _db_handle = 'sqlite:///tradesv2.sqlite'
+    if not db_url:
+        if _conf.get('dry_run', False):
+            db_url = 'sqlite:///tradesv2.dry_run.sqlite'
+        else:
+            db_url = 'sqlite:///tradesv2.sqlite'
 
-    engine = create_engine(_db_handle, echo=False)
+    engine = create_engine(db_url, echo=False)
     session = scoped_session(sessionmaker(bind=engine, autoflush=True, autocommit=True))
     Trade.session = session()
     Trade.query = session.query_property()
diff --git a/test/test_main.py b/test/test_main.py
index 8bd06c316..37aa8d67b 100644
--- a/test/test_main.py
+++ b/test/test_main.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class TestMain(unittest.TestCase):
                                             'last': 0.07256061
                                         }),
                                         buy=MagicMock(return_value='mocked_order_id')):
-                        init(self.conf)
+                        init(self.conf, 'sqlite://')
                         trade = create_trade(15.0, exchange.Exchange.BITTREX)
                         Trade.session.add(trade)
                         Trade.session.flush()
@@ -99,10 +99,6 @@ class TestMain(unittest.TestCase):
 
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):
-        try:
-            os.remove('./tradesv2.dry_run.sqlite')
-        except FileNotFoundError:
-            pass
         validate(cls.conf, conf_schema)
 
 
diff --git a/test/test_telegram.py b/test/test_telegram.py
index fe27fe875..ac96b2e0a 100644
--- a/test/test_telegram.py
+++ b/test/test_telegram.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class TestTelegram(unittest.TestCase):
                                             'last': 0.07256061
                                         }),
                                         buy=MagicMock(return_value='mocked_order_id')):
-                        init(self.conf)
+                        init(self.conf, 'sqlite://')
 
                         # Create some test data
                         trade = create_trade(15.0, exchange.Exchange.BITTREX)
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class TestTelegram(unittest.TestCase):
                                             'last': 0.07256061
                                         }),
                                         buy=MagicMock(return_value='mocked_order_id')):
-                        init(self.conf)
+                        init(self.conf, 'sqlite://')
 
                         # Create some test data
                         trade = create_trade(15.0, exchange.Exchange.BITTREX)
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ class TestTelegram(unittest.TestCase):
                                             'last': 0.07256061
                                         }),
                                         buy=MagicMock(return_value='mocked_order_id')):
-                        init(self.conf)
+                        init(self.conf, 'sqlite://')
 
                         # Create some test data
                         trade = create_trade(15.0, exchange.Exchange.BITTREX)
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ class TestTelegram(unittest.TestCase):
                                             'last': 0.07256061
                                         }),
                                         buy=MagicMock(return_value='mocked_order_id')):
-                        init(self.conf)
+                        init(self.conf, 'sqlite://')
 
                         # Create some test data
                         trade = create_trade(15.0, exchange.Exchange.BITTREX)
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ class TestTelegram(unittest.TestCase):
         with patch.dict('main._conf', self.conf):
             msg_mock = MagicMock()
             with patch.multiple('main.telegram', _conf=self.conf, init=MagicMock(), send_msg=msg_mock):
-                init(self.conf)
+                init(self.conf, 'sqlite://')
 
                 update_state(State.PAUSED)
                 self.assertEqual(get_state(), State.PAUSED)
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ class TestTelegram(unittest.TestCase):
         with patch.dict('main._conf', self.conf):
             msg_mock = MagicMock()
             with patch.multiple('main.telegram', _conf=self.conf, init=MagicMock(), send_msg=msg_mock):
-                init(self.conf)
+                init(self.conf, 'sqlite://')
 
                 update_state(State.RUNNING)
                 self.assertEqual(get_state(), State.RUNNING)
@@ -186,10 +186,6 @@ class TestTelegram(unittest.TestCase):
                 self.assertIn('Stopping trader', msg_mock.call_args_list[0][0][0])
 
     def setUp(self):
-        try:
-            os.remove('./tradesv2.dry_run.sqlite')
-        except FileNotFoundError:
-            pass
         self.update = Update(0)
         self.update.message = Message(0, 0, datetime.utcnow(), Chat(0, 0))