diff --git a/pgcli/pgexecute.py b/pgcli/pgexecute.py
index 4ccdb3612..210fd3f10 100644
--- a/pgcli/pgexecute.py
+++ b/pgcli/pgexecute.py
@@ -99,7 +99,8 @@ def register_json_typecasters(conn, loads_fn):
             psycopg2.extras.register_json(conn, loads=loads_fn, name=name)
             available.add(name)
         except psycopg2.ProgrammingError:
-            pass
+            if not conn.autocommit:
+                conn.rollback()
 
     return available
 
@@ -116,10 +117,32 @@ def register_hstore_typecaster(conn):
             cur.execute("SELECT 'hstore'::regtype::oid")
             oid = cur.fetchone()[0]
             ext.register_type(ext.new_type((oid,), "HSTORE", ext.UNICODE))
+        except psycopg2.ProgrammingError:
+            if not conn.autocommit:
+                conn.rollback()
         except Exception:
             pass
 
 
+def init_connection_from_dsn(dsn, password):
+    if password:
+        dsn = "{0} password={1}".format(dsn, password)
+    conn = psycopg2.connect(dsn=unicode2utf8(dsn))
+    return conn
+
+
+def init_connection_from_parameters(dbname, user, password, host, port, **kwargs):
+    conn = psycopg2.connect(
+        database=unicode2utf8(dbname),
+        user=unicode2utf8(user),
+        password=unicode2utf8(password),
+        host=unicode2utf8(host),
+        port=unicode2utf8(port),
+        **kwargs
+    )
+    return conn
+
+
 class PGExecute(object):
 
     # The boolean argument to the current_schemas function indicates whether
@@ -195,7 +218,9 @@ def __init__(self, database, user, password, host, port, dsn, autocommit_mode=Tr
         self.extra_args = {k: unicode2utf8(v) for k, v in kwargs.items()}
         self.server_version = None
         self.connect()
-        self.user_conn = self.get_new_connection(autocommit=autocommit_mode)
+        # user_conn is the connection used to execute user queries
+        self.user_conn = self.init_connection(self.dbname, self.user, self.password, self.host,
+                                              self.port, self.dsn, autocommit_mode, **kwargs)
 
     def get_server_version(self):
         if self.server_version:
@@ -214,9 +239,24 @@ def get_server_version(self):
                 self.server_version = ''
             return self.server_version
 
+    def init_connection(self, database=None, user=None, password=None, host=None,
+                        port=None, dsn=None, autocommit_mode=True, **kwargs):
+        if dsn:
+            conn = init_connection_from_dsn(dsn, password)
+        else:
+            conn = init_connection_from_parameters(
+                database, user, password, host, port, **kwargs)
+        conn.set_client_encoding('utf8')
+        # Need to be set before any executed query
+        conn.set_session(autocommit=autocommit_mode)
+        register_date_typecasters(conn)
+        register_json_typecasters(conn, self._json_typecaster)
+        register_hstore_typecaster(conn)
+        return conn
+
     def connect(self, database=None, user=None, password=None, host=None,
                 port=None, dsn=None, **kwargs):
-
+        """Setup pgcli internal connection."""
         db = (database or self.dbname)
         user = (user or self.user)
         password = (password or self.password)
@@ -224,73 +264,34 @@ def connect(self, database=None, user=None, password=None, host=None,
         port = (port or self.port)
         dsn = (dsn or self.dsn)
         kwargs = (kwargs or self.extra_args)
-        pid = -1
-        if dsn:
-            if password:
-                dsn = "{0} password={1}".format(dsn, password)
-            conn = psycopg2.connect(dsn=unicode2utf8(dsn))
-            cursor = conn.cursor()
-        else:
-            conn = psycopg2.connect(
-                database=unicode2utf8(db),
-                user=unicode2utf8(user),
-                password=unicode2utf8(password),
-                host=unicode2utf8(host),
-                port=unicode2utf8(port),
-                **kwargs)
 
-            cursor = conn.cursor()
-
-        conn.set_client_encoding('utf8')
+        conn = self.init_connection(
+            db, user, password, host, port, dsn, **kwargs)
         if hasattr(self, 'conn'):
             self.conn.close()
         self.conn = conn
-        self.conn.autocommit = True
 
-        if dsn:
-            # When we connect using a DSN, we don't really know what db,
-            # user, etc. we connected to. Let's read it.
-            # Note: moved this after setting autocommit because of #664.
-            dsn_parameters = conn.get_dsn_parameters()
-            db = dsn_parameters['dbname']
-            user = dsn_parameters['user']
-            host = dsn_parameters['host']
-            port = dsn_parameters['port']
-
-        self.dbname = db
-        self.user = user
+        # Ensure class attribute are set
+        # When we connect using a DSN, we don't really know what db,
+        # user, etc. we connected to. Let's read it.
+        # Note: moved this after setting autocommit because of #664.
+        dsn_parameters = conn.get_dsn_parameters()
+        self.dbname = dsn_parameters['dbname']
+        self.user = dsn_parameters['user']
+        self.host = dsn_parameters['host']
+        self.port = dsn_parameters['port']
         self.password = password
-        self.host = host
-        self.port = port
-
         if not self.host:
             self.host = self.get_socket_directory()
 
+        cursor = conn.cursor()
         cursor.execute("SHOW ALL")
-        db_parameters = dict(name_val_desc[:2] for name_val_desc in cursor.fetchall())
-
         pid = self._select_one(cursor, 'select pg_backend_pid()')[0]
         self.pid = pid
-        self.superuser = db_parameters.get('is_superuser') == '1'
 
-        register_date_typecasters(conn)
-        register_json_typecasters(self.conn, self._json_typecaster)
-        register_hstore_typecaster(self.conn)
-
-    def get_new_connection(self, autocommit=True):
-        conn = psycopg2.connect(
-            database=unicode2utf8(self.dbname),
-            user=unicode2utf8(self.user),
-            password=unicode2utf8(self.password),
-            host=unicode2utf8(self.host),
-            port=unicode2utf8(self.port)
-        )
-        conn.set_client_encoding('utf8')
-        conn.set_session(autocommit=autocommit)
-        register_date_typecasters(conn)
-        register_json_typecasters(conn, self._json_typecaster)
-        register_hstore_typecaster(conn)
-        return conn
+        db_parameters = dict(name_val_desc[:2]
+                             for name_val_desc in cursor.fetchall())
+        self.superuser = db_parameters.get('is_superuser') == '1'
 
 
     def _select_one(self, cur, sql):