diff --git a/build.docker b/build.docker
index 1bd7e70..fdec512 100644
--- a/build.docker
+++ b/build.docker
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 FROM golang:1.17
 
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
-    rsync libssl-dev \
+    rsync libssl-dev postgresql \
  && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 RUN curl -sSfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/golangci/golangci-lint/master/install.sh | sh -s -- -b $(go env GOPATH)/bin v1.44.0
diff --git a/pgfixture/pg.go b/pgfixture/pg.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c4f3622
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pgfixture/pg.go
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package pgfixture
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func Start(t *testing.T) string {
+	pgconn, ok := os.LookupEnv("PGCONN")
+	if ok {
+		t.Logf("using external database: PGCONN=%s", pgconn)
+		return pgconn
+	}
+
+	_, err := exec.LookPath("initdb")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("initdb binary not found; is postgres installed?")
+	}
+
+	_, err = exec.LookPath("postgres")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("postgres binary not found; is postgres installed?")
+	}
+
+	pgdata := t.TempDir()
+
+	cmd := exec.Command("initdb", "-N", "-D", pgdata)
+	cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
+	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("initdb failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	pgrun := t.TempDir()
+
+	cmd = exec.Command("postgres", "-D", pgdata, "-k", pgrun, "-F")
+	cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
+	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
+	if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("postgres failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	finished := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() {
+		finished <- cmd.Wait()
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-finished:
+		t.Fatalf("postgres server terminated: %v", err)
+
+	case <-time.After(time.Second / 2):
+	}
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		_ = cmd.Process.Kill()
+	})
+
+	return fmt.Sprintf("host=%s database=postgres", pgrun)
+}
diff --git a/pgfixture/pg_test.go b/pgfixture/pg_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e2d5612
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pgfixture/pg_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package pgfixture_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v4"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"gitlab.com/slon/shad-go/pgfixture"
+)
+
+func TestLocalPostgres(t *testing.T) {
+	dsn := pgfixture.Start(t)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	conn, err := pgx.Connect(ctx, dsn)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, conn.Ping(ctx))
+
+	_, err = conn.Exec(ctx, `CREATE TABLE users (id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT);`)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = conn.Exec(ctx, `INSERT INTO users (name) VALUES ($1);`, "Fedor")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	row := conn.QueryRow(ctx, `SELECT id, name FROM users LIMIT 1;`)
+
+	var id int
+	var name string
+
+	require.NoError(t, row.Scan(&id, &name))
+	require.Equal(t, 1, id)
+	require.Equal(t, name, "Fedor")
+}