diff -r af35cc32dd85 src/com/ziclix/python/sql/connect/Connect.java
--- a/src/com/ziclix/python/sql/connect/Connect.java	Thu Jun 14 07:47:42 2012 -0400
+++ b/src/com/ziclix/python/sql/connect/Connect.java	Fri Jun 15 12:42:35 2012 -0400
@@ -7,12 +7,19 @@
  */
 package com.ziclix.python.sql.connect;
 
-import java.sql.*;
-import java.util.*;
+import java.sql.Connection;
+import java.sql.Driver;
+import java.sql.DriverManager;
+import java.sql.SQLException;
+import java.util.Properties;
 
-import org.python.core.*;
-import com.ziclix.python.sql.*;
-import com.ziclix.python.sql.util.*;
+import org.python.core.Py;
+import org.python.core.PyObject;
+import org.python.core.PyString;
+
+import com.ziclix.python.sql.PyConnection;
+import com.ziclix.python.sql.zxJDBC;
+import com.ziclix.python.sql.util.PyArgParser;
 
 /**
  * Connect using DriverManager.
@@ -72,8 +79,14 @@
                 props.put(kws[i], value);
             }
 
+            Class driverClass;
             try {
-                Class.forName(driver);
+                ClassLoader sysCL = Py.getSystemState().getClassLoader();
+                if (sysCL != null) {
+                    driverClass = sysCL.loadClass(driver);
+                } else {
+                    driverClass = Class.forName(driver);
+                }
             } catch (Throwable e) {
                 throw zxJDBC.makeException(zxJDBC.DatabaseError, "driver [" + driver + "] not found");
             }
@@ -81,7 +94,18 @@
             try {
                 c = DriverManager.getConnection(url, props);
             } catch (SQLException e) {
-                throw zxJDBC.makeException(zxJDBC.DatabaseError, e);
+                //fall back to direct instantiation since DriverManager can only see drivers loaded by 
+                //the boot classloader.
+                try {
+                    Driver d = (Driver)driverClass.newInstance();
+                    c = d.connect(url, props);
+                } catch (InstantiationException ie) {
+                    throw zxJDBC.makeException(zxJDBC.DatabaseError, ie);
+                } catch (IllegalAccessException iae) {
+                    throw zxJDBC.makeException(zxJDBC.DatabaseError, iae);
+                } catch (SQLException se) {
+                    throw zxJDBC.makeException(zxJDBC.DatabaseError, se);
+                }
             }
         } else {
             c = (Connection) arg;