diff --git a/cqlengine/connection.py b/cqlengine/connection.py
index 52bc5cde..9be79225 100644
--- a/cqlengine/connection.py
+++ b/cqlengine/connection.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ _username = None
 _password = None
 _max_connections = 10
 
-def setup(hosts, username=None, password=None, max_connections=10):
+def setup(hosts, username=None, password=None, max_connections=10, default_keyspace=None):
     """
     Records the hosts and connects to one of them
 
@@ -36,7 +36,11 @@ def setup(hosts, username=None, password=None, max_connections=10):
     _username = username
     _password = password
     _max_connections = max_connections
-    
+
+    if default_keyspace:
+        from cqlengine import models
+        models.DEFAULT_KEYSPACE = default_keyspace
+
     for host in hosts:
         host = host.strip()
         host = host.split(':')
diff --git a/cqlengine/management.py b/cqlengine/management.py
index ba8b8145..5ef536cf 100644
--- a/cqlengine/management.py
+++ b/cqlengine/management.py
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ def create_keyspace(name, strategy_class='SimpleStrategy', replication_factor=3,
     :param **replication_values: 1.2 only, additional values to ad to the replication data map
     """
     with connection_manager() as con:
-        if name not in [k.name for k in con.con.client.describe_keyspaces()]:
+        if not any([name == k.name for k in con.con.client.describe_keyspaces()]):
+#        if name not in [k.name for k in con.con.client.describe_keyspaces()]:
             try:
                 #Try the 1.1 method
                 con.execute("""CREATE KEYSPACE {}
@@ -50,11 +51,11 @@ def create_table(model, create_missing_keyspace=True):
 
     #create missing keyspace
     if create_missing_keyspace:
-        create_keyspace(model.keyspace)
+        create_keyspace(model._get_keyspace())
 
     with connection_manager() as con:
         #check for an existing column family
-        ks_info = con.con.client.describe_keyspace(model.keyspace)
+        ks_info = con.con.client.describe_keyspace(model._get_keyspace())
         if not any([raw_cf_name == cf.name for cf in ks_info.cf_defs]):
             qs = ['CREATE TABLE {}'.format(cf_name)]
 
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ def create_table(model, create_missing_keyspace=True):
                     raise
 
         #get existing index names, skip ones that already exist
-        ks_info = con.con.client.describe_keyspace(model.keyspace)
+        ks_info = con.con.client.describe_keyspace(model._get_keyspace())
         cf_defs = [cf for cf in ks_info.cf_defs if cf.name == raw_cf_name]
         idx_names = [i.index_name for i in  cf_defs[0].column_metadata] if cf_defs else []
         idx_names = filter(None, idx_names)
diff --git a/cqlengine/models.py b/cqlengine/models.py
index 9b6ec3b0..b9801bf0 100644
--- a/cqlengine/models.py
+++ b/cqlengine/models.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ from cqlengine.query import QuerySet, QueryException, DMLQuery
 
 class ModelDefinitionException(ModelException): pass
 
+DEFAULT_KEYSPACE = 'cqlengine'
+
 class hybrid_classmethod(object):
     """
     Allows a method to behave as both a class method and
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ class BaseModel(object):
     table_name = None
 
     #the keyspace for this model 
-    keyspace = 'cqlengine'
+    keyspace = None
     read_repair_chance = 0.1
 
     def __init__(self, **values):
@@ -64,6 +66,11 @@ class BaseModel(object):
         pks = self._primary_keys.keys()
         return all([not self._values[k].changed for k in self._primary_keys])
 
+    @classmethod
+    def _get_keyspace(cls):
+        """ Returns the manual keyspace, if set, otherwise the default keyspace """
+        return cls.keyspace or DEFAULT_KEYSPACE
+
     def __eq__(self, other):
         return self.as_dict() == other.as_dict()
 
@@ -93,7 +100,7 @@ class BaseModel(object):
             cf_name = cf_name.lower()
             cf_name = re.sub(r'^_+', '', cf_name)
         if not include_keyspace: return cf_name
-        return '{}.{}'.format(cls.keyspace, cf_name)
+        return '{}.{}'.format(cls._get_keyspace(), cf_name)
 
     @property
     def pk(self):
diff --git a/cqlengine/query.py b/cqlengine/query.py
index 29ab1396..36909f1e 100644
--- a/cqlengine/query.py
+++ b/cqlengine/query.py
@@ -184,7 +184,6 @@ class QuerySet(object):
     def __init__(self, model):
         super(QuerySet, self).__init__()
         self.model = model
-        self.column_family_name = self.model.column_family_name()
 
         #Where clause filters
         self._where = []
@@ -210,6 +209,10 @@ class QuerySet(object):
 
         self._batch = None
 
+    @property
+    def column_family_name(self):
+        return self.model.column_family_name()
+
     def __unicode__(self):
         return self._select_query()
 
diff --git a/cqlengine/tests/base.py b/cqlengine/tests/base.py
index d94ea69b..0b450cdd 100644
--- a/cqlengine/tests/base.py
+++ b/cqlengine/tests/base.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ class BaseCassEngTestCase(TestCase):
     def setUpClass(cls):
         super(BaseCassEngTestCase, cls).setUpClass()
         if not connection._hosts:
-            connection.setup(['localhost'])
+            connection.setup(['localhost'], default_keyspace='cqlengine_test')
 
     def assertHasAttr(self, obj, attr):
         self.assertTrue(hasattr(obj, attr),