diff --git a/optional-requirements.txt b/optional-requirements.txt
index 5d9478045..d423210a7 100644
--- a/optional-requirements.txt
+++ b/optional-requirements.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # so they don't go to requirements.txt.
 
 # Database (sqlalchemy) persistence:
-SQLAlchemy<=0.7.99,<=0.9.99
+SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.9.99
 alembic>=0.4.1
 
 # Database (sqlalchemy) persistence with MySQL:
diff --git a/tox-tmpl.ini b/tox-tmpl.ini
index d14a562f1..3b4c6cacd 100644
--- a/tox-tmpl.ini
+++ b/tox-tmpl.ini
@@ -57,13 +57,13 @@ commands =
 
 [testenv:py33]
 deps = {[testenv]deps}
-       SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.8.99
+       SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.9.99
 
 # NOTE(imelnikov): psycopg2 is not supported on pypy
 [testenv:pypy]
 deps = -r{toxinidir}/requirements.txt
        -r{toxinidir}/test-requirements.txt
-       SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.8.99
+       SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.9.99
        alembic>=0.4.1
        kazoo>=1.3.1
        kombu>=2.4.8
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ deps =
 
 [axis:sqlalchemy:sa7]
 deps =
-    SQLAlchemy<=0.7.99
+    SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.7.99
 
 [axis:sqlalchemy:sa8]
 deps =
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index fc5afa1aa..08666fe04 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -84,39 +84,39 @@ commands =
 
 [testenv:py33]
 deps = {[testenv]deps}
-    SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.8.99
+    SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.9.99
 
 [testenv:pypy]
 deps = -r{toxinidir}/requirements.txt
     -r{toxinidir}/test-requirements.txt
-    SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.8.99
+    SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.9.99
     alembic>=0.4.1
     kazoo>=1.3.1
     kombu>=2.4.8
 
 [testenv:py26-sa7-mysql-ev]
 deps = {[testenv]deps}
-    SQLAlchemy<=0.7.99
+    SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.7.99
     MySQL-python
     eventlet>=0.13.0
 basepython = python2.6
 
 [testenv:py26-sa7-mysql]
 deps = {[testenv]deps}
-    SQLAlchemy<=0.7.99
+    SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.7.99
     MySQL-python
 basepython = python2.6
 
 [testenv:py26-sa7-pymysql-ev]
 deps = {[testenv]deps}
-    SQLAlchemy<=0.7.99
+    SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.7.99
     pyMySQL
     eventlet>=0.13.0
 basepython = python2.6
 
 [testenv:py26-sa7-pymysql]
 deps = {[testenv]deps}
-    SQLAlchemy<=0.7.99
+    SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.7.99
     pyMySQL
 basepython = python2.6
 
@@ -174,27 +174,27 @@ basepython = python2.6
 
 [testenv:py27-sa7-mysql-ev]
 deps = {[testenv]deps}
-    SQLAlchemy<=0.7.99
+    SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.7.99
     MySQL-python
     eventlet>=0.13.0
 basepython = python2.7
 
 [testenv:py27-sa7-mysql]
 deps = {[testenv]deps}
-    SQLAlchemy<=0.7.99
+    SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.7.99
     MySQL-python
 basepython = python2.7
 
 [testenv:py27-sa7-pymysql-ev]
 deps = {[testenv]deps}
-    SQLAlchemy<=0.7.99
+    SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.7.99
     pyMySQL
     eventlet>=0.13.0
 basepython = python2.7
 
 [testenv:py27-sa7-pymysql]
 deps = {[testenv]deps}
-    SQLAlchemy<=0.7.99
+    SQLAlchemy>=0.7.8,<=0.7.99
     pyMySQL
 basepython = python2.7