diff --git a/helper_test.go b/helper_test.go
index ed5a9644..eff731e8 100644
--- a/helper_test.go
+++ b/helper_test.go
@@ -13,6 +13,15 @@ func mustConnect(t testing.TB, config pgx.ConnConfig) *pgx.Conn {
 	return conn
 }
 
+func mustReplicationConnect(t testing.TB, config pgx.ConnConfig) *pgx.ReplicationConn {
+	conn, err := pgx.ReplicationConnect(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Unable to establish connection: %v", err)
+	}
+	return conn
+}
+
+
 func closeConn(t testing.TB, conn *pgx.Conn) {
 	err := conn.Close()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -20,6 +29,13 @@ func closeConn(t testing.TB, conn *pgx.Conn) {
 	}
 }
 
+func closeReplicationConn(t testing.TB, conn *pgx.ReplicationConn) {
+	err := conn.Close()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("conn.Close unexpectedly failed: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func mustExec(t testing.TB, conn *pgx.Conn, sql string, arguments ...interface{}) (commandTag pgx.CommandTag) {
 	var err error
 	if commandTag, err = conn.Exec(sql, arguments...); err != nil {
diff --git a/msg_reader.go b/msg_reader.go
index 59617b73..21db5d26 100644
--- a/msg_reader.go
+++ b/msg_reader.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func (r *msgReader) Err() error {
 	return r.err
 }
 
-// fatal tells r that a Fatal error has occurred
+// fatal tells rc that a Fatal error has occurred
 func (r *msgReader) fatal(err error) {
 	if r.shouldLog(LogLevelTrace) {
 		r.log(LogLevelTrace, "msgReader.fatal", "error", err, "msgBytesRemaining", r.msgBytesRemaining)
diff --git a/replication.go b/replication.go
index 7d4c56e2..7b28d6b6 100644
--- a/replication.go
+++ b/replication.go
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	copyBothResponse    = 'W'
-	walData             = 'w'
-	senderKeepalive     = 'k'
-	standbyStatusUpdate = 'r'
+	copyBothResponse                  = 'W'
+	walData                           = 'w'
+	senderKeepalive                   = 'k'
+	standbyStatusUpdate               = 'r'
 	initialReplicationResponseTimeout = 5 * time.Second
 )
 
@@ -151,11 +151,28 @@ func NewStandbyStatus(walPositions ...uint64) (status *StandbyStatus, err error)
 	return
 }
 
+func ReplicationConnect(config ConnConfig) (r *ReplicationConn, err error) {
+	if config.RuntimeParams == nil {
+		config.RuntimeParams = make(map[string]string)
+	}
+	config.RuntimeParams["replication"] = "database"
+
+	c, err := Connect(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	return &ReplicationConn{c: c}, nil
+}
+
+type ReplicationConn struct {
+	c *Conn
+}
+
 // Send standby status to the server, which both acts as a keepalive
 // message to the server, as well as carries the WAL position of the
 // client, which then updates the server's replication slot position.
-func (c *Conn) SendStandbyStatus(k *StandbyStatus) (err error) {
-	writeBuf := newWriteBuf(c, copyData)
+func (rc *ReplicationConn) SendStandbyStatus(k *StandbyStatus) (err error) {
+	writeBuf := newWriteBuf(rc.c, copyData)
 	writeBuf.WriteByte(standbyStatusUpdate)
 	writeBuf.WriteInt64(int64(k.WalWritePosition))
 	writeBuf.WriteInt64(int64(k.WalFlushPosition))
@@ -165,47 +182,44 @@ func (c *Conn) SendStandbyStatus(k *StandbyStatus) (err error) {
 
 	writeBuf.closeMsg()
 
-	_, err = c.conn.Write(writeBuf.buf)
+	_, err = rc.c.conn.Write(writeBuf.buf)
 	if err != nil {
-		c.die(err)
+		rc.c.die(err)
 	}
 
 	return
 }
 
-// Send the message to formally stop the replication stream. This
-// is done before calling Close() during a clean shutdown.
-func (c *Conn) StopReplication() (err error) {
-	writeBuf := newWriteBuf(c, copyDone)
-
-	writeBuf.closeMsg()
-
-	_, err = c.conn.Write(writeBuf.buf)
-	if err != nil {
-		c.die(err)
-	}
-	return
+func (rc *ReplicationConn) Close() error {
+	return rc.c.Close()
 }
 
+func (rc *ReplicationConn) IsAlive() bool {
+	return rc.c.IsAlive()
+}
 
-func (c *Conn) readReplicationMessage() (r *ReplicationMessage, err error) {
+func (rc *ReplicationConn) CauseOfDeath() error {
+	return rc.c.CauseOfDeath()
+}
+
+func (rc *ReplicationConn) readReplicationMessage() (r *ReplicationMessage, err error) {
 	var t byte
 	var reader *msgReader
-	t, reader, err = c.rxMsg()
+	t, reader, err = rc.c.rxMsg()
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	switch t {
 	case noticeResponse:
-		pgError := c.rxErrorResponse(reader)
-		if c.shouldLog(LogLevelInfo) {
-			c.log(LogLevelInfo, pgError.Error())
+		pgError := rc.c.rxErrorResponse(reader)
+		if rc.c.shouldLog(LogLevelInfo) {
+			rc.c.log(LogLevelInfo, pgError.Error())
 		}
 	case errorResponse:
-		err = c.rxErrorResponse(reader)
-		if c.shouldLog(LogLevelError) {
-			c.log(LogLevelError, err.Error())
+		err = rc.c.rxErrorResponse(reader)
+		if rc.c.shouldLog(LogLevelError) {
+			rc.c.log(LogLevelError, err.Error())
 		}
 		return
 	case copyBothResponse:
@@ -235,13 +249,13 @@ func (c *Conn) readReplicationMessage() (r *ReplicationMessage, err error) {
 			h := &ServerHeartbeat{ServerWalEnd: uint64(serverWalEnd), ServerTime: uint64(serverTime), ReplyRequested: replyNow}
 			return &ReplicationMessage{ServerHeartbeat: h}, nil
 		default:
-			if c.shouldLog(LogLevelError) {
-				c.log(LogLevelError,"Unexpected data playload message type %v", t)
+			if rc.c.shouldLog(LogLevelError) {
+				rc.c.log(LogLevelError, "Unexpected data playload message type %v", t)
 			}
 		}
 	default:
-		if c.shouldLog(LogLevelError) {
-			c.log(LogLevelError,"Unexpected replication message type %v", t)
+		if rc.c.shouldLog(LogLevelError) {
+			rc.c.log(LogLevelError, "Unexpected replication message type %v", t)
 		}
 	}
 	return
@@ -256,7 +270,7 @@ func (c *Conn) readReplicationMessage() (r *ReplicationMessage, err error) {
 //
 // This returns pgx.ErrNotificationTimeout when there is no replication message by the specified
 // duration.
-func (c *Conn) WaitForReplicationMessage(timeout time.Duration) (r *ReplicationMessage, err error) {
+func (rc *ReplicationConn) WaitForReplicationMessage(timeout time.Duration) (r *ReplicationMessage, err error) {
 	var zeroTime time.Time
 
 	deadline := time.Now().Add(timeout)
@@ -269,27 +283,95 @@ func (c *Conn) WaitForReplicationMessage(timeout time.Duration) (r *ReplicationM
 	// deadline and peek into the reader. If a timeout error occurs there
 	// we don't break the pgx connection. If the Peek returns that data
 	// is available then we turn off the read deadline before the rxMsg.
-	err = c.conn.SetReadDeadline(deadline)
+	err = rc.c.conn.SetReadDeadline(deadline)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	// Wait until there is a byte available before continuing onto the normal msg reading path
-	_, err = c.reader.Peek(1)
+	_, err = rc.c.reader.Peek(1)
 	if err != nil {
-		c.conn.SetReadDeadline(zeroTime) // we can only return one error and we already have one -- so ignore possiple error from SetReadDeadline
+		rc.c.conn.SetReadDeadline(zeroTime) // we can only return one error and we already have one -- so ignore possiple error from SetReadDeadline
 		if err, ok := err.(*net.OpError); ok && err.Timeout() {
 			return nil, ErrNotificationTimeout
 		}
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	err = c.conn.SetReadDeadline(zeroTime)
+	err = rc.c.conn.SetReadDeadline(zeroTime)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return c.readReplicationMessage()
+	return rc.readReplicationMessage()
+}
+
+func (rc *ReplicationConn) sendReplicationModeQuery(sql string) (*Rows, error) {
+	rc.c.lastActivityTime = time.Now()
+
+	rows := rc.c.getRows(sql, nil)
+
+	if err := rc.c.lock(); err != nil {
+		rows.abort(err)
+		return rows, err
+	}
+	rows.unlockConn = true
+
+	err := rc.c.sendSimpleQuery(sql)
+	if err != nil {
+		rows.abort(err)
+	}
+
+	var t byte
+	var r *msgReader
+	t, r, err = rc.c.rxMsg()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	switch t {
+	case rowDescription:
+		rows.fields = rc.c.rxRowDescription(r)
+		// We don't have c.PgTypes here because we're a replication
+		// connection. This means the field descriptions will have
+		// only Oids. Not much we can do about this.
+	default:
+		if e := rc.c.processContextFreeMsg(t, r); e != nil {
+			rows.abort(e)
+			return rows, e
+		}
+	}
+
+	return rows, rows.err
+}
+
+// Execute the "IDENTIFY_SYSTEM" command as documented here:
+// https://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.5/static/protocol-replication.html
+//
+// This will return (if successful) a result set that has a single row
+// that contains the systemid, current timeline, xlogpos and database
+// name.
+//
+// NOTE: Because this is a replication mode connection, we don't have
+// type names, so the field descriptions in the result will have only
+// Oids and no DataTypeName values
+func (rc *ReplicationConn) IdentifySystem() (r *Rows, err error) {
+	return rc.sendReplicationModeQuery("IDENTIFY_SYSTEM")
+}
+
+// Execute the "TIMELINE_HISTORY" command as documented here:
+// https://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.5/static/protocol-replication.html
+//
+// This will return (if successful) a result set that has a single row
+// that contains the filename of the history file and the content
+// of the history file. If called for timeline 1, typically this will
+// generate an error that the timeline history file does not exist.
+//
+// NOTE: Because this is a replication mode connection, we don't have
+// type names, so the field descriptions in the result will have only
+// Oids and no DataTypeName values
+func (rc *ReplicationConn) TimelineHistory(timeline int) (r *Rows, err error) {
+	return rc.sendReplicationModeQuery(fmt.Sprintf("TIMELINE_HISTORY %d", timeline))
 }
 
 // Start a replication connection, sending WAL data to the given replication
@@ -303,7 +385,7 @@ func (c *Conn) WaitForReplicationMessage(timeout time.Duration) (r *ReplicationM
 //
 // This function assumes that slotName has already been created. In order to omit the timeline argument
 // pass a -1 for the timeline to get the server default behavior.
-func (c *Conn) StartReplication(slotName string, startLsn uint64, timeline int64, pluginArguments ...string) (err error) {
+func (rc *ReplicationConn) StartReplication(slotName string, startLsn uint64, timeline int64, pluginArguments ...string) (err error) {
 	var queryString string
 	if timeline >= 0 {
 		queryString = fmt.Sprintf("START_REPLICATION SLOT %s LOGICAL %s TIMELINE %d", slotName, FormatLSN(startLsn), timeline)
@@ -315,7 +397,7 @@ func (c *Conn) StartReplication(slotName string, startLsn uint64, timeline int64
 		queryString += fmt.Sprintf(" %s", arg)
 	}
 
-	if err = c.sendQuery(queryString); err != nil {
+	if err = rc.c.sendQuery(queryString); err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -324,12 +406,24 @@ func (c *Conn) StartReplication(slotName string, startLsn uint64, timeline int64
 	// started. This call will either return nil, nil or if it returns an error
 	// that indicates the start replication command failed
 	var r *ReplicationMessage
-	r, err = c.WaitForReplicationMessage(initialReplicationResponseTimeout)
+	r, err = rc.WaitForReplicationMessage(initialReplicationResponseTimeout)
 	if err != nil && r != nil {
-		if c.shouldLog(LogLevelError) {
-			c.log(LogLevelError, "Unxpected replication message %v", r)
+		if rc.c.shouldLog(LogLevelError) {
+			rc.c.log(LogLevelError, "Unxpected replication message %v", r)
 		}
 	}
 
 	return
 }
+
+// Create the replication slot, using the given name and output plugin.
+func (rc *ReplicationConn) CreateReplicationSlot(slotName, outputPlugin string) (err error) {
+	_, err = rc.c.Exec(fmt.Sprintf("CREATE_REPLICATION_SLOT %s LOGICAL %s", slotName, outputPlugin))
+	return
+}
+
+// Drop the replication slot for the given name
+func (rc *ReplicationConn) DropReplicationSlot(slotName string) (err error) {
+	_, err = rc.c.Exec(fmt.Sprintf("DROP_REPLICATION_SLOT %s", slotName))
+	return
+}
diff --git a/replication_test.go b/replication_test.go
index 866fe45e..4f810c78 100644
--- a/replication_test.go
+++ b/replication_test.go
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 package pgx_test
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx"
+	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
-	"reflect"
-	"fmt"
 )
 
 // This function uses a postgresql 9.6 specific column
@@ -48,13 +48,10 @@ func TestSimpleReplicationConnection(t *testing.T) {
 	conn := mustConnect(t, *replicationConnConfig)
 	defer closeConn(t, conn)
 
-	replicationConnConfig.RuntimeParams = make(map[string]string)
-	replicationConnConfig.RuntimeParams["replication"] = "database"
+	replicationConn := mustReplicationConnect(t, *replicationConnConfig)
+	defer closeReplicationConn(t, replicationConn)
 
-	replicationConn := mustConnect(t, *replicationConnConfig)
-	defer closeConn(t, replicationConn)
-
-	_, err = replicationConn.Exec("CREATE_REPLICATION_SLOT pgx_test LOGICAL test_decoding")
+	err = replicationConn.CreateReplicationSlot("pgx_test", "test_decoding")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Logf("replication slot create failed: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -153,16 +150,170 @@ func TestSimpleReplicationConnection(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Failed to create standby status %v", err)
 	}
 	replicationConn.SendStandbyStatus(status)
-	replicationConn.StopReplication()
 
+	restartLsn := getConfirmedFlushLsnFor(t, conn, "pgx_test")
+	integerRestartLsn, _ := pgx.ParseLSN(restartLsn)
+	if integerRestartLsn != maxWal {
+		t.Fatalf("Wal offset update failed, expected %s found %s", pgx.FormatLSN(maxWal), restartLsn)
+	}
+
+	closeReplicationConn(t, replicationConn)
+
+	replicationConn2 := mustReplicationConnect(t, *replicationConnConfig)
+	defer closeReplicationConn(t, replicationConn2)
+
+	err = replicationConn2.DropReplicationSlot("pgx_test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to drop replication slot: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	droppedLsn := getConfirmedFlushLsnFor(t, conn, "pgx_test")
+	if droppedLsn != "" {
+		t.Errorf("Got odd flush lsn %s for supposedly dropped slot", droppedLsn)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReplicationConn_DropReplicationSlot(t *testing.T) {
+	if replicationConnConfig == nil {
+		t.Skip("Skipping due to undefined replicationConnConfig")
+	}
+
+	replicationConn := mustReplicationConnect(t, *replicationConnConfig)
+	defer closeReplicationConn(t, replicationConn)
+
+	err := replicationConn.CreateReplicationSlot("pgx_slot_test", "test_decoding")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Logf("replication slot create failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	err = replicationConn.DropReplicationSlot("pgx_slot_test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to drop replication slot: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// We re-create to ensure the drop worked.
+	err = replicationConn.CreateReplicationSlot("pgx_slot_test", "test_decoding")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Logf("replication slot create failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// And finally we drop to ensure we don't leave dirty state
+	err = replicationConn.DropReplicationSlot("pgx_slot_test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to drop replication slot: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestIdentifySystem(t *testing.T) {
+	if replicationConnConfig == nil {
+		t.Skip("Skipping due to undefined replicationConnConfig")
+	}
+
+	replicationConn2 := mustReplicationConnect(t, *replicationConnConfig)
+	defer closeReplicationConn(t, replicationConn2)
+
+	r, err := replicationConn2.IdentifySystem()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+	defer r.Close()
+	for _, fd := range r.FieldDescriptions() {
+		t.Logf("Field: %s of type %v", fd.Name, fd.DataType)
+	}
+
+	var rowCount int
+	for r.Next() {
+		rowCount++
+		values, err := r.Values()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+		}
+		t.Logf("Row values: %v", values)
+	}
+	if r.Err() != nil {
+		t.Error(r.Err())
+	}
+
+	if rowCount == 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Failed to find any rows: %d", rowCount)
+	}
+}
+
+func getCurrentTimeline(t *testing.T, rc *pgx.ReplicationConn) int {
+	r, err := rc.IdentifySystem()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+	defer r.Close()
+	for r.Next() {
+		values, e := r.Values()
+		if e != nil {
+			t.Error(e)
+		}
+		timeline, e := strconv.Atoi(values[1].(string))
+		if e != nil {
+			t.Error(e)
+		}
+		return timeline
+	}
+	t.Fatal("Failed to read timeline")
+	return -1
+}
+
+func TestGetTimelineHistory(t *testing.T) {
+	if replicationConnConfig == nil {
+		t.Skip("Skipping due to undefined replicationConnConfig")
+	}
+
+	replicationConn := mustReplicationConnect(t, *replicationConnConfig)
+	defer closeReplicationConn(t, replicationConn)
+
+	timeline := getCurrentTimeline(t, replicationConn)
+
+	r, err := replicationConn.TimelineHistory(timeline)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("%#v", err)
+	}
+	defer r.Close()
+
+	for _, fd := range r.FieldDescriptions() {
+		t.Logf("Field: %s of type %v", fd.Name, fd.DataType)
+	}
+
+	var rowCount int
+	for r.Next() {
+		rowCount++
+		values, err := r.Values()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+		}
+		t.Logf("Row values: %v", values)
+	}
+	if r.Err() != nil {
+		if strings.Contains(r.Err().Error(), "No such file or directory") {
+			// This is normal, this means the timeline we're on has no
+			// history, which is the common case in a test db that
+			// has only one timeline
+			return
+		}
+		t.Error(r.Err())
+	}
+
+	// If we have a timeline history (see above) there should have been
+	// rows emitted
+	if rowCount == 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Failed to find any rows: %d", rowCount)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStandbyStatusParsing(t *testing.T) {
 	// Let's push the boundary conditions of the standby status and ensure it errors correctly
-	status, err = pgx.NewStandbyStatus(0,1,2,3,4)
+	status, err := pgx.NewStandbyStatus(0, 1, 2, 3, 4)
 	if err == nil {
-		t.Errorf("Expected error from new standby status, got %v",status)
+		t.Errorf("Expected error from new standby status, got %v", status)
 	}
 
 	// And if you provide 3 args, ensure the right fields are set
-	status, err = pgx.NewStandbyStatus(1,2,3)
+	status, err = pgx.NewStandbyStatus(1, 2, 3)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Failed to create test status: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -175,21 +326,4 @@ func TestSimpleReplicationConnection(t *testing.T) {
 	if status.WalWritePosition != 3 {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected write position %d", status.WalWritePosition)
 	}
-
-	err = replicationConn.Close()
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Replication connection close failed: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	restartLsn := getConfirmedFlushLsnFor(t, conn, "pgx_test")
-	integerRestartLsn, _ := pgx.ParseLSN(restartLsn)
-	if integerRestartLsn != maxWal {
-		t.Fatalf("Wal offset update failed, expected %s found %s", pgx.FormatLSN(maxWal), restartLsn)
-	}
-
-	_, err = conn.Exec("select pg_drop_replication_slot($1)", "pgx_test")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Failed to drop replication slot: %v", err)
-	}
-
 }