diff --git a/ceilometer/storage/impl_db2.py b/ceilometer/storage/impl_db2.py
index 07563742d..80f78e6ba 100644
--- a/ceilometer/storage/impl_db2.py
+++ b/ceilometer/storage/impl_db2.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 """
 
 import copy
+import urlparse
 import weakref
 
 import bson.code
@@ -142,9 +143,15 @@ class ConnectionPool(object):
             if client:
                 return client
         LOG.info('connecting to DB2 on %s', url)
-        client = pymongo.MongoClient(
-            url,
-            safe=True)
+        url_parsed = urlparse.urlparse(url)
+        if url_parsed.path.startswith('/ceilometer_for_tox_testing_'):
+            #note(sileht): this is a workaround for running tests without reach
+            #the maximum allowed connection of mongod in gate
+            #this only work with pymongo >= 2.6, this is not in the
+            #requirements file because is not needed for normal use of mongo
+            client = pymongo.MongoClient(url, safe=True, max_pool_size=None)
+        else:
+            client = pymongo.MongoClient(url, safe=True)
         self._pool[url] = weakref.ref(client)
         return client
 
diff --git a/ceilometer/storage/impl_mongodb.py b/ceilometer/storage/impl_mongodb.py
index aa17006e0..53da7f2cb 100644
--- a/ceilometer/storage/impl_mongodb.py
+++ b/ceilometer/storage/impl_mongodb.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import calendar
 import copy
 import operator
+import urlparse
 import weakref
 
 import bson.code
@@ -149,9 +150,15 @@ class ConnectionPool(object):
             if client:
                 return client
         LOG.info('connecting to MongoDB on %s', url)
-        client = pymongo.MongoClient(
-            url,
-            safe=True)
+        url_parsed = urlparse.urlparse(url)
+        if url_parsed.path.startswith('/ceilometer_for_tox_testing_'):
+            #note(sileht): this is a workaround for running tests without reach
+            #the maximum allowed connection of mongod in gate
+            #this only work with pymongo >= 2.6, this is not in the
+            #requirements file because is not needed for normal use of mongo
+            client = pymongo.MongoClient(url, safe=True, max_pool_size=None)
+        else:
+            client = pymongo.MongoClient(url, safe=True)
         self._pool[url] = weakref.ref(client)
         return client
 
diff --git a/run-tests.sh b/run-tests.sh
index 11c4568a6..f353cc63b 100755
--- a/run-tests.sh
+++ b/run-tests.sh
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ MONGO_DATA=`mktemp -d /tmp/CEILO-MONGODB-XXXXX`
 trap "clean_exit" EXIT
 mkfifo ${MONGO_DATA}/out
 export PATH=${PATH:+$PATH:}/sbin:/usr/sbin
-mongod --maxConns 256 --nojournal --noprealloc --smallfiles --quiet --noauth --port 29000 --dbpath "${MONGO_DATA}" --bind_ip localhost &>${MONGO_DATA}/out &
+mongod --maxConns 32 --nojournal --noprealloc --smallfiles --quiet --noauth --port 29000 --dbpath "${MONGO_DATA}" --bind_ip localhost &>${MONGO_DATA}/out &
 MONGO_PID=$!
 # Wait for Mongo to start listening to connections
 while read line
@@ -36,5 +36,5 @@ done < ${MONGO_DATA}/out
 # Read the fifo for ever otherwise mongod would block
 # + that gives us the log on screen
 cat ${MONGO_DATA}/out > /dev/null &
-export CEILOMETER_TEST_MONGODB_URL="mongodb://localhost:29000/ceilometer"
+export CEILOMETER_TEST_MONGODB_URL="mongodb://localhost:29000/ceilometer_for_tox_testing"
 python setup.py testr --slowest --testr-args="$*" $COVERAGE_ARG