diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Database.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Database.php
index 6a425de..221d708 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Database.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Database.php
@@ -411,6 +411,12 @@ abstract class Database {
     }
   }
 
+  public static function createDatabase($key = 'default', $target = 'default') {
+    self::$databaseInfo[$key][$target]['create_database'] = TRUE;
+    self::getConnection();
+    self::$databaseInfo[$key][$target]['create_database'] = FALSE;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Instructs the system to temporarily ignore a given key/target.
    *
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Driver/mysql/Connection.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Driver/mysql/Connection.php
index fbbff42..fbf3688 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Driver/mysql/Connection.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Driver/mysql/Connection.php
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class Connection extends DatabaseConnection {
       // Default to TCP connection on port 3306.
       $dsn = 'mysql:host=' . $connection_options['host'] . ';port=' . (empty($connection_options['port']) ? 3306 : $connection_options['port']);
     }
-    $dsn .= ';dbname=' . $connection_options['database'];
+
     // Allow PDO options to be overridden.
     $connection_options += array(
       'pdo' => array(),
@@ -59,7 +59,22 @@ class Connection extends DatabaseConnection {
       PDO::ATTR_EMULATE_PREPARES => TRUE,
     );
 
-    parent::__construct($dsn, $connection_options['username'], $connection_options['password'], $connection_options['pdo']);
+    if (!isset($connection_options['create_database'])) {
+      $dsn .= ';dbname=' . $connection_options['database'];
+      parent::__construct($dsn, $connection_options['username'], $connection_options['password'], $connection_options['pdo']);
+    }
+    else {
+      parent::__construct($dsn, $connection_options['username'], $connection_options['password'], $connection_options['pdo']);
+      try {
+        // @todo: Escape database names. Also, look for a more PDO-ish way to do
+        // this.
+        $this->exec('CREATE DATABASE ' . $connection_options['database']);
+        $this->exec('USE DATABASE ' . $connection_options['database']);
+      }
+      catch (DatabaseException $e) {
+        throw $e;
+      }
+    }
 
     // Force MySQL to use the UTF-8 character set. Also set the collation, if a
     // certain one has been set; otherwise, MySQL defaults to 'utf8_general_ci'
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Install/Tasks.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Install/Tasks.php
index 5d34a62..d34de40 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Install/Tasks.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Database/Install/Tasks.php
@@ -159,16 +159,22 @@ abstract class Tasks {
    * Check if we can connect to the database.
    */
   protected function connect() {
+    // This doesn't actually test the connection.
+    db_set_active();
+
     try {
-      // This doesn't actually test the connection.
-      db_set_active();
       // Now actually do a check.
       Database::getConnection();
       $this->pass('Drupal can CONNECT to the database ok.');
     }
     catch (Exception $e) {
-      $this->fail(st('Failed to connect to your database server. The server reports the following message: %error.<ul><li>Is the database server running?</li><li>Does the database exist, and have you entered the correct database name?</li><li>Have you entered the correct username and password?</li><li>Have you entered the correct database hostname?</li></ul>', array('%error' => $e->getMessage())));
-      return FALSE;
+      try {
+        Database::createDatabase();
+      }
+      catch (Exception $e) {
+        $this->fail(st('Failed to connect to your database server. The server reports the following message: %error.<ul><li>Is the database server running?</li><li>Does the database exist, and have you entered the correct database name?</li><li>Have you entered the correct username and password?</li><li>Have you entered the correct database hostname?</li></ul>', array('%error' => $e->getMessage())));
+        return FALSE;
+      }
     }
     return TRUE;
   }