connection.diff

diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb
index 901b171..2416f3b 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb
@@ -91,11 +91,20 @@ module ActiveRecord
       #
       # #connection can be called any number of times; the connection is
       # held in a hash keyed by the thread id.
-      def connection
-        if conn = @reserved_connections[current_connection_id]
-          conn
+      def connection(&block)
+        fresh_connection = false
+        unless conn = @reserved_connections[current_connection_id]
+          fresh_connection = true
+          conn = @reserved_connections[current_connection_id] = checkout
+        end
+        if block_given?
+          begin
+            yield conn
+          ensure
+            release_connection if fresh_connection
+          end
         else
-          @reserved_connections[current_connection_id] = checkout
+          conn
         end
       end
 
@@ -321,9 +330,9 @@ module ActiveRecord
       # active or defined connection: if it is the latter, it will be
       # opened and set as the active connection for the class it was defined
       # for (not necessarily the current class).
-      def retrieve_connection(klass) #:nodoc:
+      def retrieve_connection(klass, &block) #:nodoc:
         pool = retrieve_connection_pool(klass)
-        (pool && pool.connection) or raise ConnectionNotEstablished
+        (pool && pool.connection(&block)) or raise ConnectionNotEstablished
       end
 
       # Returns true if a connection that's accessible to this class has
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_specification.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_specification.rb
index bbc290f..9ad69df 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_specification.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_specification.rb
@@ -16,8 +16,19 @@ module ActiveRecord
     # Returns the connection currently associated with the class. This can
     # also be used to "borrow" the connection to do database work that isn't
     # easily done without going straight to SQL.
-    def connection
-      self.class.connection
+    #
+    # If called with a block, the connection is automatically released
+    # after the block is yielded. This block version is useful outside
+    # of normal actionpack dispatcher operation where connection
+    # cleanup must be managed by the application.
+    #
+    #     User.connection do
+    #       User.all.each do |u|
+    #         # do something with each user
+    #       end
+    #     end # connection is released when the block completes
+    def connection(&block)
+      self.class.connection(&block)
     end
 
     # Establishes the connection to the database. Accepts a hash as input where
@@ -111,16 +122,16 @@ module ActiveRecord
       # Returns the connection currently associated with the class. This can
       # also be used to "borrow" the connection to do database work unrelated
       # to any of the specific Active Records.
-      def connection
-        retrieve_connection
+      def connection(&block)
+        retrieve_connection(&block)
       end
 
       def connection_pool
         connection_handler.retrieve_connection_pool(self)
       end
 
-      def retrieve_connection
-        connection_handler.retrieve_connection(self)
+      def retrieve_connection(&block)
+        connection_handler.retrieve_connection(self, &block)
       end
 
       # Returns true if +ActiveRecord+ is connected.