diff --git a/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/runtime/configuration/DbConnectionBuilder.java b/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/runtime/configuration/DbConnectionBuilder.java
index 09f0c722e..c163e4df6 100644
--- a/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/runtime/configuration/DbConnectionBuilder.java
+++ b/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/runtime/configuration/DbConnectionBuilder.java
@@ -32,12 +32,15 @@ import javax.sql.DataSource;
 import li.strolch.agent.api.ComponentContainer;
 import li.strolch.agent.api.StrolchRealm;
 import li.strolch.persistence.api.StrolchPersistenceException;
+import li.strolch.runtime.StrolchConstants;
 
 /**
  * @author Robert von Burg <eitch@eitchnet.ch>
  */
 public abstract class DbConnectionBuilder {
 
+	private static final String PROP_DB_POOL_PREFIX = "db.pool";
+
 	private ComponentContainer container;
 	private ComponentConfiguration configuration;
 
@@ -69,7 +72,37 @@ public abstract class DbConnectionBuilder {
 			String username = configuration.getString(dbUsernameKey, null);
 			String password = configuration.getString(dbPasswordKey, null);
 
-			DataSource ds = build(realmName, dbUrl, username, password, null);
+			// find any pool configuration values
+			Set<String> propertyKeys = configuration.getPropertyKeys();
+			Properties props = new Properties();
+			for (String key : propertyKeys) {
+				if (!key.startsWith(PROP_DB_POOL_PREFIX))
+					continue;
+
+				// TODO we should change how properties for realms are configured
+				// since defaultRealm does not have to be on the key, we need this hack:
+				String[] segments = key.split("\\.");
+				String poolKey;
+				String foundRealm;
+				if (segments.length == 4) {
+					// ends with realm
+					foundRealm = segments[3];
+				} else if (segments.length == 3) {
+					// default realm
+					foundRealm = StrolchConstants.DEFAULT_REALM;
+				} else {
+					throw new IllegalArgumentException("Can't detect realm of this property: " + key);
+				}
+				// see if this is our realm
+				if (!foundRealm.equals(realmName))
+					continue;
+
+				poolKey = segments[2];
+				String value = configuration.getString(key, null);
+				props.setProperty(poolKey, value);
+			}
+
+			DataSource ds = build(realmName, dbUrl, username, password, props);
 
 			dsMap.put(realmName, ds);
 		}
diff --git a/li.strolch.performancetest/src/runtime/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml b/li.strolch.performancetest/src/runtime/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
index 8eb073094..226558609 100644
--- a/li.strolch.performancetest/src/runtime/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
+++ b/li.strolch.performancetest/src/runtime/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 				<db.url>jdbc:postgresql://localhost/testdb</db.url>
 				<db.username>testuser</db.username>
 				<db.password>test</db.password>
+				<db.pool.maximumPoolSize>1</db.pool.maximumPoolSize>
 			</Properties>
 		</Component>
 		<Component>
diff --git a/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/main/java/li/strolch/persistence/postgresql/PostgreSqlDbConnectionBuilder.java b/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/main/java/li/strolch/persistence/postgresql/PostgreSqlDbConnectionBuilder.java
index 7e3452b4b..94132bded 100644
--- a/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/main/java/li/strolch/persistence/postgresql/PostgreSqlDbConnectionBuilder.java
+++ b/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/main/java/li/strolch/persistence/postgresql/PostgreSqlDbConnectionBuilder.java
@@ -57,19 +57,15 @@ public final class PostgreSqlDbConnectionBuilder extends DbConnectionBuilder {
 	public DataSource build(String realm, String url, String username, String password, Properties props) {
 
 		HikariDataSource ds;
-		if (props != null) {
-			props.setProperty("dataSource.autoCommit", "false");
-			HikariConfig config = new HikariConfig(props);
-			ds = new HikariDataSource(config);
-		} else {
-			ds = new HikariDataSource();
-			ds.setAutoCommit(false);
-		}
+		HikariConfig config = new HikariConfig(props);
+		config.setAutoCommit(false);
+		config.setPoolName(realm);
+		config.setJdbcUrl(url);
+		config.setUsername(username);
+		config.setPassword(password);
 
-		ds.setPoolName(realm);
-		ds.setJdbcUrl(url);
-		ds.setUsername(username);
-		ds.setPassword(password);
+		ds = new HikariDataSource(config);
+		System.err.println(ds.getMaximumPoolSize());
 
 		return new StrolchPostgreDataSource(ds);
 	}
diff --git a/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/test/resources/cachedruntime/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml b/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/test/resources/cachedruntime/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
index fe782ba2d..a3d133f42 100644
--- a/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/test/resources/cachedruntime/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
+++ b/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/test/resources/cachedruntime/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 				<db.url>jdbc:postgresql://localhost/testdb</db.url>
 				<db.username>testuser</db.username>
 				<db.password>test</db.password>
+				<db.pool.maximumPoolSize>1</db.pool.maximumPoolSize>
 			</Properties>
 		</Component>
 	</env>
diff --git a/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/test/resources/realmtest/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml b/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/test/resources/realmtest/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
index 010087cab..7ea084738 100644
--- a/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/test/resources/realmtest/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
+++ b/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/test/resources/realmtest/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
@@ -41,10 +41,12 @@
 				<db.url.first>jdbc:postgresql://localhost/testdb1</db.url.first>
 				<db.username.first>testuser1</db.username.first>
 				<db.password.first>test</db.password.first>
+				<db.pool.maximumPoolSize.first>1</db.pool.maximumPoolSize.first>
 
 				<db.url.second>jdbc:postgresql://localhost/testdb2</db.url.second>
 				<db.username.second>testuser2</db.username.second>
 				<db.password.second>test</db.password.second>
+				<db.pool.maximumPoolSize.second>1</db.pool.maximumPoolSize.second>
 			</Properties>
 		</Component>
 	</env>
diff --git a/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/test/resources/transactionalruntime/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml b/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/test/resources/transactionalruntime/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
index 6f256379d..d931057e6 100644
--- a/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/test/resources/transactionalruntime/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
+++ b/li.strolch.persistence.postgresql/src/test/resources/transactionalruntime/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 				<db.url>jdbc:postgresql://localhost/testdb</db.url>
 				<db.username>testuser</db.username>
 				<db.password>test</db.password>
+				<db.pool.maximumPoolSize>1</db.pool.maximumPoolSize>
 			</Properties>
 		</Component>
 	</env>
diff --git a/li.strolch.service/src/test/resources/svctest/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml b/li.strolch.service/src/test/resources/svctest/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
index 9a070ccb8..8d97ea43d 100644
--- a/li.strolch.service/src/test/resources/svctest/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
+++ b/li.strolch.service/src/test/resources/svctest/config/StrolchConfiguration.xml
@@ -52,10 +52,12 @@
 				<db.url.svcCached>jdbc:postgresql://localhost/cacheduserdb</db.url.svcCached>
 				<db.username.svcCached>cacheduser</db.username.svcCached>
 				<db.password.svcCached>test</db.password.svcCached>
+				<db.pool.maximumPoolSize.svcCached>1</db.pool.maximumPoolSize.svcCached>
 
 				<db.url.svcTransactional>jdbc:postgresql://localhost/transactionaluserdb</db.url.svcTransactional>
 				<db.username.svcTransactional>transactionaluser</db.username.svcTransactional>
 				<db.password.svcTransactional>test</db.password.svcTransactional>
+				<db.pool.maximumPoolSize.svcTransactional>1</db.pool.maximumPoolSize.svcTransactional>
 
 			</Properties>
 		</Component>