diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/DBALException.php b/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/DBALException.php
index 432016879..58728ac56 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/DBALException.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/DBALException.php
@@ -35,4 +35,16 @@ class DBALException extends \Exception
         return new self("The given 'driver' ".$unknownDriverName." is unknown, ".
             "Doctrine currently supports only the following drivers: ".implode(", ", $knownDrivers));
     }
+
+    public static function invalidWrapperClass($wrapperClass)
+    {
+        return new self("The given 'wrapperClass' ".$wrapperClass." has to be a ".
+            "subtype of \Doctrine\DBAL\Connection.");
+    }
+
+    public static function invalidDriverClass($driverClass)
+    {
+        return new self("The given 'driverClass' ".$driverClass." has to implement the ".
+            "\Doctrine\DBAL\Driver interface.");
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/DriverManager.php b/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/DriverManager.php
index fb093fd79..0b6634dab 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/DriverManager.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/DriverManager.php
@@ -122,8 +122,12 @@ final class DriverManager
         $driver = new $className();
         
         $wrapperClass = 'Doctrine\DBAL\Connection';
-        if (isset($params['wrapperClass']) && is_subclass_of($params['wrapperClass'], $wrapperClass)) {
-            $wrapperClass = $params['wrapperClass'];
+        if (isset($params['wrapperClass'])) {
+            if (is_subclass_of($params['wrapperClass'], $wrapperClass)) {
+               $wrapperClass = $params['wrapperClass'];
+            } else {
+                throw DBALException::invalidWrapperClass($params['wrapperClass']);
+            }
         }
         
         return new $wrapperClass($params, $driver, $config, $eventManager);
@@ -149,5 +153,9 @@ final class DriverManager
         if ( isset($params['driver']) && ! isset(self::$_driverMap[$params['driver']])) {
             throw DBALException::unknownDriver($params['driver'], array_keys(self::$_driverMap));
         }
+
+        if (isset($params['driverClass']) && ! in_array('Doctrine\DBAL\Driver', class_implements($params['driverClass'], true))) {
+            throw DBALException::invalidDriverClass($params['driverClass']);
+        }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/DBAL/DriverManagerTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/DBAL/DriverManagerTest.php
index 770bf9698..d7d0fb94f 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/DBAL/DriverManagerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/DBAL/DriverManagerTest.php
@@ -53,4 +53,51 @@ class DriverManagerTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\DbalTestCase
         $conn = \Doctrine\DBAL\DriverManager::getConnection($options);
         $this->assertSame($mockPlatform, $conn->getDatabasePlatform());
     }
+
+    public function testCustomWrapper()
+    {
+        $wrapperMock = $this->getMock('\Doctrine\DBAL\Connection', array(), array(), '', false);
+        $wrapperClass = get_class($wrapperMock);
+
+        $options = array(
+            'pdo' => new \PDO('sqlite::memory:'),
+            'wrapperClass' => $wrapperClass
+        );
+
+        $conn = \Doctrine\DBAL\DriverManager::getConnection($options);
+        $this->assertType($wrapperClass, $conn);
+    }
+
+    public function testInvalidWrapperClass()
+    {
+        $this->setExpectedException('\Doctrine\DBAL\DBALException');
+
+        $options = array(
+            'pdo' => new \PDO('sqlite::memory:'),
+            'wrapperClass' => 'stdClass',
+        );
+
+        $conn = \Doctrine\DBAL\DriverManager::getConnection($options);
+    }
+
+    public function testInvalidDriverClass()
+    {
+        $this->setExpectedException('\Doctrine\DBAL\DBALException');
+
+        $options = array(
+            'driverClass' => 'stdClass'
+        );
+
+        $conn = \Doctrine\DBAL\DriverManager::getConnection($options);
+    }
+
+    public function testValidDriverClass()
+    {
+        $options = array(
+            'driverClass' => 'Doctrine\DBAL\Driver\PDOMySql\Driver',
+        );
+
+        $conn = \Doctrine\DBAL\DriverManager::getConnection($options);
+        $this->assertType('Doctrine\DBAL\Driver\PDOMySql\Driver', $conn->getDriver());
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file