diff --git a/ webgoat/main/project/JavaSource/org/owasp/webgoat/session/DatabaseUtilities.java b/ webgoat/main/project/JavaSource/org/owasp/webgoat/session/DatabaseUtilities.java
index c63e5a2be..5dfec7157 100644
--- a/ webgoat/main/project/JavaSource/org/owasp/webgoat/session/DatabaseUtilities.java	
+++ b/ webgoat/main/project/JavaSource/org/owasp/webgoat/session/DatabaseUtilities.java	
@@ -63,14 +63,14 @@ public class DatabaseUtilities
     public static Connection makeConnection(WebSession s)
 	    throws ClassNotFoundException, SQLException
     {
-	Class.forName(s.getDatabaseDriver());
+	Class.forName(s.getWebgoatContext().getDatabaseDriver());
 
-	String password = s.getDatabasePassword(); 
+	String password = s.getWebgoatContext().getDatabasePassword();
+	String conn = s.getWebgoatContext().getDatabaseConnectionString();
 	if (password == null || password.equals("")) {
-	return (DriverManager.getConnection(s.getDatabaseConnectionString()));
+		return (DriverManager.getConnection(conn));
 	} else {
-		String conn = s.getDatabaseConnectionString();
-		String user = s.getDatabaseUser();
+		String user = s.getWebgoatContext().getDatabaseUser();
 		return DriverManager.getConnection(conn, user, password);
 	}
     }
diff --git a/ webgoat/main/project/JavaSource/org/owasp/webgoat/session/WebSession.java b/ webgoat/main/project/JavaSource/org/owasp/webgoat/session/WebSession.java
index 4bbf5034e..6886aa117 100644
--- a/ webgoat/main/project/JavaSource/org/owasp/webgoat/session/WebSession.java	
+++ b/ webgoat/main/project/JavaSource/org/owasp/webgoat/session/WebSession.java	
@@ -86,26 +86,6 @@ public class WebSession
 	 */
 	public final static String COLOR = "color";
 
-	/**
-	 * Description of the Field
-	 */
-	public final static String DATABASE_CONNECTION_STRING = "DatabaseConnectionString";
-
-	/**
-	 * Description of the Field
-	 */
-	public final static String DATABASE_DRIVER = "DatabaseDriver";
-
-	/**
-	 * Description of the Field
-	 */
-	public final static String DATABASE_USER = "DatabaseUser";
-
-	/**
-	 * Description of the Field
-	 */
-	public final static String DATABASE_PASSWORD = "DatabasePassword";
-
 	/**
 	 * Description of the Field
 	 */
@@ -203,6 +183,8 @@ public class WebSession
 	 */
 	public final static int WELCOME = -1;
 
+	private WebgoatContext webgoatContext;
+	
 	private ServletContext context = null;
 
 	private Course course;
@@ -213,14 +195,6 @@ public class WebSession
 
 	private static boolean databaseBuilt = false;
 
-	private String databaseConnectionString;
-
-	private String databaseDriver;
-	
-	private String databaseUser;
-
-	private String databasePassword;
-
 	private static Connection connection = null;
 
 	private int hintNum = -1;
@@ -275,6 +249,7 @@ public class WebSession
 	 */
 	public WebSession( HttpServlet servlet, ServletContext context )
 	{
+		webgoatContext = new WebgoatContext(servlet);
 		// initialize from web.xml
 		showParams = "true".equals( servlet.getInitParameter( SHOWPARAMS ) );
 		showCookies = "true".equals( servlet.getInitParameter( SHOWCOOKIES ) );
@@ -285,10 +260,6 @@ public class WebSession
 				.getInitParameter( FEEDBACK_ADDRESS ) : feedbackAddress;
 		showRequest = "true".equals( servlet.getInitParameter( SHOWREQUEST ) );
 		isDebug = "true".equals( servlet.getInitParameter( DEBUG ) );
-		databaseConnectionString = servlet.getInitParameter( DATABASE_CONNECTION_STRING );
-		databaseDriver = servlet.getInitParameter( DATABASE_DRIVER );
-		databaseUser = servlet.getInitParameter(DATABASE_USER);
-		databasePassword = servlet.getInitParameter(DATABASE_PASSWORD);
 		servletName = servlet.getServletName();
 		this.context = context;
 		course = new Course();
@@ -448,60 +419,6 @@ public class WebSession
 		currentScreen = screen;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * returns the connection string with the real path to the database directory inserted at the
-	 * word PATH
-	 * 
-	 * @return The databaseConnectionString value
-	 */
-	public String getDatabaseConnectionString()
-	{
-		try
-		{
-			String path = context.getRealPath( "/database" ).replace( '\\', '/' );
-			System.out.println( "PATH: " + path );
-			String realConnectionString = databaseConnectionString.replaceAll( "PATH", path );
-			System.out.println( "Database Connection String: " + realConnectionString );
-
-			return realConnectionString;
-		}
-		catch ( Exception e )
-		{
-			System.out.println( "Couldn't open database: check web.xml database parameters" );
-			e.printStackTrace();
-		}
-
-		return null;
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Gets the databaseDriver attribute of the WebSession object
-	 * 
-	 * @return The databaseDriver value
-	 */
-	public String getDatabaseDriver()
-	{
-		return ( databaseDriver );
-	}
-	
-	/**
-	 * Gets the databaseUser attribute of the WebSession object
-	 * 
-	 * @return The databaseUser value
-	 */
-	public String getDatabaseUser() {
-		return (databaseUser);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Gets the databasePassword attribute of the WebSession object
-	 * 
-	 * @return The databasePassword value
-	 */
-	public String getDatabasePassword() {
-		return (databasePassword);
-	}
-	       
 	public String getRestartLink()
 	{
 		List<String> parameters = new ArrayList<String>();
@@ -1248,4 +1165,8 @@ public class WebSession
 		
 		return ParameterParser.htmlEncode(s);
 	}
+
+	public WebgoatContext getWebgoatContext() {
+		return webgoatContext;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/ webgoat/main/project/JavaSource/org/owasp/webgoat/session/WebgoatContext.java b/ webgoat/main/project/JavaSource/org/owasp/webgoat/session/WebgoatContext.java
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..cde9fd9ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ webgoat/main/project/JavaSource/org/owasp/webgoat/session/WebgoatContext.java	
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+package org.owasp.webgoat.session;
+
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet;
+
+public class WebgoatContext {
+
+	public final static String DATABASE_CONNECTION_STRING = "DatabaseConnectionString";
+
+	public final static String DATABASE_DRIVER = "DatabaseDriver";
+
+	public final static String DATABASE_USER = "DatabaseUser";
+
+	public final static String DATABASE_PASSWORD = "DatabasePassword";
+
+	private String databaseConnectionString;
+
+	private String realConnectionString = null;
+
+	private String databaseDriver;
+
+	private String databaseUser;
+
+	private String databasePassword;
+
+	private HttpServlet servlet;
+
+	public WebgoatContext(HttpServlet servlet) {
+		this.servlet = servlet;
+		databaseConnectionString = servlet
+				.getInitParameter(DATABASE_CONNECTION_STRING);
+		databaseDriver = servlet.getInitParameter(DATABASE_DRIVER);
+		databaseUser = servlet.getInitParameter(DATABASE_USER);
+		databasePassword = servlet.getInitParameter(DATABASE_PASSWORD);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * returns the connection string with the real path to the database
+	 * directory inserted at the word PATH
+	 * 
+	 * @return The databaseConnectionString value
+	 */
+	public String getDatabaseConnectionString() {
+		if (realConnectionString == null)
+			try {
+				String path = servlet.getServletContext().getRealPath(
+						"/database").replace('\\', '/');
+				System.out.println("PATH: " + path);
+				realConnectionString = databaseConnectionString.replaceAll(
+						"PATH", path);
+				System.out.println("Database Connection String: "
+						+ realConnectionString);
+			} catch (Exception e) {
+				System.out
+						.println("Couldn't open database: check web.xml database parameters");
+				e.printStackTrace();
+			}
+		return realConnectionString;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Gets the databaseDriver attribute of the WebSession object
+	 * 
+	 * @return The databaseDriver value
+	 */
+	public String getDatabaseDriver() {
+		return (databaseDriver);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Gets the databaseUser attribute of the WebSession object
+	 * 
+	 * @return The databaseUser value
+	 */
+	public String getDatabaseUser() {
+		return (databaseUser);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Gets the databasePassword attribute of the WebSession object
+	 * 
+	 * @return The databasePassword value
+	 */
+	public String getDatabasePassword() {
+		return (databasePassword);
+	}
+
+}