diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index ff41e24..c804c42 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@ python:
   - "pypy"
 install:
   - if [[ $TRAVIS_PYTHON_VERSION == 2.6 ]]; then pip install -r py26-requirements.txt; fi
-  - pip install -r requirements.txt
+  - pip install -e .
   - pip install pytest-cov
   - pip install coveralls
   #- pip install pytest  # installed by Travis by default already
 script:
-  - RUN_SLOW_TESTS_TOO=1 py.test --cov rq
+  - RUN_SLOW_TESTS_TOO=1 py.test --cov rq --durations=5
 after_success:
   - coveralls
diff --git a/rq/worker.py b/rq/worker.py
index 60683d0..831fe03 100644
--- a/rq/worker.py
+++ b/rq/worker.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from datetime import timedelta
 
 from rq.compat import as_text, string_types, text_type
 
-from .connections import get_current_connection
+from .connections import get_current_connection, push_connection, pop_connection
 from .defaults import DEFAULT_RESULT_TTL, DEFAULT_WORKER_TTL
 from .exceptions import DequeueTimeout
 from .job import Job, JobStatus
@@ -581,6 +581,9 @@ class Worker(object):
         self.prepare_job_execution(job)
 
         with self.connection._pipeline() as pipeline:
+
+            push_connection(self.connection)
+
             started_job_registry = StartedJobRegistry(job.origin, self.connection)
 
             try:
@@ -623,6 +626,9 @@ class Worker(object):
                 self.handle_exception(job, *sys.exc_info())
                 return False
 
+            finally:
+                pop_connection()
+
         self.log.info('{0}: {1} ({2})'.format(green(job.origin), blue('Job OK'), job.id))
         if rv is not None:
             log_result = "{0!r}".format(as_text(text_type(rv)))
diff --git a/tests/fixtures.py b/tests/fixtures.py
index c1b7783..2d15d88 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function,
 import os
 import time
 
-from rq import Connection, get_current_job
+from rq import Connection, get_current_job, get_current_connection
 from rq.decorators import job
 from rq.compat import PY2
 
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ def create_file_after_timeout(path, timeout):
 
 
 def access_self():
+    assert get_current_connection() is not None
     assert get_current_job() is not None
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_job.py b/tests/test_job.py
index 413039d..1b2affe 100644
--- a/tests/test_job.py
+++ b/tests/test_job.py
@@ -302,6 +302,7 @@ class TestJob(RQTestCase):
         q.enqueue(fixtures.access_self)  # access_self calls get_current_job() and asserts
         w = Worker([q])
         w.work(burst=True)
+        assert get_failed_queue(self.testconn).count == 0
 
     def test_job_access_within_synchronous_job_function(self):
         queue = Queue(async=False)
diff --git a/tests/test_queue.py b/tests/test_queue.py
index 6f91ff9..b62fddc 100644
--- a/tests/test_queue.py
+++ b/tests/test_queue.py
@@ -241,15 +241,19 @@ class TestQueue(RQTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(queue, fooq)
         self.assertEqual(job.func, say_hello)
         self.assertEqual(job.origin, fooq.name)
-        self.assertEqual(job.args[0], 'for Foo',
-                         'Foo should be dequeued first.')
+        self.assertEqual(
+            job.args[0], 'for Foo',
+            'Foo should be dequeued first.'
+        )
 
         job, queue = Queue.dequeue_any([fooq, barq], None)
         self.assertEqual(queue, barq)
         self.assertEqual(job.func, say_hello)
         self.assertEqual(job.origin, barq.name)
-        self.assertEqual(job.args[0], 'for Bar',
-                         'Bar should be dequeued second.')
+        self.assertEqual(
+            job.args[0], 'for Bar',
+            'Bar should be dequeued second.'
+        )
 
     def test_dequeue_any_ignores_nonexisting_jobs(self):
         """Dequeuing (from any queue) silently ignores non-existing jobs."""
@@ -260,8 +264,10 @@ class TestQueue(RQTestCase):
 
         # Dequeue simply ignores the missing job and returns None
         self.assertEqual(q.count, 1)
-        self.assertEqual(Queue.dequeue_any([Queue(), Queue('low')], None),  # noqa
-                None)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            Queue.dequeue_any([Queue(), Queue('low')], None),  # noqa
+            None
+        )
         self.assertEqual(q.count, 0)
 
     def test_enqueue_sets_status(self):
diff --git a/tests/test_worker.py b/tests/test_worker.py
index 2762459..c63f97b 100644
--- a/tests/test_worker.py
+++ b/tests/test_worker.py
@@ -8,13 +8,16 @@ from time import sleep
 import signal
 import time
 from multiprocessing import Process
+import subprocess
 
 from tests import RQTestCase, slow
 from tests.fixtures import (create_file, create_file_after_timeout,
-                            div_by_zero, do_nothing, say_hello, say_pid)
+                            div_by_zero, do_nothing, say_hello, say_pid,
+                            access_self)
 from tests.helpers import strip_microseconds
 
-from rq import get_failed_queue, Queue, SimpleWorker, Worker
+from rq import (get_failed_queue, Queue, SimpleWorker, Worker,
+                get_current_connection)
 from rq.compat import as_text, PY2
 from rq.job import Job, JobStatus
 from rq.registry import StartedJobRegistry
@@ -82,12 +85,16 @@ class TestWorker(RQTestCase):
         """Worker processes work, then quits."""
         fooq, barq = Queue('foo'), Queue('bar')
         w = Worker([fooq, barq])
-        self.assertEqual(w.work(burst=True), False,
-                         'Did not expect any work on the queue.')
+        self.assertEqual(
+            w.work(burst=True), False,
+            'Did not expect any work on the queue.'
+        )
 
         fooq.enqueue(say_hello, name='Frank')
-        self.assertEqual(w.work(burst=True), True,
-                         'Expected at least some work done.')
+        self.assertEqual(
+            w.work(burst=True), True,
+            'Expected at least some work done.'
+        )
 
     def test_worker_ttl(self):
         """Worker ttl."""
@@ -102,8 +109,10 @@ class TestWorker(RQTestCase):
         q = Queue('foo')
         w = Worker([q])
         job = q.enqueue('tests.fixtures.say_hello', name='Frank')
-        self.assertEqual(w.work(burst=True), True,
-                         'Expected at least some work done.')
+        self.assertEqual(
+            w.work(burst=True), True,
+            'Expected at least some work done.'
+        )
         self.assertEqual(job.result, 'Hi there, Frank!')
 
     def test_job_times(self):
@@ -116,14 +125,25 @@ class TestWorker(RQTestCase):
         self.assertIsNotNone(job.enqueued_at)
         self.assertIsNone(job.started_at)
         self.assertIsNone(job.ended_at)
-        self.assertEqual(w.work(burst=True), True,
-                         'Expected at least some work done.')
+        self.assertEqual(
+            w.work(burst=True), True,
+            'Expected at least some work done.'
+        )
         self.assertEqual(job.result, 'Hi there, Stranger!')
         after = utcnow()
         job.refresh()
-        self.assertTrue(before <= job.enqueued_at <= after, 'Not %s <= %s <= %s' % (before, job.enqueued_at, after))
-        self.assertTrue(before <= job.started_at <= after, 'Not %s <= %s <= %s' % (before, job.started_at, after))
-        self.assertTrue(before <= job.ended_at <= after, 'Not %s <= %s <= %s' % (before, job.ended_at, after))
+        self.assertTrue(
+            before <= job.enqueued_at <= after,
+            'Not %s <= %s <= %s' % (before, job.enqueued_at, after)
+        )
+        self.assertTrue(
+            before <= job.started_at <= after,
+            'Not %s <= %s <= %s' % (before, job.started_at, after)
+        )
+        self.assertTrue(
+            before <= job.ended_at <= after,
+            'Not %s <= %s <= %s' % (before, job.ended_at, after)
+        )
 
     def test_work_is_unreadable(self):
         """Unreadable jobs are put on the failed queue."""
@@ -557,14 +577,16 @@ def kill_worker(pid, double_kill):
 
 class TestWorkerShutdown(RQTestCase):
     def setUp(self):
-        # we want tests to fail if signal are ignored and the work remain running,
-        # so set a signal to kill them after 5 seconds
+        # we want tests to fail if signal are ignored and the work remain
+        # running, so set a signal to kill them after X seconds
+        self.killtimeout = 10
         signal.signal(signal.SIGALRM, self._timeout)
-        signal.alarm(5)
+        signal.alarm(self.killtimeout)
 
     def _timeout(self, signal, frame):
-        raise AssertionError("test still running after 5 seconds, "
-                             "likely the worker wasn't shutdown correctly")
+        raise AssertionError(
+            "test still running after %i seconds, likely the worker wasn't shutdown correctly" % self.killtimeout
+        )
 
     @slow
     def test_idle_worker_warm_shutdown(self):
@@ -621,3 +643,35 @@ class TestWorkerShutdown(RQTestCase):
         shutdown_requested_date = w.shutdown_requested_date
         self.assertIsNotNone(shutdown_requested_date)
         self.assertEqual(type(shutdown_requested_date).__name__, 'datetime')
+
+
+def schedule_access_self():
+    q = Queue('default', connection=get_current_connection())
+    q.enqueue(access_self)
+
+
+class TestWorkerSubprocess(RQTestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(TestWorkerSubprocess, self).setUp()
+        db_num = self.testconn.connection_pool.connection_kwargs['db']
+        self.redis_url = 'redis://127.0.0.1:6379/%d' % db_num
+
+    def test_run_empty_queue(self):
+        """Run the worker in its own process with an empty queue"""
+        subprocess.check_call(['rqworker', '-u', self.redis_url, '-b'])
+
+    def test_run_access_self(self):
+        """Schedule a job, then run the worker as subprocess"""
+        q = Queue()
+        q.enqueue(access_self)
+        subprocess.check_call(['rqworker', '-u', self.redis_url, '-b'])
+        assert get_failed_queue().count == 0
+        assert q.count == 0
+
+    def test_run_scheduled_access_self(self):
+        """Schedule a job that schedules a job, then run the worker as subprocess"""
+        q = Queue()
+        q.enqueue(schedule_access_self)
+        subprocess.check_call(['rqworker', '-u', self.redis_url, '-b'])
+        assert get_failed_queue().count == 0
+        assert q.count == 0
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 28b6aef..93a76b9 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 envlist=py26,py27,py33,py34,py35,pypy,flake8
 
 [testenv]
-commands=py.test --cov rq {posargs}
+commands=py.test --cov rq --durations=5 {posargs}
 deps=
     pytest
     pytest-cov