diff --git a/ckan/config/middleware/flask_app.py b/ckan/config/middleware/flask_app.py
index cf5e28f007b..ee0c0c6813d 100644
--- a/ckan/config/middleware/flask_app.py
+++ b/ckan/config/middleware/flask_app.py
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
 from werkzeug.exceptions import HTTPException
 from werkzeug.routing import Rule
 
+from flask_debugtoolbar import DebugToolbarExtension
+
+from paste.deploy.converters import asbool
+
 from ckan.lib import helpers
 from ckan.lib import jinja_extensions
 from ckan.common import config, g
@@ -30,7 +34,12 @@ def make_flask_stack(conf, **app_conf):
     root = os.path.dirname(
         os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))))
 
+    debug = asbool(app_conf.get('debug', app_conf.get('DEBUG', False)))
+    testing = asbool(app_conf.get('testing', app_conf.get('TESTING', False)))
+
     app = flask_app = CKANFlask(__name__)
+    app.debug = debug
+    app.testing = testing
     app.template_folder = os.path.join(root, 'templates')
     app.app_ctx_globals_class = CKAN_AppCtxGlobals
     app.url_rule_class = CKAN_Rule
@@ -43,6 +52,19 @@ def make_flask_stack(conf, **app_conf):
         app.config.update(conf)
         app.config.update(app_conf)
 
+    # Do all the Flask-specific stuff before adding other middlewares
+
+    # Secret key needed for flask-debug-toolbar and sessions
+    if not app.config.get('SECRET_KEY'):
+        app.config['SECRET_KEY'] = config.get('beaker.session.secret')
+    if not app.config.get('SECRET_KEY'):
+        raise RuntimeError(u'You must provide a value for the secret key'
+                           ' with the SECRET_KEY config option')
+
+    if debug:
+        app.config['DEBUG_TB_INTERCEPT_REDIRECTS'] = False
+        DebugToolbarExtension(app)
+
     # Add Jinja2 extensions and filters
     extensions = [
         'jinja2.ext.do', 'jinja2.ext.with_',
diff --git a/ckan/tests/config/test_middleware.py b/ckan/tests/config/test_middleware.py
index 400f4294c13..92efe05513b 100644
--- a/ckan/tests/config/test_middleware.py
+++ b/ckan/tests/config/test_middleware.py
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@
 
 import mock
 import wsgiref
-from nose.tools import assert_equals, assert_not_equals, eq_
+from nose.tools import assert_equals, assert_not_equals, eq_, assert_raises
 from routes import url_for
 from flask import Blueprint
 
 import ckan.plugins as p
 import ckan.tests.helpers as helpers
+from ckan.common import config
 
 from ckan.config.middleware import AskAppDispatcherMiddleware
 from ckan.config.middleware.flask_app import CKANFlask
@@ -446,3 +447,31 @@ class MockPylonsController(p.toolkit.BaseController):
 
     def view(self):
         return 'Hello World, this is served from a Pylons extension'
+
+
+class TestSecretKey(object):
+
+    @helpers.change_config('SECRET_KEY', 'super_secret_stuff')
+    def test_secret_key_is_used_if_present(self):
+
+        app = helpers._get_test_app()
+
+        eq_(app.flask_app.config['SECRET_KEY'],
+            u'super_secret_stuff')
+
+    @helpers.change_config('SECRET_KEY', None)
+    def test_beaker_secret_is_used_by_default(self):
+
+        app = helpers._get_test_app()
+
+        eq_(app.flask_app.config['SECRET_KEY'],
+            config['beaker.session.secret'])
+
+    @helpers.change_config('SECRET_KEY', None)
+    @helpers.change_config('beaker.session.secret', None)
+    def test_no_beaker_secret_crashes(self):
+
+        assert_raises(ValueError, helpers._get_test_app)
+
+        # TODO: When Pylons is finally removed, we should test for
+        # RuntimeError instead (thrown on `make_flask_stack`)
diff --git a/ckan/tests/helpers.py b/ckan/tests/helpers.py
index bfda83a1a1e..cca05ecdce2 100644
--- a/ckan/tests/helpers.py
+++ b/ckan/tests/helpers.py
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ def _get_test_app():
 
     '''
     config['ckan.legacy_templates'] = False
+    config['testing'] = True
     app = ckan.config.middleware.make_app(config['global_conf'], **config)
     app = CKANTestApp(app)
     return app
diff --git a/dev-requirements.txt b/dev-requirements.txt
index 095abe8a547..54503afe28e 100644
--- a/dev-requirements.txt
+++ b/dev-requirements.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ beautifulsoup4==4.4.1
 coveralls   #Let Unpinned - Requires latest coveralls
 docutils==0.12
 factory-boy==2.1.1
+Flask-DebugToolbar==0.10.0
 httpretty==0.8.3
 mock==2.0.0
 pep8==1.4.6
diff --git a/test-core.ini b/test-core.ini
index 5687a2f0867..aae1b7fe836 100644
--- a/test-core.ini
+++ b/test-core.ini
@@ -12,14 +12,11 @@ use = egg:ckan
 full_stack = true
 cache_dir = %(here)s/data
 debug = false
+testing = true
 
-#faster_db_test_hacks = True
 
-# Specify the database for SQLAlchemy to use:
-# * Postgres is currently required for a production CKAN deployment
-# * Sqlite (memory or file) can be used as a quick alternative for testing
+# Specify the Postgres database for SQLAlchemy to use
 sqlalchemy.url = postgresql://ckan_default:pass@localhost/ckan_test
-#sqlalchemy.url = sqlite:///
 
 ## Datastore
 ckan.datastore.write_url = postgresql://ckan_default:pass@localhost/datastore_test