diff --git a/pgmoon/cqueues.lua b/pgmoon/cqueues.lua
index ee6796a..9e5b238 100644
--- a/pgmoon/cqueues.lua
+++ b/pgmoon/cqueues.lua
@@ -63,11 +63,6 @@ do
   _base_0.__class = _class_0
   CqueuesSocket = _class_0
 end
-local new
-new = function()
-  return CqueuesSocket(), "cqueues"
-end
 return {
-  new = new,
   CqueuesSocket = CqueuesSocket
 }
diff --git a/pgmoon/cqueues.moon b/pgmoon/cqueues.moon
index cc19b9a..47237dc 100644
--- a/pgmoon/cqueues.moon
+++ b/pgmoon/cqueues.moon
@@ -45,9 +45,6 @@ class CqueuesSocket
   -- openresty pooling interface, disable pooling
   getreusedtimes: => 0
 
-new = ->
-  CqueuesSocket!, "cqueues"
-
-{ :new , :CqueuesSocket }
+{ :CqueuesSocket }
 
 
diff --git a/pgmoon/init.lua b/pgmoon/init.lua
index 29d2437..a53a63e 100644
--- a/pgmoon/init.lua
+++ b/pgmoon/init.lua
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ do
   _base_0.__index = _base_0
   _class_0 = setmetatable({
     __init = function(self, opts)
-      self.sock, self.sock_type = socket.new()
+      self.sock, self.sock_type = socket.new(opts and opts.socket_type)
       if opts then
         self.user = opts.user
         self.host = opts.host
diff --git a/pgmoon/init.moon b/pgmoon/init.moon
index d335f83..c8ff8eb 100644
--- a/pgmoon/init.moon
+++ b/pgmoon/init.moon
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ class Postgres
     @set_type_oid tonumber(res.oid), "hstore"
 
   new: (opts) =>
-    @sock, @sock_type = socket.new!
+    @sock, @sock_type = socket.new opts and opts.socket_type
 
     if opts
       @user = opts.user
diff --git a/pgmoon/socket.lua b/pgmoon/socket.lua
index d3f4b17..5b41300 100644
--- a/pgmoon/socket.lua
+++ b/pgmoon/socket.lua
@@ -79,11 +79,25 @@ do
   }
 end
 return {
-  new = function()
-    if ngx and ngx.get_phase() ~= "init" then
-      return ngx.socket.tcp(), "nginx"
+  new = function(socket_type)
+    if socket_type == nil then
+      if ngx and ngx.get_phase() ~= "init" then
+        socket_type = "nginx"
+      else
+        socket_type = "luasocket"
+      end
+    end
+    local socket
+    local _exp_0 = socket_type
+    if "nginx" == _exp_0 then
+      socket = ngx.socket.tcp()
+    elseif "luasocket" == _exp_0 then
+      socket = luasocket.tcp()
+    elseif "cqueues" == _exp_0 then
+      socket = require("pgmoon.cqueues").CqueuesSocket()
     else
-      return luasocket.tcp(), "luasocket"
+      socket = error("unknown socket type: " .. tostring(socket_type))
     end
+    return socket, socket_type
   end
 }
diff --git a/pgmoon/socket.moon b/pgmoon/socket.moon
index 8103e0f..ed927e9 100644
--- a/pgmoon/socket.moon
+++ b/pgmoon/socket.moon
@@ -65,12 +65,25 @@ luasocket = do
   }
 
 {
-  new: ->
-    -- Fallback to LuaSocket is only required when pgmoon
-    -- runs in plain Lua, or in the init_by_lua context.
-    if ngx and ngx.get_phase! != "init"
-      ngx.socket.tcp!, "nginx"
-    else
-      luasocket.tcp!, "luasocket"
+  new: (socket_type) ->
+    if socket_type == nil
+      -- choose the default socket, try to use nginx, otherwise default to
+      -- luasocket
+      socket_type = if ngx and ngx.get_phase! != "init"
+        "nginx"
+      else
+        "luasocket"
+
+    socket = switch socket_type
+      when "nginx"
+        ngx.socket.tcp!
+      when "luasocket"
+        luasocket.tcp!
+      when "cqueues"
+        require("pgmoon.cqueues").CqueuesSocket!
+      else
+        error "unknown socket type: #{socket_type}"
+
+    socket, socket_type
 }