diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index cf384bed..7738547f 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ New features:
  - Add support for log_filename directive
  - Reopen log file on SIGHUP, for better logrotate integration
 
+Enhancements:
+
+ - Set default PostgreSQL application name to "cartodb_tiler"
+
 1.10.2 -- 2014-04-08
 --------------------
 
diff --git a/lib/cartodb/cartodb_windshaft.js b/lib/cartodb/cartodb_windshaft.js
index 23878a7f..291dff26 100644
--- a/lib/cartodb/cartodb_windshaft.js
+++ b/lib/cartodb/cartodb_windshaft.js
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ var _ = require('underscore')
     , os = require('os')
 ;
 
+if ( ! process.env['PGAPPNAME'] )
+  process.env['PGAPPNAME']='cartodb_tiler';
+
 var CartodbWindshaft = function(serverOptions) {
    var debug = global.environment.debug;
 
diff --git a/run_tests.sh b/run_tests.sh
index 888060d5..9790b7e6 100755
--- a/run_tests.sh
+++ b/run_tests.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ OPT_CREATE_PGSQL=yes # create the PostgreSQL test environment
 OPT_DROP_REDIS=yes   # drop the redis test environment
 OPT_DROP_PGSQL=yes   # drop the PostgreSQL test environment
 
+export PGAPPNAME=cartodb_tiler_tester
+
 cd $(dirname $0)
 BASEDIR=$(pwd)
 cd -