diff --git a/History.txt b/History.txt
index 974678a..8cdd05f 100644
--- a/History.txt
+++ b/History.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 == 0.6.1 (in git)
 
+ === New Features
+  * Add a NullStrategy which is now the default strategy. (GH-6 Ben Mabey)
+
  === Bugfixes
   * Exclude database views from tables_to_truncate, if the connection adapter
     supports reading from the ANSI standard information_schema views. (GH-25 Samer Abukhait)
diff --git a/README.textile b/README.textile
index c149549..f730466 100644
--- a/README.textile
+++ b/README.textile
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ The ActiveRecord @:deletion@ strategy is only useful for when the @:truncation@
 locks (as reported by some Oracle DB users).  The @:truncation@ strategy is the preferred option
 since it is much faster.
 
+Database Cleaner also includes a @null@ strategy (that does no cleaning at all) which can be used 
+with any ORM library.  _This is the default strategy and will be used unless you
+specify one._ You can also explicitly use it by setting your strategy to @nil@.
+
 h2. How to use
 
 <pre>
diff --git a/lib/database_cleaner/base.rb b/lib/database_cleaner/base.rb
index f4b175a..dd6260c 100644
--- a/lib/database_cleaner/base.rb
+++ b/lib/database_cleaner/base.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+require 'database_cleaner/null_strategy'
 module DatabaseCleaner
   class Base
 
@@ -21,9 +22,6 @@ module DatabaseCleaner
       elsif desired_db!= :default
         raise ArgumentError, "You must provide a strategy object that supports non default databases when you specify a database"
       end
-    rescue NoStrategySetError
-      #handle NoStrategySetError by doing nothing at all
-      desired_db
     end
 
     def db
@@ -59,8 +57,7 @@ module DatabaseCleaner
     end
 
     def strategy
-      return @strategy if @strategy
-      raise NoStrategySetError, "Please set a strategy with DatabaseCleaner.strategy=."
+      @strategy || NullStrategy
     end
 
     def orm=(desired_orm)
diff --git a/lib/database_cleaner/configuration.rb b/lib/database_cleaner/configuration.rb
index 10137d6..537c2cd 100644
--- a/lib/database_cleaner/configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/database_cleaner/configuration.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ require 'database_cleaner/base'
 
 module DatabaseCleaner
 
-  class NoStrategySetError < StandardError;   end
   class NoORMDetected < StandardError;   end
   class UnknownStrategySpecified < ArgumentError;   end
 
diff --git a/lib/database_cleaner/null_strategy.rb b/lib/database_cleaner/null_strategy.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb67c97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/database_cleaner/null_strategy.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+module DatabaseCleaner
+  class NullStrategy
+    def self.start
+      # no-op
+    end
+    
+     def self.db=(connection)
+       # no-op
+     end
+     
+    def self.clean
+      # no-op
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/database_cleaner/base_spec.rb b/spec/database_cleaner/base_spec.rb
index 00204f0..ade60f6 100644
--- a/spec/database_cleaner/base_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/database_cleaner/base_spec.rb
@@ -310,12 +310,12 @@ module DatabaseCleaner
     end
 
     describe "strategy" do
-      it "should raise NoStrategySetError if strategy is nil" do
+      it "returns a null strategy when strategy no set" do
         subject.instance_values["@strategy"] = nil
-        expect{ subject.strategy }.to raise_error NoStrategySetError
+        subject.strategy.should == DatabaseCleaner::NullStrategy
       end
 
-      it "should return @strategy if @strategy is present" do
+      it "returns the set strategy" do
         strategum = mock("strategy")
         subject.strategy = strategum
         subject.strategy.should == strategum