diff --git a/plugins/relay.py b/plugins/relay.py
index 1439cb5..27bbc80 100644
--- a/plugins/relay.py
+++ b/plugins/relay.py
@@ -12,14 +12,9 @@ from expiringdict import ExpiringDict
 
 import utils
 from log import log
-from conf import confname
 import world
 
-dbname = "pylinkrelay"
-if confname != 'pylink':
-    dbname += '-%s' % confname
-dbname += '.db'
-
+### GLOBAL (statekeeping) VARIABLES
 relayusers = defaultdict(dict)
 relayservers = defaultdict(dict)
 spawnlocks = defaultdict(threading.RLock)
@@ -28,6 +23,8 @@ savecache = ExpiringDict(max_len=5, max_age_seconds=10)
 killcache = ExpiringDict(max_len=5, max_age_seconds=10)
 relay_started = True
 
+dbname = utils.getDatabaseName('pylinkrelay')
+
 ### INTERNAL FUNCTIONS
 
 def initializeAll(irc):
diff --git a/utils.py b/utils.py
index e2476e3..7df6511 100644
--- a/utils.py
+++ b/utils.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import os
 
 from log import log
 import world
+import conf
 
 class NotAuthenticatedError(Exception):
     pass
@@ -514,3 +515,17 @@ def loadModuleFromFolder(name, folder):
 def getProtoModule(protoname):
     """Imports and returns the protocol module requested."""
     return loadModuleFromFolder(protoname, world.protocols_folder)
+
+def getDatabaseName(dbname):
+    """
+    Returns a database filename with the given base DB name appropriate for the
+    current PyLink instance.
+
+    This returns '<dbname>.db' if the running config name is PyLink's default
+    (config.yml), and '<dbname>-<config name>.db' for anything else. For example,
+    if this is called from an instance running as './pylink testing.yml', it
+    would return '<dbname>-testing.db'."""
+    if conf.confname != 'pylink':
+        dbname += '-%s' % conf.confname
+    dbname += '.db'
+    return dbname