diff --git a/siuba/sql/utils.py b/siuba/sql/utils.py
index 653db5df..c6391690 100644
--- a/siuba/sql/utils.py
+++ b/siuba/sql/utils.py
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 import importlib
 
+try:
+    # once we drop sqlalchemy 1.2, can use create_mock_engine function
+    from sqlalchemy.engine.mock import MockConnection
+except ImportError:
+    # monkey patch old sqlalchemy mock, so it can be a context handler
+    from sqlalchemy.engine.strategies import MockEngineStrategy
+    MockConnection = MockEngineStrategy.MockConnection
+
+
 def get_dialect_translator(name):
     mod = importlib.import_module('siuba.sql.dialects.{}'.format(name))
     return mod.translator
@@ -37,11 +46,13 @@ def mock_sqlalchemy_engine(dialect):
         show_query(query)
 
     """
+
     from sqlalchemy.engine import Engine
     from sqlalchemy.dialects import registry
 
-    dialect_cls = registry.load('postgresql')   
-    return Engine(None, dialect_cls(), '')  
+    dialect_cls = registry.load(dialect)
+    
+    return MockConnection(dialect_cls(), lambda *args, **kwargs: None)
 
 
 # Temporary fix for pandas bug (https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas/issues/35484)
diff --git a/siuba/sql/verbs.py b/siuba/sql/verbs.py
index ba9e42ad..300150df 100644
--- a/siuba/sql/verbs.py
+++ b/siuba/sql/verbs.py
@@ -29,7 +29,15 @@
         )
 
 from .translate import CustomOverClause, SqlColumn, SqlColumnAgg
-from .utils import get_dialect_translator, _FixedSqlDatabase, _sql_select, _sql_column_collection, _sql_add_columns, _sql_with_only_columns
+from .utils import (
+    get_dialect_translator,
+    _FixedSqlDatabase,
+    _sql_select,
+    _sql_column_collection,
+    _sql_add_columns,
+    _sql_with_only_columns,
+    MockConnection
+)
 
 from sqlalchemy import sql
 import sqlalchemy
@@ -467,6 +475,12 @@ def _collect(__data, as_df = True):
     #    compile_kwargs = {"literal_binds": True}
     #)
 
+    if isinstance(__data.source, MockConnection):
+        # a mock sqlalchemy is being used to show_query, and echo queries.
+        # it doesn't return a result object or have a context handler, so
+        # we need to bail out early
+        return
+
     with __data.source.connect() as conn:
         if as_df:
             sql_db = _FixedSqlDatabase(conn)
diff --git a/siuba/tests/test_sql_utils.py b/siuba/tests/test_sql_utils.py
index 0253566c..232e0acf 100644
--- a/siuba/tests/test_sql_utils.py
+++ b/siuba/tests/test_sql_utils.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-from siuba.sql.utils import get_dialect_translator
+from siuba.sql.utils import get_dialect_translator, mock_sqlalchemy_engine
+from siuba.sql.verbs import collect
+from siuba.sql import LazyTbl
 import pytest
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('name', [
@@ -8,3 +10,15 @@
     ])
 def test_get_dialect_translator(name):
     get_dialect_translator(name)
+
+def test_mock_sqlalchemy_engine_dialect():
+    engine = mock_sqlalchemy_engine("postgresql")
+    assert engine.dialect.name == "postgresql"
+
+    engine = mock_sqlalchemy_engine("sqlite")
+    assert engine.dialect.name == "sqlite"
+
+def test_mock_sqlalchemy_engine_no_collect():
+    engine = mock_sqlalchemy_engine("sqlite")
+    tbl = LazyTbl(engine, "some_table", ["x"])
+    assert collect(tbl) is None