diff --git a/django/core/db/base.py b/django/core/db/base.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 62cca9d0be..0000000000
--- a/django/core/db/base.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-from time import time
-
-class CursorDebugWrapper:
-    def __init__(self, cursor, db):
-        self.cursor = cursor
-        self.db = db
-
-    def execute(self, sql, params=[]):
-        start = time()
-        result = self.cursor.execute(sql, params)
-        stop = time()
-        self.db.queries.append({
-            'sql': sql % tuple(params),
-            'time': "%.3f" % (stop - start),
-        })
-        return result
-
-    def executemany(self, sql, param_list):
-        start = time()
-        result = self.cursor.executemany(sql, param_list)
-        stop = time()
-        self.db.queries.append({
-            'sql': 'MANY: ' + sql + ' ' + str(tuple(param_list)),
-            'time': "%.3f" % (stop - start),
-        })
-        return result
-
-    def __getattr__(self, attr):
-        if self.__dict__.has_key(attr):
-            return self.__dict__[attr]
-        else:
-            return getattr(self.cursor, attr)
diff --git a/django/core/db/dicthelpers.py b/django/core/db/dicthelpers.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 5aedc51aed..0000000000
--- a/django/core/db/dicthelpers.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-"""
-Helper functions for dictfetch* for databases that don't natively support them.
-"""
-
-def _dict_helper(desc, row):
-    "Returns a dictionary for the given cursor.description and result row."
-    return dict([(desc[col[0]][0], col[1]) for col in enumerate(row)])
-
-def dictfetchone(cursor):
-    "Returns a row from the cursor as a dict"
-    row = cursor.fetchone()
-    if not row:
-        return None
-    return _dict_helper(cursor.description, row)
-
-def dictfetchmany(cursor, number):
-    "Returns a certain number of rows from a cursor as a dict"
-    desc = cursor.description
-    return [_dict_helper(desc, row) for row in cursor.fetchmany(number)]
-
-def dictfetchall(cursor):
-    "Returns all rows from a cursor as a dict"
-    desc = cursor.description
-    return [_dict_helper(desc, row) for row in cursor.fetchall()]
diff --git a/django/core/db/typecasts.py b/django/core/db/typecasts.py
deleted file mode 100644
index e78eab0180..0000000000
--- a/django/core/db/typecasts.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,54 +0,0 @@
-import datetime
-
-###############################################
-# Converters from database (string) to Python #
-###############################################
-
-def typecast_date(s):
-    return s and datetime.date(*map(int, s.split('-'))) or None # returns None if s is null
-
-def typecast_time(s): # does NOT store time zone information
-    if not s: return None
-    hour, minutes, seconds = s.split(':')
-    if '.' in seconds: # check whether seconds have a fractional part
-        seconds, microseconds = seconds.split('.')
-    else:
-        microseconds = '0'
-    return datetime.time(int(hour), int(minutes), int(seconds), int(float('.'+microseconds) * 1000000))
-
-def typecast_timestamp(s): # does NOT store time zone information
-    # "2005-07-29 15:48:00.590358-05"
-    # "2005-07-29 09:56:00-05"
-    if not s: return None
-    d, t = s.split()
-    # Extract timezone information, if it exists. Currently we just throw
-    # it away, but in the future we may make use of it.
-    if '-' in t:
-        t, tz = t.split('-', 1)
-        tz = '-' + tz
-    elif '+' in t:
-        t, tz = t.split('+', 1)
-        tz = '+' + tz
-    else:
-        tz = ''
-    dates = d.split('-')
-    times = t.split(':')
-    seconds = times[2]
-    if '.' in seconds: # check whether seconds have a fractional part
-        seconds, microseconds = seconds.split('.')
-    else:
-        microseconds = '0'
-    return datetime.datetime(int(dates[0]), int(dates[1]), int(dates[2]),
-        int(times[0]), int(times[1]), int(seconds), int(float('.'+microseconds) * 1000000))
-
-def typecast_boolean(s):
-    if s is None: return None
-    if not s: return False
-    return str(s)[0].lower() == 't'
-
-###############################################
-# Converters from Python to database (string) #
-###############################################
-
-def rev_typecast_boolean(obj, d):
-    return obj and '1' or '0'
diff --git a/django/db/__init__.py b/django/db/__init__.py
index fde0745659..3cf3b6bbc9 100644
--- a/django/db/__init__.py
+++ b/django/db/__init__.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ except ImportError, e:
     from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
     import os
     backend_dir = os.path.join(__path__[0], 'backends')
-    available_backends = [f[:-3] for f in os.listdir(backend_dir) if not f.startswith('_')]
+    available_backends = [f for f in os.listdir(backend_dir) if not f.startswith('_') and not f.startswith('.')]
     available_backends.sort()
     raise ImproperlyConfigured, "Could not load database backend: %s. Is your DATABASE_ENGINE setting (currently, %r) spelled correctly? Available options are: %s" % \
         (e, DATABASE_ENGINE, ", ".join(map(repr, available_backends)))
diff --git a/django/db/backends/ado_mssql/base.py b/django/db/backends/ado_mssql/base.py
index 44fb4ec1c9..2c854ee811 100644
--- a/django/db/backends/ado_mssql/base.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/ado_mssql/base.py
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@ ADO MSSQL database backend for Django.
 Requires adodbapi 2.0.1: http://adodbapi.sourceforge.net/
 """
 
-from django.core.db import base
-from django.core.db.dicthelpers import *
+from django.db.backends import util
 import adodbapi as Database
 import datetime
 try:
@@ -82,6 +81,10 @@ class DatabaseWrapper:
             return name # Quoting once is enough.
         return '[%s]' % name
 
+dictfetchone = util.dictfetchone
+dictfetchmany = util.dictfetchmany
+dictfetchall  = util.dictfetchall
+
 def get_last_insert_id(cursor, table_name, pk_name):
     cursor.execute("SELECT %s FROM %s WHERE %s = @@IDENTITY" % (pk_name, table_name, pk_name))
     return cursor.fetchone()[0]
@@ -151,4 +154,3 @@ DATA_TYPES = {
     'URLField':          'varchar(200)',
     'USStateField':      'varchar(2)',
 }
-
diff --git a/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py b/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py
index 0f1f29bd82..3d4e0e9ff6 100644
--- a/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@ MySQL database backend for Django.
 Requires MySQLdb: http://sourceforge.net/projects/mysql-python
 """
 
-from django.core.db import base, typecasts
-from django.core.db.dicthelpers import *
+from django.db.backends import util
 import MySQLdb as Database
 from MySQLdb.converters import conversions
 from MySQLdb.constants import FIELD_TYPE
@@ -15,10 +14,10 @@ DatabaseError = Database.DatabaseError
 
 django_conversions = conversions.copy()
 django_conversions.update({
-    types.BooleanType: typecasts.rev_typecast_boolean,
-    FIELD_TYPE.DATETIME: typecasts.typecast_timestamp,
-    FIELD_TYPE.DATE: typecasts.typecast_date,
-    FIELD_TYPE.TIME: typecasts.typecast_time,
+    types.BooleanType: util.rev_typecast_boolean,
+    FIELD_TYPE.DATETIME: util.typecast_timestamp,
+    FIELD_TYPE.DATE: util.typecast_date,
+    FIELD_TYPE.TIME: util.typecast_time,
 })
 
 # This is an extra debug layer over MySQL queries, to display warnings.
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ class DatabaseWrapper:
                 kwargs['port'] = DATABASE_PORT
             self.connection = Database.connect(**kwargs)
         if DEBUG:
-            return base.CursorDebugWrapper(MysqlDebugWrapper(self.connection.cursor()), self)
+            return util.CursorDebugWrapper(MysqlDebugWrapper(self.connection.cursor()), self)
         return self.connection.cursor()
 
     def commit(self):
@@ -89,6 +88,10 @@ class DatabaseWrapper:
             return name # Quoting once is enough.
         return "`%s`" % name
 
+dictfetchone = util.dictfetchone
+dictfetchmany = util.dictfetchmany
+dictfetchall  = util.dictfetchall
+
 def get_last_insert_id(cursor, table_name, pk_name):
     cursor.execute("SELECT LAST_INSERT_ID()")
     return cursor.fetchone()[0]
diff --git a/django/db/backends/postgresql/base.py b/django/db/backends/postgresql/base.py
index 730d7d4649..8d57e7e21e 100644
--- a/django/db/backends/postgresql/base.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/postgresql/base.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ PostgreSQL database backend for Django.
 Requires psycopg 1: http://initd.org/projects/psycopg1
 """
 
-from django.core.db import base, typecasts
+from django.db.backends import util
 import psycopg as Database
 
 DatabaseError = Database.DatabaseError
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class DatabaseWrapper:
         cursor = self.connection.cursor()
         cursor.execute("SET TIME ZONE %s", [TIME_ZONE])
         if DEBUG:
-            return base.CursorDebugWrapper(cursor, self)
+            return util.CursorDebugWrapper(cursor, self)
         return cursor
 
     def commit(self):
@@ -93,12 +93,12 @@ def get_random_function_sql():
 # in Python's native (standard-library) datetime/time format, whereas psycopg
 # use mx.DateTime by default.
 try:
-    Database.register_type(Database.new_type((1082,), "DATE", typecasts.typecast_date))
+    Database.register_type(Database.new_type((1082,), "DATE", util.typecast_date))
 except AttributeError:
     raise Exception, "You appear to be using psycopg version 2, which isn't supported yet, because it's still in beta. Use psycopg version 1 instead: http://initd.org/projects/psycopg1"
-Database.register_type(Database.new_type((1083,1266), "TIME", typecasts.typecast_time))
-Database.register_type(Database.new_type((1114,1184), "TIMESTAMP", typecasts.typecast_timestamp))
-Database.register_type(Database.new_type((16,), "BOOLEAN", typecasts.typecast_boolean))
+Database.register_type(Database.new_type((1083,1266), "TIME", util.typecast_time))
+Database.register_type(Database.new_type((1114,1184), "TIMESTAMP", util.typecast_timestamp))
+Database.register_type(Database.new_type((16,), "BOOLEAN", util.typecast_boolean))
 
 OPERATOR_MAPPING = {
     'exact': '= %s',
diff --git a/django/db/backends/sqlite3/base.py b/django/db/backends/sqlite3/base.py
index 8525ccce54..047a1ddfc7 100644
--- a/django/db/backends/sqlite3/base.py
+++ b/django/db/backends/sqlite3/base.py
@@ -2,17 +2,16 @@
 SQLite3 backend for django.  Requires pysqlite2 (http://pysqlite.org/).
 """
 
-from django.core.db import base, typecasts
-from django.core.db.dicthelpers import *
+from django.db.backends import util
 from pysqlite2 import dbapi2 as Database
 DatabaseError = Database.DatabaseError
 
 # Register adaptors ###########################################################
 
 Database.register_converter("bool", lambda s: str(s) == '1')
-Database.register_converter("time", typecasts.typecast_time)
-Database.register_converter("date", typecasts.typecast_date)
-Database.register_converter("datetime", typecasts.typecast_timestamp)
+Database.register_converter("time", util.typecast_time)
+Database.register_converter("date", util.typecast_date)
+Database.register_converter("datetime", util.typecast_timestamp)
 
 # Database wrapper ############################################################
 
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@ class DatabaseWrapper:
         cursor = self.connection.cursor(factory=SQLiteCursorWrapper)
         cursor.row_factory = utf8rowFactory
         if DEBUG:
-            return base.CursorDebugWrapper(cursor, self)
+            return util.CursorDebugWrapper(cursor, self)
         else:
             return cursor
 
@@ -60,6 +59,10 @@ class DatabaseWrapper:
             return name # Quoting once is enough.
         return '"%s"' % name
 
+dictfetchone = util.dictfetchone
+dictfetchmany = util.dictfetchmany
+dictfetchall  = util.dictfetchall
+
 class SQLiteCursorWrapper(Database.Cursor):
     """
     Django uses "format" style placeholders, but pysqlite2 uses "qmark" style.
@@ -92,7 +95,7 @@ def get_date_extract_sql(lookup_type, table_name):
 
 def _sqlite_extract(lookup_type, dt):
     try:
-        dt = typecasts.typecast_timestamp(dt)
+        dt = util.typecast_timestamp(dt)
     except (ValueError, TypeError):
         return None
     return str(getattr(dt, lookup_type))
@@ -113,7 +116,7 @@ def get_random_function_sql():
 
 def _sqlite_date_trunc(lookup_type, dt):
     try:
-        dt = typecasts.typecast_timestamp(dt)
+        dt = util.typecast_timestamp(dt)
     except (ValueError, TypeError):
         return None
     if lookup_type == 'year':
diff --git a/django/db/backends/util.py b/django/db/backends/util.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a9d78dcfde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/django/db/backends/util.py
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+import datetime
+from time import time
+
+class CursorDebugWrapper:
+    def __init__(self, cursor, db):
+        self.cursor = cursor
+        self.db = db
+
+    def execute(self, sql, params=[]):
+        start = time()
+        result = self.cursor.execute(sql, params)
+        stop = time()
+        self.db.queries.append({
+            'sql': sql % tuple(params),
+            'time': "%.3f" % (stop - start),
+        })
+        return result
+
+    def executemany(self, sql, param_list):
+        start = time()
+        result = self.cursor.executemany(sql, param_list)
+        stop = time()
+        self.db.queries.append({
+            'sql': 'MANY: ' + sql + ' ' + str(tuple(param_list)),
+            'time': "%.3f" % (stop - start),
+        })
+        return result
+
+    def __getattr__(self, attr):
+        if self.__dict__.has_key(attr):
+            return self.__dict__[attr]
+        else:
+            return getattr(self.cursor, attr)
+
+###############################################
+# Converters from database (string) to Python #
+###############################################
+
+def typecast_date(s):
+    return s and datetime.date(*map(int, s.split('-'))) or None # returns None if s is null
+
+def typecast_time(s): # does NOT store time zone information
+    if not s: return None
+    hour, minutes, seconds = s.split(':')
+    if '.' in seconds: # check whether seconds have a fractional part
+        seconds, microseconds = seconds.split('.')
+    else:
+        microseconds = '0'
+    return datetime.time(int(hour), int(minutes), int(seconds), int(float('.'+microseconds) * 1000000))
+
+def typecast_timestamp(s): # does NOT store time zone information
+    # "2005-07-29 15:48:00.590358-05"
+    # "2005-07-29 09:56:00-05"
+    if not s: return None
+    d, t = s.split()
+    # Extract timezone information, if it exists. Currently we just throw
+    # it away, but in the future we may make use of it.
+    if '-' in t:
+        t, tz = t.split('-', 1)
+        tz = '-' + tz
+    elif '+' in t:
+        t, tz = t.split('+', 1)
+        tz = '+' + tz
+    else:
+        tz = ''
+    dates = d.split('-')
+    times = t.split(':')
+    seconds = times[2]
+    if '.' in seconds: # check whether seconds have a fractional part
+        seconds, microseconds = seconds.split('.')
+    else:
+        microseconds = '0'
+    return datetime.datetime(int(dates[0]), int(dates[1]), int(dates[2]),
+        int(times[0]), int(times[1]), int(seconds), int(float('.'+microseconds) * 1000000))
+
+def typecast_boolean(s):
+    if s is None: return None
+    if not s: return False
+    return str(s)[0].lower() == 't'
+
+###############################################
+# Converters from Python to database (string) #
+###############################################
+
+def rev_typecast_boolean(obj, d):
+    return obj and '1' or '0'
+
+##################################################################################
+# Helper functions for dictfetch* for databases that don't natively support them #
+##################################################################################
+
+def _dict_helper(desc, row):
+    "Returns a dictionary for the given cursor.description and result row."
+    return dict([(desc[col[0]][0], col[1]) for col in enumerate(row)])
+
+def dictfetchone(cursor):
+    "Returns a row from the cursor as a dict"
+    row = cursor.fetchone()
+    if not row:
+        return None
+    return _dict_helper(cursor.description, row)
+
+def dictfetchmany(cursor, number):
+    "Returns a certain number of rows from a cursor as a dict"
+    desc = cursor.description
+    return [_dict_helper(desc, row) for row in cursor.fetchmany(number)]
+
+def dictfetchall(cursor):
+    "Returns all rows from a cursor as a dict"
+    desc = cursor.description
+    return [_dict_helper(desc, row) for row in cursor.fetchall()]