diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 2c92375d3..704117e60 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -212,6 +212,17 @@ matrix:
     ###
     # Start of the allow_failures block
 
+    # Latest poisoned saneperl with blead CPAN and SQLA swapout, single thread
+    - perl: "5.24.3"
+      sudo: required
+      env:
+        - DBICTEST_SWAPOUT_SQLAC_WITH=SQL::Abstract
+        - VCPU_USE=1
+        - CLEANTEST=false
+        - DEVREL_DEPS=true
+        - POISON_ENV=true
+        - MVDT=false
+
     # ASan-instrumented threaded latest 5.24 with blead CPAN, no tests on depchain ( run only DBICs tests )
     - perl: "livebrew_devcpan_5.24.3_thr_asan"
       sudo: required
@@ -273,11 +284,12 @@ matrix:
             - gcc-8
             - g++-8
 
-    # bleadperl with blead CPAN, single thread
+    # bleadperl with blead CPAN and SQLA swapout, single thread
     - perl: "livebrew_devcpan_bleadperl_thr_mb"
       sudo: required
       dist: trusty
       env:
+        - DBICTEST_SWAPOUT_SQLAC_WITH=SQL::Abstract
         - VCPU_USE=1
         - CLEANTEST=false
         - DEVREL_DEPS=true
@@ -374,6 +386,7 @@ matrix:
   allow_failures:
 
     # these run with various dev snapshots - allowed to fail
+    - perl: 5.24.3
     - perl: livebrew_devcpan_5.24.3_thr_asan
     - perl: livebrew_devcpan_bleadperl_thr_mb_asan
     - perl: livebrew_devcpan_bleadperl_thr_mb
diff --git a/maint/travis-ci_scripts/30_before_script.bash b/maint/travis-ci_scripts/30_before_script.bash
index c8c105c32..100f36d1b 100755
--- a/maint/travis-ci_scripts/30_before_script.bash
+++ b/maint/travis-ci_scripts/30_before_script.bash
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ if [[ -n "$SHORT_CIRCUIT_SMOKE" ]] ; then exit 0 ; fi
 
 if [[ "$DEVREL_DEPS" == "true" ]] ; then
   PINS_REQUIRED+=( 'Data::Page~<2.04' )
+
+  # FIXME work around https://github.com/dbsrgits/sql-abstract/pull/16
+  if ! perl -M5.010 -e1 &>/dev/null ; then
+    PINS_REQUIRED+=( "I/IL/ILMARI/SQL-Abstract-1.86.tar.gz" )
+  fi
 fi
 
 # FIXME freeze Clone until H::M is erradicated
@@ -53,12 +58,6 @@ if [[ "$MVDT" == "true" ]] ; then
 
     parallel_installdeps_notest DBD::Pg@2.17.2
 
-    # FIXME work around DBD::DB2 being silly: https://rt.cpan.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=101659
-    if [[ -n "$DBICTEST_DB2_DSN" ]] ; then
-      echo_err "Installing same DBI version into the main perl (above the current local::lib)"
-      $SHELL -lic "perlbrew use $( perlbrew use | grep -oP '(?<=Currently using )[^@]+' ) && parallel_installdeps_notest T/TI/TIMB/DBI-1.614.tar.gz"
-    fi
-
     # We need to stick with older DBD::Oracle, otherwise it will bump the DBI version up
     if [[ -n "$DBICTEST_ORA_DSN" ]] ; then
       parallel_installdeps_notest DBD::Oracle@1.74
@@ -69,11 +68,6 @@ if [[ "$MVDT" == "true" ]] ; then
 
     parallel_installdeps_notest DBD::Pg@2.9.2
 
-    # FIXME work around DBD::DB2 being silly: https://rt.cpan.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=101659
-    if [[ -n "$DBICTEST_DB2_DSN" ]] ; then
-      echo_err "Installing same DBI version into the main perl (above the current local::lib)"
-      $SHELL -lic "perlbrew use $( perlbrew use | grep -oP '(?<=Currently using )[^@]+' ) && parallel_installdeps_notest T/TI/TIMB/DBI-1.57.tar.gz"
-    fi
   fi
 
   # Test both minimum DBD::SQLite and minimum BigInt SQLite
@@ -184,6 +178,11 @@ else
     parallel_installdeps_notest git://github.com/ribasushi/patchup-Perl5-DBD-InterBase.git
   fi
 
+  # FIXME work around DBD::DB2 being silly: https://rt.cpan.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=101659
+  if [[ -n "$DBICTEST_DB2_DSN" ]] ; then
+    parallel_installdeps_notest git://github.com/ribasushi/patchup-Perl5-DBD-DB2.git
+  fi
+
   # SCGI does not install under ASan nor < 5.8.8 perls nor under parallel make
   # FIXME: The 5.8.8 thing is likely fixable, something to do with
   # #define speedy_new(s,n,t) Newx(s,n,t)
diff --git a/t/52leaks.t b/t/52leaks.t
index 3e042eee4..843e6f5c0 100644
--- a/t/52leaks.t
+++ b/t/52leaks.t
@@ -304,7 +304,13 @@ unless (DBICTest::RunMode->is_plain) {
   # Only do this when we do have the bits to look inside CVs properly,
   # without it we are liable to pick up object defaults that are locked
   # in method closures
-  if (DBICTest::Util::LeakTracer::CV_TRACING) {
+  #
+  # Some elaborate SQLAC-replacements leak, do not worry about it for now
+  if (
+    DBICTest::Util::LeakTracer::CV_TRACING
+      and
+    ! $ENV{DBICTEST_SWAPOUT_SQLAC_WITH}
+  ) {
     visit_refs(
       refs => [ $base_collection ],
       action => sub {
diff --git a/t/53lean_startup.t b/t/53lean_startup.t
index 303b2955e..9a4ef8583 100644
--- a/t/53lean_startup.t
+++ b/t/53lean_startup.t
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@
 my ($initial_inc_contents, $expected_dbic_deps, $require_sites);
 BEGIN {
   # these envvars *will* bring in more stuff than the baseline
-  delete @ENV{qw(DBICTEST_SQLT_DEPLOY DBIC_TRACE)};
+  delete @ENV{qw(
+    DBICTEST_SWAPOUT_SQLAC_WITH
+    DBICTEST_SQLT_DEPLOY
+    DBIC_TRACE
+  )};
 
   # make sure extras do not load even when this is set
   $ENV{PERL_STRICTURES_EXTRA} = 1;
diff --git a/t/lib/DBICTest/BaseSchema.pm b/t/lib/DBICTest/BaseSchema.pm
index e550ec9cc..bb5146f58 100644
--- a/t/lib/DBICTest/BaseSchema.pm
+++ b/t/lib/DBICTest/BaseSchema.pm
@@ -116,7 +116,49 @@ END {
 my $weak_registry = {};
 
 sub connection {
-  my $self = shift->next::method(@_);
+  my( $proto, @args ) = @_;
+
+  if( $ENV{DBICTEST_SWAPOUT_SQLAC_WITH} ) {
+
+    my( $sqlac_like ) = $ENV{DBICTEST_SWAPOUT_SQLAC_WITH} =~ /(.+)/;
+    Class::C3::Componentised->ensure_class_loaded( $sqlac_like );
+
+    require DBIx::Class::SQLMaker::ClassicExtensions;
+    require SQL::Abstract::Classic;
+
+    Class::C3::Componentised->inject_base(
+      'DBICTest::SQLAC::SwapOut',
+      'DBIx::Class::SQLMaker::ClassicExtensions',
+      $sqlac_like,
+      'SQL::Abstract::Classic',
+    );
+
+    # perl can be pretty disgusting...
+    push @args, {}
+      unless ref( $args[-1] ) eq 'HASH';
+
+    $args[-1] = { %{ $args[-1] } };
+
+    if( ref( $args[-1]{on_connect_call} ) ne 'ARRAY' ) {
+      $args[-1]{on_connect_call} = [
+        $args[-1]{on_connect_call}
+          ? [ $args[-1]{on_connect_call} ]
+          : ()
+      ];
+    }
+    elsif( ref( $args[-1]{on_connect_call}[0] ) ne 'ARRAY' ) {
+      $args[-1]{on_connect_call} = [ map
+        { [ $_ ] }
+        @{ $args[-1]{on_connect_call} }
+      ];
+    }
+
+    push @{ $args[-1]{on_connect_call} }, (
+      [ rebase_sqlmaker => 'DBICTest::SQLAC::SwapOut' ],
+    );
+  }
+
+  my $self = $proto->next::method( @args );
 
 # MASSIVE FIXME
 # we can't really lock based on DSN, as we do not yet have a way to tell that e.g.
@@ -145,9 +187,9 @@ sub connection {
       and
     ( ! $ENV{DBICTEST_LOCK_HOLDER} or $ENV{DBICTEST_LOCK_HOLDER} == $$ )
       and
-    ref($_[0]) ne 'CODE'
+    ref($args[0]) ne 'CODE'
       and
-    ($_[0]||'') !~ /^ (?i:dbi) \: SQLite (?: \: | \W ) .*? (?: dbname\= )? (?: \:memory\: | t [\/\\] var [\/\\] DBIxClass\-) /x
+    ($args[0]||'') !~ /^ (?i:dbi) \: SQLite (?: \: | \W ) .*? (?: dbname\= )? (?: \:memory\: | t [\/\\] var [\/\\] DBIxClass\-) /x
   ) {
 
     my $locktype;
diff --git a/t/sqlmaker/rebase.t b/t/sqlmaker/rebase.t
index 9fca65766..053c1ebe2 100644
--- a/t/sqlmaker/rebase.t
+++ b/t/sqlmaker/rebase.t
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 use strict;
 use warnings;
 
+# test relies on the original default
+BEGIN { delete @ENV{qw( DBICTEST_SWAPOUT_SQLAC_WITH )} }
+
 use Test::More;
 
 use lib qw(t/lib);
diff --git a/t/storage/base.t b/t/storage/base.t
index 9a79e1f37..debc653b9 100644
--- a/t/storage/base.t
+++ b/t/storage/base.t
@@ -177,8 +177,11 @@ for my $type (keys %$invocations) {
 # make sure connection-less storages do not throw on _determine_driver
 # but work with ENV at the same time
 SKIP: for my $env_dsn (undef, (DBICTest->_database)[0] ) {
-  skip 'Subtest relies on being connected to SQLite', 1
-    if $env_dsn and $env_dsn !~ /\:SQLite\:/;
+  skip( 'Subtest relies on being connected to SQLite without overrides', 1 ) if (
+    $ENV{DBICTEST_SWAPOUT_SQLAC_WITH}
+      or
+    ( $env_dsn and $env_dsn !~ /\:SQLite\:/ )
+  );
 
   local $ENV{DBI_DSN} = $env_dsn || '';
 
diff --git a/t/storage/exception.t b/t/storage/exception.t
index d96e336cf..d266dd8bd 100644
--- a/t/storage/exception.t
+++ b/t/storage/exception.t
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ use DBICTest::Schema;
 
   use base 'DBIx::Class::Storage::DBI';
 
+  __PACKAGE__->sql_limit_dialect ('LimitOffset');
+
   sub _populate_dbh {
     my $self = shift;