diff --git a/datasette/app.py b/datasette/app.py
index 07190c1644..30eb3dbaae 100644
--- a/datasette/app.py
+++ b/datasette/app.py
@@ -281,6 +281,11 @@ def __init__(
 
         self.register_renderers()
 
+    def get_database(self, name=None):
+        if name is None:
+            return next(iter(self.databases.values()))
+        return self.databases[name]
+
     def add_database(self, name, db):
         self.databases[name] = db
 
diff --git a/docs/internals.rst b/docs/internals.rst
index ea015dbc27..886cb7e7b6 100644
--- a/docs/internals.rst
+++ b/docs/internals.rst
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@ This method lets you read plugin configuration values that were set in ``metadat
 
 Renders a `Jinja template <https://jinja.palletsprojects.com/en/2.11.x/>`__ using Datasette's preconfigured instance of Jinja and returns the resulting string. The template will have access to Datasette's default template functions and any functions that have been made available by other plugins.
 
+.. _datasette_get_database:
+
+.get_database(name)
+-------------------
+
+``name`` - string, optional
+    The name of the database - optional.
+
+Returns the specified database object. Raises a ``KeyError`` if the database does not exist. Call this method without an argument to return the first connected database.
+
 .. _datasette_add_database:
 
 .add_database(name, db)
diff --git a/docs/plugins.rst b/docs/plugins.rst
index b27daf3f0b..f08f121771 100644
--- a/docs/plugins.rst
+++ b/docs/plugins.rst
@@ -811,7 +811,7 @@ Here is a more complex example:
 .. code-block:: python
 
     async def render_demo(datasette, columns, rows):
-        db = next(iter(datasette.databases.values()))
+        db = datasette.get_database()
         result = await db.execute("select sqlite_version()")
         first_row = " | ".join(columns)
         lines = [first_row]
diff --git a/tests/test_database.py b/tests/test_database.py
index 1f1a3a7e59..bd7e7666e3 100644
--- a/tests/test_database.py
+++ b/tests/test_database.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+"""
+Tests for the datasette.database.Database class
+"""
 from datasette.database import Results, MultipleValues
 from datasette.utils import sqlite3
 from .fixtures import app_client
diff --git a/tests/test_internals_datasette.py b/tests/test_internals_datasette.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4993250ddd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_internals_datasette.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+"""
+Tests for the datasette.app.Datasette class
+"""
+from .fixtures import app_client
+import pytest
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def datasette(app_client):
+    return app_client.ds
+
+
+def test_get_database(datasette):
+    db = datasette.get_database("fixtures")
+    assert "fixtures" == db.name
+    with pytest.raises(KeyError):
+        datasette.get_database("missing")
+
+
+def test_get_database_no_argument(datasette):
+    # Returns the first available database:
+    db = datasette.get_database()
+    assert "fixtures" == db.name