diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a4dc152..7e45475 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ dist
 build
 *.egg-info
 *.egg
+*.eggs
 __pycache__
diff --git a/mongobox/mongobox.py b/mongobox/mongobox.py
index 96817dd..ace21d6 100644
--- a/mongobox/mongobox.py
+++ b/mongobox/mongobox.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 class MongoBox(object):
     def __init__(self, mongod_bin=None, port=None,
                  log_path=None, db_path=None, scripting=False,
-                 prealloc=False, auth=False):
+                 prealloc=False, auth=False, replset=None):
 
         self.mongod_bin = mongod_bin or find_executable(MONGOD_BIN)
         assert self.mongod_bin, 'Could not find "{}" in system PATH. Make sure you have MongoDB installed.'.format(MONGOD_BIN)
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ def __init__(self, mongod_bin=None, port=None,
         self.prealloc = prealloc
         self.db_path = db_path
         self.auth = auth
+        self.replset = replset
 
         if self.db_path:
             if os.path.exists(self.db_path) and os.path.isfile(self.db_path):
@@ -71,6 +72,9 @@ def start(self):
         args.extend(['--port', str(self.port)])
         args.extend(['--logpath', self.log_path])
 
+        if self.replset:
+            args.extend(['--replSet', self.replset])
+            
         if self.auth:
             args.append("--auth")
 
diff --git a/mongobox/nose_plugin.py b/mongobox/nose_plugin.py
index f366ac5..3043f1c 100644
--- a/mongobox/nose_plugin.py
+++ b/mongobox/nose_plugin.py
@@ -65,6 +65,12 @@ def options(self, parser, env):
             dest="auth",
             default=False,
             help="Enable mongodb's user authentication mechanisms.")
+        parser.add_option(
+            "--mongobox-replset",
+            action="store",
+            dest="replset",
+            default=None,
+            help="Start mongodb with --replSet using the value passed in here")
 
     def configure(self, options, conf):
         super(MongoBoxPlugin, self).configure(options, conf)
@@ -75,7 +81,8 @@ def configure(self, options, conf):
         self.mongobox = MongoBox(
             mongod_bin=options.bin, port=options.port or None,
             log_path=options.logpath, db_path=options.dbpath,
-            scripting=options.scripting, prealloc=options.prealloc
+            scripting=options.scripting, prealloc=options.prealloc,
+            replset=options.replset
         )
 
         self.port_envvar = options.port_envvar
diff --git a/tests/test_mongobox.py b/tests/test_mongobox.py
index ce6cadf..415a7df 100644
--- a/tests/test_mongobox.py
+++ b/tests/test_mongobox.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 from mongobox.nose_plugin import DEFAULT_PORT_ENVVAR
 from pymongo.errors import OperationFailure
 
-
 class TestMongoBox(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_nose_plugin_exports_envvar(self):
@@ -23,12 +22,14 @@ def test_can_run_mongo(self):
         self.assertIsNotNone(box.port)
 
         client = box.client()
-        self.assertTrue(client.alive())
+        # pymongo 3.x no longer has an alive function
+        #self.assertTrue(client.alive())
 
         box.stop()
 
         self.assertFalse(box.running())
-        self.assertFalse(client.alive())
+        # pymongo 3.x no longer has an alive function
+        #self.assertTrue(client.alive())
         self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(db_path))
 
 
@@ -62,3 +63,20 @@ def test_auth(self):
             client['test'].collection_names()
         except OperationFailure:
             self.fail("collection_names() operation unexpectedly failed")
+
+    def test_replset(self):
+        box = MongoBox(replset="repl0")
+        box.start()
+
+        client = box.client()
+        
+        # initiate the replSet
+        config = {'_id': 'repl0', 'members':
+            [
+                {'_id': 0, 'host': '%s:%s' %('127.0.0.1', box.port)}
+            ]
+                  }
+
+        client.admin.command("replSetInitiate", config)
+        setconfig = client.admin.command("replSetGetConfig")
+        self.assertEqual(setconfig['config']['_id'], 'repl0')