diff --git a/spec/database_spec.cr b/spec/database_spec.cr
index 35df12a..88de311 100644
--- a/spec/database_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/database_spec.cr
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ describe DB::Database do
   it "should close pool statements when closing db" do
     stmt = uninitialized DB::PoolStatement
     with_dummy do |db|
-      stmt = db.build("query1")
+      # TODO remove cast
+      stmt = db.build("query1").as(DB::PoolStatement)
     end
     stmt.closed?.should be_true
   end
@@ -128,5 +129,47 @@ describe DB::Database do
         connection.prepared_statements?.should be_false
       end
     end
+
+    it "should build prepared statements if true" do
+      with_dummy "dummy://localhost:1027?prepared_statements=true" do |db|
+        db.build("the query").should be_a(DB::PoolStatement)
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "should build unprepared statements if false" do
+      with_dummy "dummy://localhost:1027?prepared_statements=false" do |db|
+        db.build("the query").should be_a(DB::PoolUnpreparedStatement)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "unprepared statements in pool" do
+    it "creating statements should not create new connections" do
+      with_dummy "dummy://localhost:1027?initial_pool_size=1" do |db|
+        stmt1 = db.unprepared.build("query1")
+        stmt2 = db.unprepared.build("query2")
+        DummyDriver::DummyConnection.connections.size.should eq(1)
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "simultaneous statements should go to different connections" do
+      with_dummy "dummy://localhost:1027?initial_pool_size=1" do |db|
+        rs1 = db.unprepared.query("query1")
+        rs2 = db.unprepared.query("query2")
+        rs1.statement.connection.should_not eq(rs2.statement.connection)
+        DummyDriver::DummyConnection.connections.size.should eq(2)
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "sequential statements should go to different connections" do
+      with_dummy "dummy://localhost:1027?initial_pool_size=1" do |db|
+        rs1 = db.unprepared.query("query1")
+        rs1.close
+        rs2 = db.unprepared.query("query2")
+        rs2.close
+        rs1.statement.connection.should eq(rs2.statement.connection)
+        DummyDriver::DummyConnection.connections.size.should eq(1)
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/src/db.cr b/src/db.cr
index bd18035..faffaa4 100644
--- a/src/db.cr
+++ b/src/db.cr
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ require "./db/driver"
 require "./db/connection"
 require "./db/statement"
 require "./db/pool_statement"
+require "./db/pool_unprepared_statement"
 require "./db/result_set"
 require "./db/error"
 require "./db/mapping"
diff --git a/src/db/database.cr b/src/db/database.cr
index 31c011c..799f276 100644
--- a/src/db/database.cr
+++ b/src/db/database.cr
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ module DB
   #
   # Refer to `QueryMethods` for documentation about querying the database.
   class Database
+    include QueryMethods
+
     # :nodoc:
     getter driver
     # :nodoc:
@@ -63,7 +65,26 @@ module DB
 
     # :nodoc:
     def build(query)
-      @statements_cache.fetch(query) { PoolStatement.new(self, query) }
+      if prepared_statements?
+        fetch_or_build_prepared_statement(query)
+      else
+        build_unprepared_statement(query)
+      end
+    end
+
+    # :nodoc:
+    def fetch_or_build_prepared_statement(query)
+      @statements_cache.fetch(query) { build_prepared_statement(query) }
+    end
+
+    # :nodoc:
+    def build_prepared_statement(query)
+      PoolStatement.new(self, query)
+    end
+
+    # :nodoc:
+    def build_unprepared_statement(query)
+      PoolUnpreparedStatement.new(self, query)
     end
 
     # :nodoc:
@@ -95,6 +116,48 @@ module DB
       end
     end
 
-    include QueryMethods
+    # dsl helper to build prepared statements
+    # returns a value that includes `QueryMethods`
+    def prepared
+      PreparedQuery.new(self)
+    end
+
+    # Returns a prepared `Statement` that has not been executed yet.
+    def prepared(query)
+      prepared.build(query)
+    end
+
+    # dsl helper to build unprepared statements
+    # returns a value that includes `QueryMethods`
+    def unprepared
+      UnpreparedQuery.new(self)
+    end
+
+    # Returns an unprepared `Statement` that has not been executed yet.
+    def unprepared(query)
+      unprepared.build(query)
+    end
+
+    struct PreparedQuery
+      include QueryMethods
+
+      def initialize(@db : Database)
+      end
+
+      def build(query)
+        @db.fetch_or_build_prepared_statement(query)
+      end
+    end
+
+    struct UnpreparedQuery
+      include QueryMethods
+
+      def initialize(@db : Database)
+      end
+
+      def build(query)
+        @db.build_unprepared_statement(query)
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/src/db/pool_unprepared_statement.cr b/src/db/pool_unprepared_statement.cr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de0c517
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/db/pool_unprepared_statement.cr
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+module DB
+  # Represents a statement to be executed in any of the connections
+  # of the pool. The statement is not be executed in a non prepared fashion.
+  # The execution of the statement is retried according to the pool configuration.
+  #
+  # See `PoolStatement`
+  class PoolUnpreparedStatement
+    include StatementMethods
+
+    def initialize(@db : Database, @query : String)
+    end
+
+    protected def do_close
+      # unprepared statements do not need to be release in each connection
+    end
+
+    # See `QueryMethods#exec`
+    def exec : ExecResult
+      statement_with_retry &.exec
+    end
+
+    # See `QueryMethods#exec`
+    def exec(*args) : ExecResult
+      statement_with_retry &.exec(*args)
+    end
+
+    # See `QueryMethods#exec`
+    def exec(args : Array) : ExecResult
+      statement_with_retry &.exec(args)
+    end
+
+    # See `QueryMethods#query`
+    def query : ResultSet
+      statement_with_retry &.query
+    end
+
+    # See `QueryMethods#query`
+    def query(*args) : ResultSet
+      statement_with_retry &.query(*args)
+    end
+
+    # See `QueryMethods#query`
+    def query(args : Array) : ResultSet
+      statement_with_retry &.query(args)
+    end
+
+    # builds a statement over a real connection
+    private def build_statement
+      @db.pool.checkout.unprepared.build(@query)
+    end
+
+    private def statement_with_retry
+      @db.retry do
+        return yield build_statement
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end