diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 989e5e2..37b4df0 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 		<mysql.version>5.1.47</mysql.version>
 		<jasync.version>1.0.6</jasync.version>
 		<r2dbc-mysql.version>0.8.0.RC1</r2dbc-mysql.version>
+		<r2dbc-spi-test.version>0.8.0.RC2</r2dbc-spi-test.version>
 		<mssql-jdbc.version>7.1.2.jre8-preview</mssql-jdbc.version>
 		<r2dbc-releasetrain.version>Arabba-RC2</r2dbc-releasetrain.version>
 		<reactive-streams.version>1.0.3</reactive-streams.version>
@@ -235,6 +236,13 @@
 			<scope>test</scope>
 		</dependency>
 
+		<dependency>
+			<groupId>io.r2dbc</groupId>
+			<artifactId>r2dbc-spi-test</artifactId>
+			<version>${r2dbc-spi-test.version}</version>
+			<scope>test</scope>
+		</dependency>
+
 		<!-- Testcontainers -->
 
 		<dependency>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/r2dbc/connectionfactory/init/ConnectionFactoryInitializer.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/r2dbc/connectionfactory/init/ConnectionFactoryInitializer.java
index 49ce781..4e6b08c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/r2dbc/connectionfactory/init/ConnectionFactoryInitializer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/r2dbc/connectionfactory/init/ConnectionFactoryInitializer.java
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public class ConnectionFactoryInitializer implements InitializingBean, Disposabl
 		Assert.state(this.connectionFactory != null, "ConnectionFactory must be set");
 
 		if (this.enabled && populator != null) {
-			DatabasePopulatorUtils.execute(populator, this.connectionFactory);
+			DatabasePopulatorUtils.execute(populator, this.connectionFactory).block();
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/r2dbc/connectionfactory/init/ConnectionFactoryInitializerUnitTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/r2dbc/connectionfactory/init/ConnectionFactoryInitializerUnitTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2567679
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/r2dbc/connectionfactory/init/ConnectionFactoryInitializerUnitTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2019 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.springframework.data.r2dbc.connectionfactory.init;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.*;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.*;
+
+import io.r2dbc.spi.test.MockConnection;
+import io.r2dbc.spi.test.MockConnectionFactory;
+import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests for {@link ConnectionFactoryInitializer}.
+ *
+ * @author Mark Paluch
+ */
+public class ConnectionFactoryInitializerUnitTests {
+
+	AtomicBoolean called = new AtomicBoolean();
+	DatabasePopulator populator = mock(DatabasePopulator.class);
+	MockConnection connection = MockConnection.builder().build();
+	MockConnectionFactory connectionFactory = MockConnectionFactory.builder().connection(connection).build();
+
+	@Test // gh-216
+	public void shouldInitializeConnectionFactory() {
+
+		when(populator.populate(any())).thenReturn(Mono.<Void> empty().doOnSubscribe(subscription -> called.set(true)));
+
+		ConnectionFactoryInitializer initializer = new ConnectionFactoryInitializer();
+		initializer.setConnectionFactory(connectionFactory);
+		initializer.setDatabasePopulator(populator);
+
+		initializer.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		assertThat(called).isTrue();
+	}
+
+	@Test // gh-216
+	public void shouldCleanConnectionFactory() {
+
+		when(populator.populate(any())).thenReturn(Mono.<Void> empty().doOnSubscribe(subscription -> called.set(true)));
+
+		ConnectionFactoryInitializer initializer = new ConnectionFactoryInitializer();
+		initializer.setConnectionFactory(connectionFactory);
+		initializer.setDatabaseCleaner(populator);
+
+		initializer.afterPropertiesSet();
+		initializer.destroy();
+
+		assertThat(called).isTrue();
+	}
+}