diff --git a/IPython/core/history.py b/IPython/core/history.py
index d2ae229..029d2ba 100644
--- a/IPython/core/history.py
+++ b/IPython/core/history.py
@@ -129,7 +129,8 @@ class HistoryManager(Configurable):
         
     def init_db(self):
         """Connect to the database, and create tables if necessary."""
-        self.db = sqlite3.connect(self.hist_file)
+        # use detect_types so that timestamps return datetime objects
+        self.db = sqlite3.connect(self.hist_file, detect_types=sqlite3.PARSE_DECLTYPES|sqlite3.PARSE_COLNAMES)
         self.db.execute("""CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS sessions (session integer
                         primary key autoincrement, start timestamp,
                         end timestamp, num_cmds integer, remark text)""")
@@ -213,6 +214,33 @@ class HistoryManager(Configurable):
         return cur
         
     
+    def get_session_info(self, session=0):
+        """get info about a session
+        
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        
+        session : int
+            Session number to retrieve. The current session is 0, and negative
+            numbers count back from current session, so -1 is previous session.
+        
+        Returns
+        -------
+        
+        (session_id [int], start [datetime], end [datetime], num_cmds [int], remark [unicode])
+        
+        Sessions that are running or did not exit cleanly will have `end=None`
+        and `num_cmds=None`.
+        
+        """
+        
+        if session <= 0:
+            session += self.session_number
+        
+        query = "SELECT * from sessions where session == ?"
+        return self.db.execute(query, (session,)).fetchone()
+        
+    
     def get_tail(self, n=10, raw=True, output=False, include_latest=False):
         """Get the last n lines from the history database.
         
diff --git a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
index 2d807c9..5218375 100644
--- a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
+++ b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
@@ -2552,6 +2552,11 @@ class InteractiveShell(SingletonConfigurable, Magic):
         code that has the appropriate information, rather than trying to
         clutter 
         """
+        # Close the history session (this stores the end time and line count)
+        # this must be *before* the tempfile cleanup, in case of temporary
+        # history db
+        self.history_manager.end_session()
+        
         # Cleanup all tempfiles left around
         for tfile in self.tempfiles:
             try:
@@ -2559,9 +2564,6 @@ class InteractiveShell(SingletonConfigurable, Magic):
             except OSError:
                 pass
         
-        # Close the history session (this stores the end time and line count)
-        self.history_manager.end_session()
-        
         # Clear all user namespaces to release all references cleanly.
         self.reset(new_session=False)
 
diff --git a/IPython/core/tests/test_history.py b/IPython/core/tests/test_history.py
index 9a74a4e..1cbacd2 100644
--- a/IPython/core/tests/test_history.py
+++ b/IPython/core/tests/test_history.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import os
 import sys
 import unittest
-
+from datetime import datetime
 # third party
 import nose.tools as nt
 
@@ -107,3 +107,8 @@ def test_magic_rerun():
     nt.assert_equal(ip.user_ns["a"], 11)
     ip.run_cell("%rerun")
     nt.assert_equal(ip.user_ns["a"], 12)
+
+def test_timestamp_type():
+    ip = get_ipython()
+    info = ip.history_manager.get_session_info()
+    nt.assert_true(isinstance(info[1], datetime))
diff --git a/IPython/testing/globalipapp.py b/IPython/testing/globalipapp.py
index cee6f2b..4315da3 100644
--- a/IPython/testing/globalipapp.py
+++ b/IPython/testing/globalipapp.py
@@ -194,6 +194,9 @@ def start_ipython():
 
     # A few more tweaks needed for playing nicely with doctests...
     
+    # remove history file
+    shell.tempfiles.append(config.HistoryManager.hist_file)
+    
     # These traps are normally only active for interactive use, set them
     # permanently since we'll be mocking interactive sessions.
     shell.builtin_trap.activate()
diff --git a/IPython/testing/tools.py b/IPython/testing/tools.py
index 4947191..3835d58 100644
--- a/IPython/testing/tools.py
+++ b/IPython/testing/tools.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import
 import os
 import re
 import sys
+import tempfile
 
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 
@@ -170,7 +171,7 @@ def default_config():
     config.TerminalInteractiveShell.colors = 'NoColor'
     config.TerminalTerminalInteractiveShell.term_title = False,
     config.TerminalInteractiveShell.autocall = 0
-    config.HistoryManager.hist_file = u'test_hist.sqlite'
+    config.HistoryManager.hist_file = tempfile.mktemp(u'test_hist.sqlite')
     config.HistoryManager.db_cache_size = 10000
     return config