diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 433d888..edb4aa3 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ The is the default backend and has a couple of options:
         'db': 0,
     }
 
+  Alternatively you can use a URL to do the same::
+
+    CONSTANCE_REDIS_CONNECTION = 'redis://username:password@localhost:6379/0'
+
 * ``CONSTANCE_REDIS_CONNECTION_CLASS``
 
   An (optional) dotted import path to a connection to use, e.g.::
diff --git a/constance/backends/redisd.py b/constance/backends/redisd.py
index e512f0b..b023e38 100644
--- a/constance/backends/redisd.py
+++ b/constance/backends/redisd.py
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ class RedisBackend(Backend):
             except ImportError:
                 raise ImproperlyConfigured(
                     "The Redis backend requires redis-py to be installed.")
-            self._rd = redis.Redis(**settings.REDIS_CONNECTION)
+            if isinstance(settings.REDIS_CONNECTION, basestring):
+                self._rd = redis.from_url(settings.REDIS_CONNECTION)
+            else:
+                self._rd = redis.Redis(**settings.REDIS_CONNECTION)
 
     def add_prefix(self, key):
         return "%s%s" % (self._prefix, key)