diff --git a/etc/ORG-NEWS b/etc/ORG-NEWS
index 77373d442..01a9361df 100644
--- a/etc/ORG-NEWS
+++ b/etc/ORG-NEWS
@@ -199,6 +199,24 @@ you should expect to see something like:
 #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
   ,#+STARTUP: shrink
 #+END_EXAMPLE
+*** Add support for Oracle's database alias in Babel blocks
+=ob-sql= library already support running SQL blocks against an Oracle
+database using ~sqlplus~.  Now it's possible to use alias names
+defined in =TNSNAMES= file instead of specifying full connection
+parameters.  See example bellow.
+
+#+BEGIN_SRC org
+  you can use the previous full connection parameters
+  ,#+BEGIN_SRC sql :engine oracle :dbuser me :dbpassword my_insecure_password :database my_db_name :dbhost my_db_host :dbport 1521
+  select sysdate from dual;
+  ,#+END_SRC
+
+  or the alias defined in your TNSNAMES file
+  ,#+BEGIN_SRC sql :engine oracle :dbuser me :dbpassword my_insecure_password :database my_tns_alias
+  select sysdate from dual;
+  ,#+END_SRC
+#+END_SRC
+
 ** New functions
 *** ~org-insert-structure-template~
 
diff --git a/lisp/ob-sql.el b/lisp/ob-sql.el
index 959ede3de..f44bf5674 100644
--- a/lisp/ob-sql.el
+++ b/lisp/ob-sql.el
@@ -111,8 +111,11 @@ Pass nil to omit that arg."
 	       (when database (concat "-d" database))))))
 
 (defun org-babel-sql-dbstring-oracle (host port user password database)
-  "Make Oracle command line args for database connection."
-  (format "%s/%s@%s:%s/%s" user password host port database))
+  "Make Oracle command line arguments for database connection.
+If PORT and DATABASE are nil then don't pass them.  This allows
+you to use names defined in your \"TNSNAMES\" file."
+  (concat (format "%s/%s@%s" user password host)
+	  (and port database (format ":%s/%s" port database))))
 
 (defun org-babel-sql-dbstring-mssql (host user password database)
   "Make sqlcmd command line args for database connection.
@@ -241,6 +244,7 @@ SET NEWPAGE 0
 SET TAB OFF
 SET SPACE 0
 SET LINESIZE 9999
+SET TRIMOUT ON TRIMSPOOL ON
 SET ECHO OFF
 SET FEEDBACK OFF
 SET VERIFY OFF