diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 81ddef40b..f144fb782 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ ObjectId('\x03\x1c\x06\x8d|\x9d}O\x8b\xaf!\xa0'))])
 10
 8
 11
->>> from pymongo.database import ASCENDING
+>>> from pymongo import ASCENDING
 >>> db.my_collection.create_index("x", ASCENDING)
 >>> for item in db.my_collection.find().sort("x", ASCENDING):
 ...     print item["x"]
diff --git a/pymongo/__init__.py b/pymongo/__init__.py
index e69de29bb..dd46d2b16 100644
--- a/pymongo/__init__.py
+++ b/pymongo/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Copyright 2009 10gen, Inc.
+#
+# 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
+#
+# http://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.
+
+"""A Mongo driver for Python."""
+
+ASCENDING = 1
+"""Ascending sort order."""
+DESCENDING = -1
+"""Descending sort order."""
+
+OFF = 0
+"""Turn off database profiling."""
+SLOW_ONLY = 1
+"""Only profile slow operations."""
+ALL = 2
+"""Profile all operations."""
+
diff --git a/pymongo/collection.py b/pymongo/collection.py
index 3b27fdd39..e81ce0149 100644
--- a/pymongo/collection.py
+++ b/pymongo/collection.py
@@ -270,8 +270,8 @@ class Collection(object):
 
         Takes either a single key and a direction, or a list of (key, direction)
         pairs. The key(s) must be an instance of (str, unicode), and the
-        direction(s) must be one of (Mongo.ASCENDING, Mongo.DESCENDING). Returns
-        the name of the created index.
+        direction(s) must be one of (`pymongo.ASCENDING`, `pymongo.DESCENDING`).
+        Returns the name of the created index.
 
         :Parameters:
           - `key_or_list`: a single key or a list of (key, direction) pairs
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ class Collection(object):
             if not isinstance(key, types.StringTypes):
                 raise TypeError("first item in each key pair must be a string")
             if not isinstance(value, types.IntType):
-                raise TypeError("second item in each key pair must be Mongo.ASCENDING or Mongo.DESCENDING")
+                raise TypeError("second item in each key pair must be ASCENDING or DESCENDING")
             key_object[key] = value
         to_save["key"] = key_object
 
diff --git a/pymongo/cursor.py b/pymongo/cursor.py
index fc8acb9df..a94fef6d6 100644
--- a/pymongo/cursor.py
+++ b/pymongo/cursor.py
@@ -129,9 +129,9 @@ class Cursor(object):
 
         Takes either a single key and a direction, or a list of (key, direction)
         pairs. The key(s) must be an instance of (str, unicode), and the
-        direction(s) must be one of (Mongo.ASCENDING, Mongo.DESCENDING). Raises
-        InvalidOperation if this cursor has already been used. Only the last
-        `sort` applied to this cursor has any effect.
+        direction(s) must be one of (`pymongo.ASCENDING`, `pymongo.DESCENDING`).
+        Raises InvalidOperation if this cursor has already been used. Only the
+        last `sort` applied to this cursor has any effect.
 
         :Parameters:
           - `key_or_list`: a single key or a list of (key, direction) pairs
diff --git a/pymongo/database.py b/pymongo/database.py
index 4a537ce06..908cdfc0f 100644
--- a/pymongo/database.py
+++ b/pymongo/database.py
@@ -24,15 +24,6 @@ from collection import Collection
 from errors import InvalidName, CollectionInvalid, OperationFailure
 from code import Code
 
-# sort directions
-ASCENDING = 1
-DESCENDING = -1
-
-# profiling levels
-OFF = 0
-SLOW_ONLY = 1
-ALL = 2
-
 class Database(object):
     """A Mongo database.
     """
@@ -220,7 +211,7 @@ class Database(object):
     def profiling_level(self):
         """Get the database's current profiling level.
 
-        Returns one of (OFF, SLOW_ONLY, ALL).
+        Returns one of (`pymongo.OFF`, `pymongo.SLOW_ONLY`, `pymongo.ALL`).
         """
         result = self._command({"profile": -1})
 
@@ -230,7 +221,8 @@ class Database(object):
     def set_profiling_level(self, level):
         """Set the database's profiling level.
 
-        Raises ValueError if level is not one of (OFF, SLOW_ONLY, ALL).
+        Raises ValueError if level is not one of (`pymongo.OFF`,
+        pymongo.SLOW_ONLY`, `pymongo.ALL`).
 
         :Parameters:
           - `level`: the profiling level to use
diff --git a/pymongo/mongo.py b/pymongo/mongo.py
index 229721d2d..218fe4911 100644
--- a/pymongo/mongo.py
+++ b/pymongo/mongo.py
@@ -29,9 +29,6 @@ from objectid import ObjectId
 from dbref import DBRef
 from cursor_manager import BatchCursorManager
 
-ASCENDING = database.ASCENDING
-DESCENDING = database.DESCENDING
-
 class Mongo(database.Database):
     """A connection to a Mongo database.
     """
diff --git a/test/test_collection.py b/test/test_collection.py
index 7d8a4abd9..6265317d5 100644
--- a/test/test_collection.py
+++ b/test/test_collection.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from test_connection import get_connection
 from pymongo.objectid import ObjectId
 from pymongo.collection import Collection
 from pymongo.errors import InvalidName
-from pymongo.database import ASCENDING, DESCENDING
+from pymongo import ASCENDING, DESCENDING
 from pymongo.son import SON
 
 class TestCollection(unittest.TestCase):
diff --git a/test/test_cursor.py b/test/test_cursor.py
index 836bfc219..2306cee4c 100644
--- a/test/test_cursor.py
+++ b/test/test_cursor.py
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ sys.path[0:0] = [""]
 
 from pymongo.errors import InvalidOperation
 from pymongo.cursor import Cursor
-from pymongo.database import Database, ASCENDING, DESCENDING
+from pymongo.database import Database
+from pymongo import ASCENDING, DESCENDING
 from test_connection import get_connection
 
 class TestCursor(unittest.TestCase):
diff --git a/test/test_database.py b/test/test_database.py
index 6cb909937..02aa2e34b 100644
--- a/test/test_database.py
+++ b/test/test_database.py
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ sys.path[0:0] = [""]
 from pymongo.errors import InvalidName, InvalidOperation, CollectionInvalid, OperationFailure
 from pymongo.son import SON
 from pymongo.objectid import ObjectId
-from pymongo.database import Database, ASCENDING, DESCENDING, OFF, SLOW_ONLY, ALL
+from pymongo.database import Database
+from pymongo import ASCENDING, DESCENDING, OFF, SLOW_ONLY, ALL
 from pymongo.connection import Connection
 from pymongo.collection import Collection
 from pymongo.dbref import DBRef
diff --git a/test/test_mongo.py b/test/test_mongo.py
index 63149cc0e..6d2f85396 100644
--- a/test/test_mongo.py
+++ b/test/test_mongo.py
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ from pymongo.objectid import ObjectId
 from pymongo.dbref import DBRef
 from pymongo.son import SON
 from pymongo.errors import InvalidOperation, ConnectionFailure
-from pymongo.mongo import Mongo, ASCENDING, DESCENDING
+from pymongo.mongo import Mongo
+from pymongo import ASCENDING, DESCENDING
 
 class TestMongo(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):