diff --git a/changelog/4987.trivial.rst b/changelog/4987.trivial.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eb79b742a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/4987.trivial.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+``Collector.repr_failure`` respects ``--tbstyle``, but only defaults to ``short`` now (with ``auto``).
diff --git a/src/_pytest/nodes.py b/src/_pytest/nodes.py
index ce02e70cd..fcaf59312 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/nodes.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/nodes.py
@@ -325,7 +325,14 @@ class Collector(Node):
         if excinfo.errisinstance(self.CollectError):
             exc = excinfo.value
             return str(exc.args[0])
-        return self._repr_failure_py(excinfo, style="short")
+
+        # Respect explicit tbstyle option, but default to "short"
+        # (None._repr_failure_py defaults to "long" without "fulltrace" option).
+        tbstyle = self.config.getoption("tbstyle")
+        if tbstyle == "auto":
+            tbstyle = "short"
+
+        return self._repr_failure_py(excinfo, style=tbstyle)
 
     def _prunetraceback(self, excinfo):
         if hasattr(self, "fspath"):
diff --git a/testing/test_collection.py b/testing/test_collection.py
index 94f57c69d..5aaaddbea 100644
--- a/testing/test_collection.py
+++ b/testing/test_collection.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import py
 
 import pytest
 from _pytest.main import _in_venv
+from _pytest.main import EXIT_INTERRUPTED
 from _pytest.main import EXIT_NOTESTSCOLLECTED
 from _pytest.main import Session
 
@@ -1234,3 +1235,20 @@ def test_collect_sub_with_symlinks(use_pkg, testdir):
             "*2 passed in*",
         ]
     )
+
+
+def test_collector_respects_tbstyle(testdir):
+    p1 = testdir.makepyfile("assert 0")
+    result = testdir.runpytest(p1, "--tb=native")
+    assert result.ret == EXIT_INTERRUPTED
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(
+        [
+            "*_ ERROR collecting test_collector_respects_tbstyle.py _*",
+            "Traceback (most recent call last):",
+            '  File "*/test_collector_respects_tbstyle.py", line 1, in <module>',
+            "    assert 0",
+            "AssertionError: assert 0",
+            "*! Interrupted: 1 errors during collection !*",
+            "*= 1 error in *",
+        ]
+    )