diff --git a/py/test/collect.py b/py/test/collect.py
index 7726c4ee0..b6af621e8 100644
--- a/py/test/collect.py
+++ b/py/test/collect.py
@@ -25,15 +25,12 @@ class Node(object):
         - configuration/options for setup/teardown 
           stdout/stderr capturing and execution of test items 
     """
-    def __init__(self, name, parent=None, config=None):
+    def __init__(self, name, parent=None):
         self.name = name 
         self.parent = parent
-        if config is None:
-            config = parent.config
-        self.config = config 
+        self.config = getattr(parent, 'config', None)
         self.fspath = getattr(parent, 'fspath', None) 
 
-
     # 
     # note to myself: Pickling is uh.
     # 
@@ -281,7 +278,6 @@ class Collector(Node):
     """
     Directory = configproperty('Directory')
     Module = configproperty('Module')
-    #DoctestFile = configproperty('DoctestFile')
 
     def collect(self):
         """ returns a list of children (items and collectors) 
@@ -335,9 +331,9 @@ class Collector(Node):
         return self.collect_by_name(name)
 
 class FSCollector(Collector): 
-    def __init__(self, fspath, parent=None, config=None): 
+    def __init__(self, fspath, parent=None):
         fspath = py.path.local(fspath) 
-        super(FSCollector, self).__init__(fspath.basename, parent, config=config) 
+        super(FSCollector, self).__init__(fspath.basename, parent)
         self.fspath = fspath 
 
     def __getstate__(self):
diff --git a/py/test/config.py b/py/test/config.py
index b423fbd80..4c468ae19 100644
--- a/py/test/config.py
+++ b/py/test/config.py
@@ -155,7 +155,8 @@ class Config(object):
         if pkgpath is None:
             pkgpath = path.check(file=1) and path.dirpath() or path
         Dir = self._conftest.rget("Directory", pkgpath)
-        col = Dir(pkgpath, config=self)
+        col = Dir(pkgpath)
+        col.config = self 
         return col._getfsnode(path)
 
     def getconftest_pathlist(self, name, path=None):
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest_resultlog.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest_resultlog.py
index 869cfe80d..49512ad3c 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest_resultlog.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest_resultlog.py
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ import os, StringIO
 
 def test_generic_path():
     from py.__.test.collect import Node, Item, FSCollector
-    p1 = Node('a', config='dummy')
+    p1 = Node('a')
     assert p1.fspath is None
     p2 = Node('B', parent=p1)
     p3 = Node('()', parent = p2)
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ def test_generic_path():
     res = generic_path(item)
     assert res == 'a.B().c'
 
-    p0 = FSCollector('proj/test', config='dummy')
+    p0 = FSCollector('proj/test')
     p1 = FSCollector('proj/test/a', parent=p0)
     p2 = Node('B', parent=p1)
     p3 = Node('()', parent = p2)
diff --git a/py/test/pycollect.py b/py/test/pycollect.py
index 06d72dac3..67eebc67e 100644
--- a/py/test/pycollect.py
+++ b/py/test/pycollect.py
@@ -314,9 +314,9 @@ class Function(FunctionMixin, py.test.collect.Item):
         and executing a Python callable test object.
     """
     _genid = None
-    def __init__(self, name, parent=None, config=None, args=(), 
+    def __init__(self, name, parent=None, args=(), 
                  callspec=None, callobj=_dummy):
-        super(Function, self).__init__(name, parent, config=config) 
+        super(Function, self).__init__(name, parent)
         self._args = args 
         if args:
             assert not callspec, "yielded functions (deprecated) cannot have funcargs" 
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_pycollect.py b/py/test/testing/test_pycollect.py
index 402ace27a..c52a3cf31 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_pycollect.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_pycollect.py
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ class TestModule:
     def test_module_file_not_found(self, testdir):
         tmpdir = testdir.tmpdir
         fn = tmpdir.join('nada','no')
-        col = py.test.collect.Module(fn, config=testdir.parseconfig(tmpdir))
+        col = py.test.collect.Module(fn)
+        col.config = testdir.parseconfig(tmpdir)
         py.test.raises(py.error.ENOENT, col.collect) 
 
     def test_failing_import(self, testdir):
@@ -223,13 +224,13 @@ class TestFunction:
         
     def test_function_equality(self, tmpdir):
         config = py.test.config._reparse([tmpdir])
-        f1 = py.test.collect.Function(name="name", config=config, 
+        f1 = py.test.collect.Function(name="name", 
                                       args=(1,), callobj=isinstance)
-        f2 = py.test.collect.Function(name="name", config=config, 
+        f2 = py.test.collect.Function(name="name",
                                       args=(1,), callobj=callable)
         assert not f1 == f2
         assert f1 != f2
-        f3 = py.test.collect.Function(name="name", config=config, 
+        f3 = py.test.collect.Function(name="name", 
                                       args=(1,2), callobj=callable)
         assert not f3 == f2
         assert f3 != f2
@@ -237,7 +238,7 @@ class TestFunction:
         assert not f3 == f1
         assert f3 != f1
 
-        f1_b = py.test.collect.Function(name="name", config=config, 
+        f1_b = py.test.collect.Function(name="name", 
                                       args=(1,), callobj=isinstance)
         assert f1 == f1_b
         assert not f1 != f1_b
@@ -252,9 +253,9 @@ class TestFunction:
             param = 1
             funcargs = {}
             id = "world"
-        f5 = py.test.collect.Function(name="name", config=config, 
+        f5 = py.test.collect.Function(name="name", 
                                       callspec=callspec1, callobj=isinstance)
-        f5b = py.test.collect.Function(name="name", config=config, 
+        f5b = py.test.collect.Function(name="name", 
                                       callspec=callspec2, callobj=isinstance)
         assert f5 != f5b
         assert not (f5 == f5b)