diff --git a/_pytest/main.py b/_pytest/main.py
index 47b6cb694..ce0bb4918 100644
--- a/_pytest/main.py
+++ b/_pytest/main.py
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
                help="run pytest in strict mode, warnings become errors.")
     group._addoption("-c", metavar="file", type=str, dest="inifilename",
                help="load configuration from `file` instead of trying to locate one of the implicit configuration files.")
+    group.addoption('--setuponly', '--setup-only', action="store_true",
+               help="only setup fixtures, don't execute the tests.")
 
     group = parser.getgroup("collect", "collection")
     group.addoption('--collectonly', '--collect-only', action="store_true",
diff --git a/_pytest/python.py b/_pytest/python.py
index 526f4be09..244a4ce50 100644
--- a/_pytest/python.py
+++ b/_pytest/python.py
@@ -2459,6 +2459,14 @@ class FixtureDef:
             # even if finalization fails, we invalidate
             # the cached fixture value
             if hasattr(self, "cached_result"):
+                if self._fixturemanager.config.option.setuponly:
+                    tw = self._fixturemanager.config.get_terminal_writer()
+                    tw.line()
+                    tw.write(' ' * 2 * self.scopenum)
+                    tw.write('TEARDOWN {} {}'.format(self.scope[0].upper(), self.argname))
+                    if hasattr(self, "cached_param"):
+                        tw.write('[{}]'.format(self.cached_param))
+                        del self.cached_param
                 del self.cached_result
 
     def execute(self, request):
@@ -2504,6 +2512,13 @@ class FixtureDef:
 
         try:
             result = call_fixture_func(fixturefunc, request, kwargs)
+            tw = request.config.get_terminal_writer()
+            tw.line()
+            tw.write(' ' * 2 * self.scopenum)
+            tw.write('SETUP    {} {}'.format(self.scope[0].upper(), fixturefunc.__name__))
+            if hasattr(request, 'param'):
+                tw.write('[{}]'.format(request.param))
+                self.cached_param = request.param
         except Exception:
             self.cached_result = (None, my_cache_key, sys.exc_info())
             raise
diff --git a/_pytest/runner.py b/_pytest/runner.py
index 4cc2ef6ac..1f7100977 100644
--- a/_pytest/runner.py
+++ b/_pytest/runner.py
@@ -73,7 +73,17 @@ def runtestprotocol(item, log=True, nextitem=None):
     rep = call_and_report(item, "setup", log)
     reports = [rep]
     if rep.passed:
-        reports.append(call_and_report(item, "call", log))
+        if item.config.option.setuponly:
+            tw = item.config.get_terminal_writer()
+            tw.line()
+            tw.write(' ' * 8)
+            tw.write('{} '.format(item._nodeid))
+            used_fixtures = sorted(item._fixtureinfo.name2fixturedefs.keys())
+            if used_fixtures:
+                tw.write('fixtures: ')
+                tw.write(', '.join(used_fixtures))
+        else:
+            reports.append(call_and_report(item, "call", log))
     reports.append(call_and_report(item, "teardown", log,
         nextitem=nextitem))
     # after all teardown hooks have been called