diff --git a/py/misc/_maketest2.py b/py/misc/_maketest2.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e59d32d92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/py/misc/_maketest2.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+""" create a py/test2 hierarchy copied from py/test. 
+    useful for refactoring py.test itself and still 
+    use py.test itself. 
+"""
+
+from _findpy import py
+
+def change_init(initfile):
+    l = []
+    for line in initfile.readlines():
+        newline = line 
+        l.append(line) 
+        newline = newline.replace("'test.", "'test2.") 
+        newline = newline.replace("'./test/", "'./test2/")
+        if newline != line: 
+            l.append(newline) 
+    initfile.write("".join(l))
+
+def perform_replace(directory):
+    for x in directory.visit("*.py", 
+                             rec=lambda x: x.check(dir=1, dotfile=0)):
+        s = n = x.read()
+        n = n.replace("py.test", "py.test2")
+        n = n.replace("py.__.test.", "py.__.test2.")
+        n = n.replace("py.__.test ", "py.__.test2 ")
+        if s != n:
+            print "writing modified", x
+            x.write(n) 
+
+def cmd(command):
+    print "* executing:", command
+    return py.process.cmdexec(command) 
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    basedir = py.path.local(py.__file__).dirpath()
+    #st = py.path.svnwc(basedir).status() 
+    #assert not st.modified
+    olddir = basedir.chdir()
+    try:
+        initfile = basedir.join("__init__.py")
+        cmd("svn revert %s" % initfile)
+        change_init(initfile) 
+
+        test2dir = basedir.join("test2")
+        cmd("svn revert -R test2") 
+        cmd("rm -rf test2") 
+        cmd("svn cp test test2") 
+        perform_replace(test2dir)
+
+    finally:
+        olddir.chdir()
+    
+