diff --git a/py/test/collect.py b/py/test/collect.py
index 6a76e3b66..31eb30970 100644
--- a/py/test/collect.py
+++ b/py/test/collect.py
@@ -127,6 +127,12 @@ class Node(object):
     def listnames(self): 
         return [x.name for x in self.listchain()]
 
+    def getparent(self, cls):
+        current = self
+        while current and not isinstance(current, cls):
+            current = current.parent
+        return current 
+
     def _getitembynames(self, namelist):
         cur = self
         for name in namelist:
diff --git a/py/test/funcargs.py b/py/test/funcargs.py
index 84531ad34..2d022cfab 100644
--- a/py/test/funcargs.py
+++ b/py/test/funcargs.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class FuncargRequest:
         self._pyfuncitem = pyfuncitem
         self.argname = argname 
         self.function = pyfuncitem.obj
-        self.module = pyfuncitem._getparent(py.test.collect.Module).obj
+        self.module = pyfuncitem.getparent(py.test.collect.Module).obj
         self.cls = getattr(self.function, 'im_class', None)
         self.instance = getattr(self.function, 'im_self', None)
         self.config = pyfuncitem.config
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ class FuncargRequest:
         if scope == "function":
             return self._pyfuncitem
         elif scope == "module":
-            return self._pyfuncitem._getparent(py.test.collect.Module)
+            return self._pyfuncitem.getparent(py.test.collect.Module)
         raise ValueError("unknown finalization scope %r" %(scope,))
 
     def addfinalizer(self, finalizer, scope="function"):
diff --git a/py/test/pycollect.py b/py/test/pycollect.py
index 3a8774a09..420ef1dac 100644
--- a/py/test/pycollect.py
+++ b/py/test/pycollect.py
@@ -37,12 +37,6 @@ class PyobjMixin(object):
     def _getobj(self):
         return getattr(self.parent.obj, self.name)
 
-    def _getparent(self, cls):
-        current = self
-        while current and not isinstance(current, cls):
-            current = current.parent
-        return current 
-
     def getmodpath(self, stopatmodule=True, includemodule=False):
         """ return python path relative to the containing module. """
         chain = self.listchain()
@@ -146,10 +140,10 @@ class PyCollectorMixin(PyobjMixin, py.test.collect.Collector):
                 return self._genfunctions(name, obj)
 
     def _genfunctions(self, name, funcobj):
-        module = self._getparent(Module).obj
+        module = self.getparent(Module).obj
         # due to _buildname2items funcobj is the raw function, we need
         # to work to get at the class 
-        clscol = self._getparent(Class)
+        clscol = self.getparent(Class)
         cls = clscol and clscol.obj or None
         metafunc = funcargs.Metafunc(funcobj, config=self.config, cls=cls, module=module)
         gentesthook = self.config.hook.pytest_generate_tests.clone(extralookup=module)
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_collect.py b/py/test/testing/test_collect.py
index 2e25662e6..0d1d3112f 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_collect.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_collect.py
@@ -37,6 +37,24 @@ class TestCollector:
             assert [1,2,3] != fn
             assert modcol != fn
 
+    def test_getparent(self, testdir):
+        modcol = testdir.getmodulecol("""
+            class TestClass:
+                 def test_foo():
+                     pass
+        """)
+        cls = modcol.collect_by_name("TestClass")
+        fn = cls.collect_by_name("()").collect_by_name("test_foo")
+        
+        parent = fn.getparent(py.test.collect.Module)
+        assert parent is modcol
+
+        parent = fn.getparent(py.test.collect.Function)
+        assert parent is fn
+
+        parent = fn.getparent(py.test.collect.Class)
+        assert parent is cls     
+
     def test_totrail_and_back(self, tmpdir):
         a = tmpdir.ensure("a", dir=1)
         tmpdir.ensure("a", "__init__.py")
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_pycollect.py b/py/test/testing/test_pycollect.py
index b662cabba..a4fe30538 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_pycollect.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_pycollect.py
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ class TestGenerator:
 class TestFunction:
     def test_getmodulecollector(self, testdir):
         item = testdir.getitem("def test_func(): pass")
-        modcol = item._getparent(py.test.collect.Module)
+        modcol = item.getparent(py.test.collect.Module)
         assert isinstance(modcol, py.test.collect.Module)
         assert hasattr(modcol.obj, 'test_func')