diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index be439fbba..5fad1e64e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 Changes between 1.0.0b7 and 1.0.0b8
 =====================================
 
+* introduced pytest_keyboardinterrupt hook and 
+  refined pytest_sessionfinish hooked. 
+
 * workaround a buggy logging module interaction ("closing already closed
   files").  Thanks to Sridhar Ratnakumar for triggering. 
 
diff --git a/py/test/dist/dsession.py b/py/test/dist/dsession.py
index 0f673f368..a21e9639b 100644
--- a/py/test/dist/dsession.py
+++ b/py/test/dist/dsession.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ class DSession(Session):
         self.setup()
         exitstatus = self.loop(colitems)
         self.teardown()
-        self.sessionfinishes() 
+        self.sessionfinishes(exitstatus=exitstatus) 
         return exitstatus
 
     def loop_once(self, loopstate):
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/hookspec.py b/py/test/plugin/hookspec.py
index 0199ba723..4da83742c 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/hookspec.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/hookspec.py
@@ -94,11 +94,11 @@ def pytest_runtest_logreport(rep):
 def pytest_sessionstart(session):
     """ before session.main() is called. """
 
-def pytest_sessionfinish(session, exitstatus, excrepr=None):
+def pytest_sessionfinish(session, exitstatus):
     """ whole test run finishes. """
 
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# generic reporting hooks (invoked from pytest_terminal)
+# hooks for influencing reporting (invoked from pytest_terminal)
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 def pytest_report_teststatus(rep):
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ def pytest_looponfailinfo(failreports, rootdirs):
 
 
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# internal debugging hooks 
+# error handling and internal debugging hooks 
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 def pytest_plugin_registered(plugin):
@@ -152,5 +152,8 @@ def pytest_plugin_unregistered(plugin):
 def pytest_internalerror(excrepr):
     """ called for internal errors. """
 
+def pytest_keyboard_interrupt(excinfo):
+    """ called for keyboard interrupt. """
+
 def pytest_trace(category, msg):
     """ called for debug info. """ 
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest_execnetcleanup.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest_execnetcleanup.py
index 184f3e89a..7a5f65aeb 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest_execnetcleanup.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest_execnetcleanup.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class Execnetcleanup:
     def pytest_sessionstart(self, session):
         self._gateways = []
 
-    def pytest_sessionfinish(self, session, exitstatus, excrepr=None):
+    def pytest_sessionfinish(self, session, exitstatus):
         l = []
         for gw in self._gateways:
             gw.exit()
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest_runner.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest_runner.py
index cfff2023f..eedb1a2fc 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest_runner.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest_runner.py
@@ -19,11 +19,10 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
 def pytest_configure(config):
     config._setupstate = SetupState()
 
-def pytest_sessionfinish(session, exitstatus, excrepr=None):
+def pytest_sessionfinish(session, exitstatus):
     # XXX see above
     if hasattr(session.config, '_setupstate'):
         session.config._setupstate.teardown_all()
-
     # prevent logging module atexit handler from choking on 
     # its attempt to close already closed streams 
     # see http://bugs.python.org/issue6333
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest_terminal.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest_terminal.py
index 4211482d5..fd7bb50e4 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest_terminal.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest_terminal.py
@@ -231,20 +231,29 @@ class TerminalReporter:
         for i, testarg in py.builtin.enumerate(self.config.args):
             self.write_line("test object %d: %s" %(i+1, testarg))
 
-    def pytest_sessionfinish(self, __call__, session, exitstatus, excrepr=None):
+    def pytest_sessionfinish(self, __call__, session, exitstatus):
         __call__.execute() 
         self._tw.line("")
         if exitstatus in (0, 1, 2):
             self.summary_failures()
             self.summary_skips()
             self.config.hook.pytest_terminal_summary(terminalreporter=self)
-        if excrepr is not None:
-            self.summary_final_exc(excrepr)
         if exitstatus == 2:
-            self.write_sep("!", "KEYBOARD INTERRUPT")
+            self._report_keyboardinterrupt()
         self.summary_deselected()
         self.summary_stats()
 
+    def pytest_keyboard_interrupt(self, excinfo):
+        self._keyboardinterrupt_memo = excinfo.getrepr()
+
+    def _report_keyboardinterrupt(self):
+        self.write_sep("!", "KEYBOARD INTERRUPT")
+        excrepr = self._keyboardinterrupt_memo
+        if self.config.option.verbose:
+            excrepr.toterminal(self._tw)
+        else:
+            excrepr.reprcrash.toterminal(self._tw)
+
     def pytest_looponfailinfo(self, failreports, rootdirs):
         if failreports:
             self.write_sep("#", "LOOPONFAILING", red=True)
@@ -334,14 +343,6 @@ class TerminalReporter:
                     for num, fspath, lineno, reason in fskips:
                         self._tw.line("%s:%d: [%d] %s" %(fspath, lineno, num, reason))
 
-    def summary_final_exc(self, excrepr):
-        self.write_sep("!")
-        if self.config.option.verbose:
-            excrepr.toterminal(self._tw)
-        else:
-            excrepr.reprcrash.toterminal(self._tw)
-
-
 class CollectonlyReporter:
     INDENT = "  "
 
@@ -373,7 +374,7 @@ class CollectonlyReporter:
             self._failed.append(rep)
         self.indent = self.indent[:-len(self.INDENT)]
 
-    def pytest_sessionfinish(self, session, exitstatus, excrepr=None):
+    def pytest_sessionfinish(self, session, exitstatus):
         if self._failed:
             self.out.sep("!", "collection failures")
         for rep in self._failed:
diff --git a/py/test/session.py b/py/test/session.py
index c83081195..bd8698794 100644
--- a/py/test/session.py
+++ b/py/test/session.py
@@ -86,12 +86,11 @@ class Session(object):
                 self.shouldstop = True
     pytest_collectreport = pytest_runtest_logreport
 
-    def sessionfinishes(self, exitstatus=0, excinfo=None):
+    def sessionfinishes(self, exitstatus):
         """ teardown any resources after a test run. """ 
         self.config.hook.pytest_sessionfinish(
             session=self, 
             exitstatus=exitstatus, 
-            excrepr=excinfo and excinfo.getrepr() or None
         )
 
     def getinitialitems(self, colitems):
@@ -114,13 +113,14 @@ class Session(object):
                 if not self.config.option.collectonly: 
                     item.config.hook.pytest_runtest_protocol(item=item)
         except KeyboardInterrupt:
-            captured_excinfo = py.code.ExceptionInfo()
+            excinfo = py.code.ExceptionInfo()
+            item.config.hook.pytest_keyboard_interrupt(excinfo=excinfo)
             exitstatus = outcome.EXIT_INTERRUPTED
         except:
-            captured_excinfo = py.code.ExceptionInfo()
+            excinfo = py.code.ExceptionInfo()
             self.config.pluginmanager.notify_exception(captured_excinfo)
             exitstatus = outcome.EXIT_INTERNALERROR
         if exitstatus == 0 and self._testsfailed:
             exitstatus = outcome.EXIT_TESTSFAILED
-        self.sessionfinishes(exitstatus=exitstatus, excinfo=captured_excinfo)
+        self.sessionfinishes(exitstatus=exitstatus)
         return exitstatus