diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index f4a21b22d..76726af2b 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ Ross Lawley
 Ryan Wooden
 Samuele Pedroni
 Tom Viner
+Thomas Grainger
 Trevor Bekolay
 Wouter van Ackooy
 David Díaz-Barquero
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 2be8c9aae..4783395a8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -3,12 +3,18 @@
 
 **Bug Fixes**
 
-*
+* Text documents without any doctests no longer appear as "skipped".
+  Thanks `@graingert`_ for reporting and providing a full PR (`#1580`_).
 
 *
 
 *
 
+.. _#1580: https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/issues/1580
+
+.. _@graingert: https://github.com/graingert
+
+
 2.9.2
 =====
 
diff --git a/_pytest/doctest.py b/_pytest/doctest.py
index a57f7a494..72b94f488 100644
--- a/_pytest/doctest.py
+++ b/_pytest/doctest.py
@@ -144,20 +144,18 @@ def get_optionflags(parent):
     return flag_acc
 
 
-class DoctestTextfile(DoctestItem, pytest.Module):
+class DoctestTextfile(pytest.Module):
+    obj = None
 
-    def runtest(self):
+    def collect(self):
         import doctest
-        fixture_request = _setup_fixtures(self)
 
         # inspired by doctest.testfile; ideally we would use it directly,
         # but it doesn't support passing a custom checker
         text = self.fspath.read()
         filename = str(self.fspath)
         name = self.fspath.basename
-        globs = dict(getfixture=fixture_request.getfuncargvalue)
-        if '__name__' not in globs:
-            globs['__name__'] = '__main__'
+        globs = {'__name__': '__main__'}
 
         optionflags = get_optionflags(self)
         runner = doctest.DebugRunner(verbose=0, optionflags=optionflags,
@@ -165,8 +163,8 @@ class DoctestTextfile(DoctestItem, pytest.Module):
 
         parser = doctest.DocTestParser()
         test = parser.get_doctest(text, globs, name, filename, 0)
-        _check_all_skipped(test)
-        runner.run(test)
+        if test.examples:
+            yield DoctestItem(test.name, self, runner, test)
 
 
 def _check_all_skipped(test):
diff --git a/testing/test_doctest.py b/testing/test_doctest.py
index a4821ee4c..816f069d3 100644
--- a/testing/test_doctest.py
+++ b/testing/test_doctest.py
@@ -14,13 +14,16 @@ class TestDoctests:
             >>> i-1
             4
         """)
+
         for x in (testdir.tmpdir, checkfile):
             #print "checking that %s returns custom items" % (x,)
             items, reprec = testdir.inline_genitems(x)
             assert len(items) == 1
-            assert isinstance(items[0], DoctestTextfile)
+            assert isinstance(items[0], DoctestItem)
+            assert isinstance(items[0].parent, DoctestTextfile)
+        # Empty file has no items.
         items, reprec = testdir.inline_genitems(w)
-        assert len(items) == 1
+        assert len(items) == 0
 
     def test_collect_module_empty(self, testdir):
         path = testdir.makepyfile(whatever="#")
@@ -595,6 +598,11 @@ class TestDoctestSkips:
         reprec = testdir.inline_run("--doctest-modules")
         reprec.assertoutcome(skipped=1)
 
+    def test_vacuous_all_skipped(self, testdir, makedoctest):
+        makedoctest('')
+        reprec = testdir.inline_run("--doctest-modules")
+        reprec.assertoutcome(passed=0, skipped=0)
+
 
 class TestDoctestAutoUseFixtures: