diff --git a/py/test/config.py b/py/test/config.py
index eb56d32ca..d34385312 100644
--- a/py/test/config.py
+++ b/py/test/config.py
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ class Error(Exception):
     """ Test Configuration Error. """
 
 class Config(object): 
-    """ central bus for dealing with configuration/initialization data. """ 
+    """ test configuration object, provides access to config valueso, 
+        the pluginmanager and plugin api. 
+    """
     Option = py.compat.optparse.Option # deprecated
     Error = Error
     basetemp = None
diff --git a/py/test/dist/testing/test_txnode.py b/py/test/dist/testing/test_txnode.py
index bf2c09099..63540c52d 100644
--- a/py/test/dist/testing/test_txnode.py
+++ b/py/test/dist/testing/test_txnode.py
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ import py
 from py.__.test.dist.txnode import TXNode
 
 class EventQueue:
-    def __init__(self, bus, queue=None):
+    def __init__(self, registry, queue=None):
         if queue is None:
             queue = py.std.Queue.Queue()
         self.queue = queue
-        bus.register(self)
+        registry.register(self)
 
     def geteventargs(self, eventname, timeout=2.0):
         events = []
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest__pytest.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest__pytest.py
index 424fa9411..ed0e1d582 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest__pytest.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest__pytest.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ class CallRecorder:
         recorder = RecordCalls()
         self._recorders[apiclass] = recorder
         self._comregistry.register(recorder)
+        self.api = py._com.PluginAPI(apiclass, registry=self._comregistry)
 
     def finalize(self):
         for recorder in self._recorders.values():
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest_pytester.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest_pytester.py
index c81407eaa..0a1d33bad 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest_pytester.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest_pytester.py
@@ -73,10 +73,11 @@ class TmpTestdir:
         if hasattr(self, '_olddir'):
             self._olddir.chdir()
 
-    def geteventrecorder(self, bus):
-        sorter = EventRecorder(bus)
-        sorter.callrecorder = CallRecorder(bus)
+    def geteventrecorder(self, registry):
+        sorter = EventRecorder(registry)
+        sorter.callrecorder = CallRecorder(registry)
         sorter.callrecorder.start_recording(api.PluginHooks)
+        sorter.api = sorter.callrecorder.api
         self.pyfuncitem.addfinalizer(sorter.callrecorder.finalize)
         return sorter
 
@@ -361,13 +362,13 @@ class EventRecorder(object):
         self.callrecorder.finalize()
 
 def test_eventrecorder(testdir):
-    bus = py._com.Registry()
-    recorder = testdir.geteventrecorder(bus)
+    registry = py._com.Registry()
+    recorder = testdir.geteventrecorder(registry)
     assert not recorder.getfailures()
     rep = runner.ItemTestReport(None, None)
     rep.passed = False
     rep.failed = True
-    bus.call_each("pytest_itemtestreport", rep=rep)
+    recorder.api.pytest_itemtestreport(rep=rep)
     failures = recorder.getfailures()
     assert failures == [rep]
     failures = recorder.getfailures()
@@ -376,12 +377,12 @@ def test_eventrecorder(testdir):
     rep = runner.ItemTestReport(None, None)
     rep.passed = False
     rep.skipped = True
-    bus.call_each("pytest_itemtestreport", rep=rep)
+    recorder.api.pytest_itemtestreport(rep=rep)
 
     rep = runner.CollectReport(None, None)
     rep.passed = False
     rep.failed = True
-    bus.call_each("pytest_itemtestreport", rep=rep)
+    recorder.api.pytest_itemtestreport(rep=rep)
 
     passed, skipped, failed = recorder.listoutcomes()
     assert not passed and skipped and failed
@@ -394,7 +395,7 @@ def test_eventrecorder(testdir):
     recorder.unregister()
     recorder.clear() 
     assert not recorder.getfailures()
-    bus.call_each("pytest_itemtestreport", rep=rep)
+    recorder.api.pytest_itemtestreport(rep=rep)
     assert not recorder.getfailures()
 
 class LineComp:
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest_terminal.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest_terminal.py
index 198d3cdfe..4c74cb724 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest_terminal.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest_terminal.py
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ class TestTerminal:
         ])
 
     def test_tb_option(self, testdir, linecomp):
-        # XXX usage of testdir and event bus
+        # XXX usage of testdir 
         for tbopt in ["long", "short", "no"]:
             print 'testing --tb=%s...' % tbopt
             modcol = testdir.getmodulecol("""
@@ -569,7 +569,6 @@ class TestTerminal:
         #""", configargs=("--showskipsummary",) + ("-v",)*verbose)
         rep = TerminalReporter(modcol.config, file=linecomp.stringio)
         modcol.config.pluginmanager.register(rep)
-        bus = modcol.config.pluginmanager
         modcol.config.api.pytest_testrunstart()
         try:
             for item in testdir.genitems([modcol]):
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_config.py b/py/test/testing/test_config.py
index 7f60dc961..1ea78feed 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_config.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_config.py
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ def test_options_on_small_file_do_not_blow_up(testdir):
                  ['--traceconfig'], ['-v'], ['-v', '-v']):
         runfiletest(opts + [path])
 
-def test_default_bus():
+def test_default_registry():
     assert py.test.config.pluginmanager.comregistry is py._com.comregistry
    
 @py.test.mark.todo("test for deprecation")