diff --git a/_pytest/main.py b/_pytest/main.py
index 359945175..9b59e03a2 100644
--- a/_pytest/main.py
+++ b/_pytest/main.py
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ class Session(nodes.FSCollector):
     def __init__(self, config):
         nodes.FSCollector.__init__(
             self, config.rootdir, parent=None,
-            config=config, session=self)
+            config=config, session=self, nodeid="")
         self.testsfailed = 0
         self.testscollected = 0
         self.shouldstop = False
@@ -311,9 +311,6 @@ class Session(nodes.FSCollector):
 
         self.config.pluginmanager.register(self, name="session")
 
-    def _makeid(self):
-        return ""
-
     @hookimpl(tryfirst=True)
     def pytest_collectstart(self):
         if self.shouldfail:
diff --git a/_pytest/nodes.py b/_pytest/nodes.py
index 9f51fc884..97f4da602 100644
--- a/_pytest/nodes.py
+++ b/_pytest/nodes.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import py
 import attr
 
 import _pytest
+import _pytest._code
+
 from _pytest.mark.structures import NodeKeywords
 
 SEP = "/"
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ class Node(object):
     """ base class for Collector and Item the test collection tree.
     Collector subclasses have children, Items are terminal nodes."""
 
-    def __init__(self, name, parent=None, config=None, session=None):
+    def __init__(self, name, parent=None, config=None, session=None, fspath=None, nodeid=None):
         #: a unique name within the scope of the parent node
         self.name = name
 
@@ -83,7 +85,7 @@ class Node(object):
         self.session = session or parent.session
 
         #: filesystem path where this node was collected from (can be None)
-        self.fspath = getattr(parent, 'fspath', None)
+        self.fspath = fspath or getattr(parent, 'fspath', None)
 
         #: keywords/markers collected from all scopes
         self.keywords = NodeKeywords(self)
@@ -94,6 +96,12 @@ class Node(object):
         # used for storing artificial fixturedefs for direct parametrization
         self._name2pseudofixturedef = {}
 
+        if nodeid is not None:
+            self._nodeid = nodeid
+        else:
+            assert parent is not None
+            self._nodeid = self.parent.nodeid + "::" + self.name
+
     @property
     def ihook(self):
         """ fspath sensitive hook proxy used to call pytest hooks"""
@@ -137,14 +145,7 @@ class Node(object):
     @property
     def nodeid(self):
         """ a ::-separated string denoting its collection tree address. """
-        try:
-            return self._nodeid
-        except AttributeError:
-            self._nodeid = x = self._makeid()
-            return x
-
-    def _makeid(self):
-        return self.parent.nodeid + "::" + self.name
+        return self._nodeid
 
     def __hash__(self):
         return hash(self.nodeid)
@@ -281,8 +282,14 @@ class Collector(Node):
             excinfo.traceback = ntraceback.filter()
 
 
+def _check_initialpaths_for_relpath(session, fspath):
+    for initial_path in session._initialpaths:
+        if fspath.common(initial_path) == initial_path:
+            return fspath.relto(initial_path.dirname)
+
+
 class FSCollector(Collector):
-    def __init__(self, fspath, parent=None, config=None, session=None):
+    def __init__(self, fspath, parent=None, config=None, session=None, nodeid=None):
         fspath = py.path.local(fspath)  # xxx only for test_resultlog.py?
         name = fspath.basename
         if parent is not None:
@@ -290,22 +297,19 @@ class FSCollector(Collector):
             if rel:
                 name = rel
             name = name.replace(os.sep, SEP)
-        super(FSCollector, self).__init__(name, parent, config, session)
         self.fspath = fspath
 
-    def _check_initialpaths_for_relpath(self):
-        for initialpath in self.session._initialpaths:
-            if self.fspath.common(initialpath) == initialpath:
-                return self.fspath.relto(initialpath.dirname)
+        session = session or parent.session
 
-    def _makeid(self):
-        relpath = self.fspath.relto(self.config.rootdir)
+        if nodeid is None:
+            nodeid = self.fspath.relto(session.config.rootdir)
 
-        if not relpath:
-            relpath = self._check_initialpaths_for_relpath()
-        if os.sep != SEP:
-            relpath = relpath.replace(os.sep, SEP)
-        return relpath
+            if not nodeid:
+                nodeid = _check_initialpaths_for_relpath(session, fspath)
+            if os.sep != SEP:
+                nodeid = nodeid.replace(os.sep, SEP)
+
+        super(FSCollector, self).__init__(name, parent, config, session, nodeid=nodeid, fspath=fspath)
 
 
 class File(FSCollector):
@@ -318,8 +322,8 @@ class Item(Node):
     """
     nextitem = None
 
-    def __init__(self, name, parent=None, config=None, session=None):
-        super(Item, self).__init__(name, parent, config, session)
+    def __init__(self, name, parent=None, config=None, session=None, nodeid=None):
+        super(Item, self).__init__(name, parent, config, session, nodeid=nodeid)
         self._report_sections = []
 
         #: user properties is a list of tuples (name, value) that holds user
diff --git a/testing/test_resultlog.py b/testing/test_resultlog.py
index 45fed7078..b1760721c 100644
--- a/testing/test_resultlog.py
+++ b/testing/test_resultlog.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def test_generic_path(testdir):
     from _pytest.main import Session
     config = testdir.parseconfig()
     session = Session(config)
-    p1 = Node('a', config=config, session=session)
+    p1 = Node('a', config=config, session=session, nodeid='a')
     # assert p1.fspath is None
     p2 = Node('B', parent=p1)
     p3 = Node('()', parent=p2)