diff --git a/py/__init__.py b/py/__init__.py
index e8e6771e6..6ea490bdb 100644
--- a/py/__init__.py
+++ b/py/__init__.py
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ version = "1.0.0a1"
 
 initpkg(__name__,
     description = "pylib and py.test: agile development and test support library",
-    revision = int('$LastChangedRevision: 62211 $'.split(':')[1][:-1]),
-    lastchangedate = '$LastChangedDate: 2009-02-27 11:18:27 +0100 (Fri, 27 Feb 2009) $',
+    revision = int('$LastChangedRevision: 62252 $'.split(':')[1][:-1]),
+    lastchangedate = '$LastChangedDate: 2009-02-27 20:56:51 +0100 (Fri, 27 Feb 2009) $',
     version = version, 
     url = "http://pylib.org", 
     download_url = "http://codespeak.net/py/0.9.2/download.html",
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ initpkg(__name__,
     'test.__doc__'           : ('./test/__init__.py', '__doc__'),
     'test._PytestPlugins'    : ('./test/pytestplugin.py', 'PytestPlugins'),
     'test.raises'            : ('./test/outcome.py', 'raises'),
-    'test.keywords'          : ('./test/outcome.py', 'keywords',),
+    'test.mark'              : ('./test/outcome.py', 'mark',),
     'test.deprecated_call'   : ('./test/outcome.py', 'deprecated_call'), 
     'test.skip'              : ('./test/outcome.py', 'skip'),
     'test.importorskip'      : ('./test/outcome.py', 'importorskip'),
diff --git a/py/doc/test.txt b/py/doc/test.txt
index 9fee5f9d7..53c790939 100644
--- a/py/doc/test.txt
+++ b/py/doc/test.txt
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ class/function names of a test function are put into the set
 of keywords for a given test.  You may specify additional 
 kewords like this::
 
-    @py.test.keywords("webtest")
+    @py.test.mark(webtest=True)
     def test_send_http():
         ... 
 
diff --git a/py/misc/testing/test_com.py b/py/misc/testing/test_com.py
index 801389901..4a4c4a0bd 100644
--- a/py/misc/testing/test_com.py
+++ b/py/misc/testing/test_com.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class TestPyPlugins:
         assert not plugins.isregistered(my)
         assert plugins.getplugins() == [my2]
 
-    #@py.test.keywords(xfail=True)
+    #@py.test.mark.xfail
     def test_onregister(self):
         py.test.skip("implement exitfirst plugin and "
                      "modify xfail plugin to override exitfirst behaviour?")
diff --git a/py/test/outcome.py b/py/test/outcome.py
index 49e292d6d..6994c243e 100644
--- a/py/test/outcome.py
+++ b/py/test/outcome.py
@@ -139,14 +139,34 @@ def deprecated_call(func, *args, **kwargs):
         raise AssertionError("%r did not produce DeprecationWarning" %(func,))
     return ret
 
-class keywords:
+class KeywordDecorator:
     """ decorator for setting function attributes. """
-    def __init__(self, **kw):
-        self.kw = kw
-    def __call__(self, func):
-        func.func_dict.update(self.kw)
+    def __init__(self, keywords, lastname=None):
+        self._keywords = keywords
+        self._lastname = lastname
+
+    def __call__(self, func=None, **kwargs):
+        if func is None:
+            kw = self._keywords.copy()
+            kw.update(kwargs)
+            return KeywordDecorator(kw)
+        elif not hasattr(func, 'func_dict'):
+            kw = self._keywords.copy()
+            name = self._lastname
+            if name is None:
+                name = "mark"
+            kw[name] = func
+            return KeywordDecorator(kw)
+        func.func_dict.update(self._keywords)
         return func 
 
+    def __getattr__(self, name):
+        kw = self._keywords.copy()
+        kw[name] = True
+        return self.__class__(kw, lastname=name)
+
+mark = KeywordDecorator({})
+
 # exitcodes for the command line
 EXIT_OK = 0
 EXIT_TESTSFAILED = 1
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest_xfail.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest_xfail.py
index 9926bdd3d..87fe0d716 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest_xfail.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest_xfail.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 """
 for marking and reporting "expected to fail" tests. 
-    @py.test.keywords(xfail="needs refactoring")
+    @py.test.mark(xfail="needs refactoring")
     def test_hello():
         ...
         assert 0
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def test_xfail(plugintester, linecomp):
     p = testdir.makepyfile(test_one="""
         import py
         pytest_plugins="pytest_xfail",
-        @py.test.keywords(xfail=True)
+        @py.test.mark.xfail
         def test_this():
             assert 0
     """)
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_config.py b/py/test/testing/test_config.py
index 2bcde4af7..d6088c465 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_config.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_config.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import py
 pytest_plugins = 'pytest_iocapture'
 
 class TestConfigCmdlineParsing:
-    @py.test.keywords(xfail="commit parser")
+    @py.test.mark(xfail="commit parser")
     def test_config_addoption(self, stdcapture):
         from py.__.test.config import Config
         config = Config()
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class TestConfigCmdlineParsing:
 
 
 class TestConfigAPI: 
-    @py.test.keywords(issue="ensuretemp should call config.maketemp(basename)")
+    @py.test.mark(issue="ensuretemp should call config.maketemp(basename)")
     def test_tmpdir(self):
         d1 = py.test.ensuretemp('hello') 
         d2 = py.test.ensuretemp('hello') 
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ class TestConfig_gettopdir:
         assert gettopdir([c, Z]) == tmp 
 
 class TestConfigPickling:
-    @py.test.keywords(xfail=True, issue="config's pytestplugins/bus initialization")
+    @py.test.mark(xfail=True, issue="config's pytestplugins/bus initialization")
     def test_config_initafterpickle_plugin(self, testdir):
         testdir.makepyfile(__init__="", conftest="x=1; y=2")
         hello = testdir.makepyfile(hello="")
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_outcome.py b/py/test/testing/test_outcome.py
index ea6ad6854..71800d5c8 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_outcome.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_outcome.py
@@ -81,3 +81,22 @@ def test_importorskip():
         print py.code.ExceptionInfo()
         py.test.fail("spurious skip")
 
+
+def test_pytest_mark():
+    from py.__.test.outcome import mark
+    def f(): pass
+    mark(x=3)(f)
+    assert f.x == 3
+    def g(): pass
+    mark(g)
+    assert not g.func_dict
+
+    mark.hello(f)
+    assert f.hello == True
+
+    mark.hello("test")(f)
+    assert f.hello == "test"
+
+    mark("x1")(f)
+    assert f.mark == "x1"
+
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_pytestplugin.py b/py/test/testing/test_pytestplugin.py
index 2bd3ab7fe..c3f41c6ca 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_pytestplugin.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_pytestplugin.py
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ class TestPytestPluginInteractions:
         assert not plugins.listattr("hello")
         assert plugins.listattr("x") == [42]
 
-    @py.test.keywords(xfail="implement setupcall")
+    @py.test.mark(xfail="implement setupcall")
     def test_call_setup_participants(self, testdir):
         testdir.makepyfile(
             conftest="""
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_runner_functional.py b/py/test/testing/test_runner_functional.py
index 5b1116954..44370cb20 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_runner_functional.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_runner_functional.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ class BaseTests:
     def test_funcattr(self, testdir):
         ev = testdir.runitem("""
             import py
-            @py.test.keywords(xfail="needs refactoring")
+            @py.test.mark(xfail="needs refactoring")
             def test_func():
                 raise Exit()
         """)