diff --git a/py/execnet/gwmanage.py b/py/execnet/gwmanage.py
index e32fb3c0a..e95d5023f 100644
--- a/py/execnet/gwmanage.py
+++ b/py/execnet/gwmanage.py
@@ -94,31 +94,46 @@ class MultiChannel:
         for ch in self._channels:
             ch.waitclose()
 
+class MultiGateway:
+    def __init__(self, gateways):
+        self.gateways = gateways
+    def remote_exec(self, source):
+        channels = []
+        for gw in self.gateways:
+            channels.append(gw.remote_exec(source))
+        return MultiChannel(channels)
+
 class GatewayManager:
     def __init__(self, specs):
-        self.spec2gateway = {}
-        for spec in specs:
-            self.spec2gateway[GatewaySpec(spec)] = None
+        self.specs = [GatewaySpec(spec) for spec in specs]
+        self.gateways = []
 
     def trace(self, msg):
         py._com.pyplugins.notify("trace", "gatewaymanage", msg)
 
     def makegateways(self):
-        for spec, value in self.spec2gateway.items():
-            assert value is None
+        assert not self.gateways
+        for spec in self.specs:
             self.trace("makegateway %s" %(spec))
-            self.spec2gateway[spec] = spec.makegateway()
+            self.gateways.append(spec.makegateway())
+
+    def getgateways(self, remote=True, inplacelocal=True):
+        l = []
+        for gw in self.gateways:
+            if gw.spec.inplacelocal():
+                if inplacelocal:
+                    l.append(gw)
+            else:
+                if remote:
+                    l.append(gw)
+        return MultiGateway(gateways=l)
 
     def multi_exec(self, source, inplacelocal=True):
         """ remote execute code on all gateways. 
             @param inplacelocal=False: don't send code to inplacelocal hosts. 
         """
-        source = py.code.Source(source)
-        channels = []
-        for spec, gw in self.spec2gateway.items():
-            if inplacelocal or not spec.inplacelocal():
-                channels.append(gw.remote_exec(source))
-        return MultiChannel(channels)
+        multigw = self.getgateways(inplacelocal=inplacelocal)
+        return multigw.remote_exec(source)
 
     def multi_chdir(self, basename, inplacelocal=True):
         """ perform a remote chdir to the given path, may be relative. 
@@ -132,7 +147,8 @@ class GatewayManager:
         """ 
         rsync = HostRSync(source, verbose=verbose, ignores=ignores)
         added = False
-        for spec, gateway in self.spec2gateway.items():
+        for gateway in self.gateways:
+            spec = gateway.spec
             if not spec.inplacelocal():
                 self.trace("add_target_host %r" %(gateway,))
                 def finished():
@@ -148,8 +164,8 @@ class GatewayManager:
             self.trace("rsync: nothing to do.")
 
     def exit(self):
-        while self.spec2gateway:
-            spec, gw = self.spec2gateway.popitem()
+        while self.gateways:
+            gw = self.gateways.pop()
             self.trace("exiting gateway %s" % gw)
             gw.exit()
 
diff --git a/py/execnet/testing/test_gwmanage.py b/py/execnet/testing/test_gwmanage.py
index 30623db64..84f9fec13 100644
--- a/py/execnet/testing/test_gwmanage.py
+++ b/py/execnet/testing/test_gwmanage.py
@@ -106,21 +106,21 @@ class TestGatewayManagerPopen:
     def test_hostmanager_popen_makegateway(self):
         hm = GatewayManager(["popen"] * 2)
         hm.makegateways()
-        assert len(hm.spec2gateway) == 2
+        assert len(hm.gateways) == 2
         hm.exit()
-        assert not len(hm.spec2gateway) 
+        assert not len(hm.gateways) 
 
     def test_hostmanager_popens_rsync(self, source):
         hm = GatewayManager(["popen"] * 2)
         hm.makegateways()
-        assert len(hm.spec2gateway) == 2
-        for gw in hm.spec2gateway.values():
+        assert len(hm.gateways) == 2
+        for gw in hm.gateways:
             gw.remote_exec = None
         l = []
         hm.rsync(source, notify=lambda *args: l.append(args))
         assert not l
         hm.exit()
-        assert not len(hm.spec2gateway) 
+        assert not len(hm.gateways) 
 
     def test_hostmanager_rsync_popen_with_path(self, source, dest):
         hm = GatewayManager(["popen:%s" %dest] * 1)
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class TestGatewayManagerPopen:
         l = []
         hm.rsync(source, notify=lambda *args: l.append(args))
         assert len(l) == 1
-        assert l[0] == ("rsyncrootready", hm.spec2gateway.keys()[0], source)
+        assert l[0] == ("rsyncrootready", hm.gateways[0].spec, source)
         hm.exit()
         dest = dest.join(source.basename)
         assert dest.join("dir1").check()
diff --git a/py/test/dsession/hostmanage.py b/py/test/dsession/hostmanage.py
index 8d1d77bc3..88fdfef36 100644
--- a/py/test/dsession/hostmanage.py
+++ b/py/test/dsession/hostmanage.py
@@ -99,7 +99,8 @@ class HostManager(object):
 
         self.trace_hoststatus()
 
-        for host, gateway in self.gwmanager.spec2gateway.items():
+        for gateway in self.gwmanager.gateways:
+            host = gateway.spec 
             host.node = MasterNode(host, 
                                    gateway,
                                    self.config, 
diff --git a/py/test/dsession/testing/test_hostmanage.py b/py/test/dsession/testing/test_hostmanage.py
index 30047eda7..b79493d22 100644
--- a/py/test/dsession/testing/test_hostmanage.py
+++ b/py/test/dsession/testing/test_hostmanage.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class TestHostManager:
         config = py.test.config._reparse(args)
         assert config.topdir == source
         hm = HostManager(config)
-        assert hm.gwmanager.spec2gateway
+        assert hm.gwmanager.specs
         return hm
         
     def xxtest_hostmanager_custom_hosts(self, source, dest):
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ class TestHostManager:
         config = py.test.config._reparse([source])
         hm = HostManager(config, hosts=hosts)
         hm.rsync_roots()
-        for gwspec in hm.gwmanager.spec2gateway:
+        for gwspec in hm.gwmanager.specs:
             assert gwspec.inplacelocal()
             assert not gwspec.joinpath 
 
@@ -127,20 +127,12 @@ class TestHostManager:
         hm = HostManager(config, hosts=hosts)
         evrec = EventRecorder(config.bus, debug=True)
         hm.setup_hosts(putevent=[].append)
-        for host in hm.gwmanager.spec2gateway:
+        for host in hm.gwmanager.specs:
             l = evrec.getnamed("trace")
             print evrec.events
             assert l 
         hm.teardown_hosts()
 
-    def test_hostmanage_simple_ssh_test(self, testdir):
-        rp = testdir.mkdir('xyz123')
-        rp.ensure("__init__.py")
-        p = testdir.makepyfile("def test_123(): import xyz123")
-        result = testdir.runpytest(p, '-d', "--hosts=popen", '--rsyncdirs=' + str(rp))
-        assert result.ret == 0
-        assert result.stdout.str().find("1 passed") != -1
-
     @py.test.mark.xfail("implement double-rsync test")
     def test_ssh_rsync_samehost_twice(self):
         option = py.test.config.option
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest_pytester.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest_pytester.py
index 2d1fa6f50..b38289c14 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest_pytester.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest_pytester.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class TmpTestdir:
     def __init__(self, pyfuncitem):
         self.pyfuncitem = pyfuncitem
         # XXX remove duplication with tmpdir plugin 
-        basetmp = py.test.ensuretemp("testdir")
+        basetmp = pyfuncitem._config.ensuretemp("testdir")
         name = pyfuncitem.name
         for i in range(100):
             try: