diff --git a/_pytest/__init__.py b/_pytest/__init__.py
index c6d7f1f94..a5523727c 100644
--- a/_pytest/__init__.py
+++ b/_pytest/__init__.py
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 #
-__version__ = '2.0.3.dev3'
+__version__ = '2.0.3.dev4'
diff --git a/_pytest/assertion.py b/_pytest/assertion.py
index e2578242a..d40981c32 100644
--- a/_pytest/assertion.py
+++ b/_pytest/assertion.py
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ def pytest_configure(config):
     # py._code._assertionnew to detect this plugin was loaded and in
     # turn call the hooks defined here as part of the
     # DebugInterpreter.
-    config._monkeypatch = m = monkeypatch()
+    m = monkeypatch()
+    config._cleanup.append(m.undo)
     warn_about_missing_assertion()
     if not config.getvalue("noassert") and not config.getvalue("nomagic"):
         def callbinrepr(op, left, right):
@@ -29,9 +30,6 @@ def pytest_configure(config):
                   'AssertionError', py.code._AssertionError)
         m.setattr(py.code, '_reprcompare', callbinrepr)
 
-def pytest_unconfigure(config):
-    config._monkeypatch.undo()
-
 def warn_about_missing_assertion():
     try:
         assert False
diff --git a/_pytest/config.py b/_pytest/config.py
index 79a26afb4..6e0cfea1a 100644
--- a/_pytest/config.py
+++ b/_pytest/config.py
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ def pytest_cmdline_parse(pluginmanager, args):
         config.trace.root.setwriter(sys.stderr.write)
     return config
 
+def pytest_unconfigure(config):
+    for func in config._cleanup:
+        func()
+
 class Parser:
     """ Parser for command line arguments. """
 
@@ -251,7 +255,8 @@ class Config(object):
         self._conftest = Conftest(onimport=self._onimportconftest)
         self.hook = self.pluginmanager.hook
         self._inicache = {}
-
+        self._cleanup = []
+    
     @classmethod
     def fromdictargs(cls, option_dict, args):
         """ constructor useable for subprocesses. """
diff --git a/_pytest/tmpdir.py b/_pytest/tmpdir.py
index 2fd9992cc..e46c713eb 100644
--- a/_pytest/tmpdir.py
+++ b/_pytest/tmpdir.py
@@ -48,15 +48,12 @@ class TempdirHandler:
         self.trace("finish")
         
 def pytest_configure(config):
-    config._mp = mp = monkeypatch()
+    mp = monkeypatch()
     t = TempdirHandler(config)
+    config._cleanup.extend([mp.undo, t.finish])
     mp.setattr(config, '_tmpdirhandler', t, raising=False)
     mp.setattr(pytest, 'ensuretemp', t.ensuretemp, raising=False)
 
-def pytest_unconfigure(config):
-    config._tmpdirhandler.finish()
-    config._mp.undo()
-
 def pytest_funcarg__tmpdir(request):
     """return a temporary directory path object
     which is unique to each test function invocation,
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 72cf5f98c..c1071a0d2 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ def main():
         name='pytest',
         description='py.test: simple powerful testing with Python',
         long_description = long_description,
-        version='2.0.3.dev3',
+        version='2.0.3.dev4',
         url='http://pytest.org',
         license='MIT license',
         platforms=['unix', 'linux', 'osx', 'cygwin', 'win32'],
diff --git a/testing/acceptance_test.py b/testing/acceptance_test.py
index f67eb2847..703647087 100644
--- a/testing/acceptance_test.py
+++ b/testing/acceptance_test.py
@@ -33,6 +33,19 @@ class TestGeneralUsage:
             '*INTERNALERROR*0 / 0*',
         ])
 
+    def test_early_hook_configure_error_issue38(self, testdir):
+        testdir.makeconftest("""
+            def pytest_configure():
+                0 / 0
+        """)
+        result = testdir.runpytest(testdir.tmpdir)
+        assert result.ret != 0
+        # here we get it on stderr
+        result.stderr.fnmatch_lines([
+            '*INTERNALERROR*File*conftest.py*line 2*',
+            '*0 / 0*',
+        ])
+
     def test_file_not_found(self, testdir):
         result = testdir.runpytest("asd")
         assert result.ret != 0
diff --git a/testing/test_assertion.py b/testing/test_assertion.py
index bee3903cf..9fa88d2e0 100644
--- a/testing/test_assertion.py
+++ b/testing/test_assertion.py
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ class TestBinReprIntegration:
         config = testdir.parseconfig()
         plugin.pytest_configure(config)
         assert hook != py.code._reprcompare
-        plugin.pytest_unconfigure(config)
+        from _pytest.config import pytest_unconfigure
+        pytest_unconfigure(config)
         assert hook == py.code._reprcompare
 
 def callequal(left, right):