diff --git a/_pytest/doctest.py b/_pytest/doctest.py
index bba90e551..f54f833ec 100644
--- a/_pytest/doctest.py
+++ b/_pytest/doctest.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
 
 import traceback
+import sys
+import platform
 
 import pytest
 from _pytest._code.code import ExceptionInfo, ReprFileLocation, TerminalRepr
@@ -103,8 +105,21 @@ class DoctestItem(pytest.Item):
 
     def runtest(self):
         _check_all_skipped(self.dtest)
+        self._disable_output_capturing_for_darwin()
         self.runner.run(self.dtest)
 
+    def _disable_output_capturing_for_darwin(self):
+        """
+        Disable output capturing. Otherwise, stdout is lost to doctest (#985)
+        """
+        if platform.system() != 'Darwin':
+            return
+        capman = self.config.pluginmanager.getplugin("capturemanager")
+        if capman:
+            out, err = capman.suspend_global_capture(in_=True)
+            sys.stdout.write(out)
+            sys.stderr.write(err)
+
     def repr_failure(self, excinfo):
         import doctest
         if excinfo.errisinstance((doctest.DocTestFailure,
diff --git a/changelog/985.bugfix b/changelog/985.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0024b9aa2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/985.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fixed output capture handling in doctests on macOS.
diff --git a/testing/test_pdb.py b/testing/test_pdb.py
index d882c2cf6..01604b633 100644
--- a/testing/test_pdb.py
+++ b/testing/test_pdb.py
@@ -298,10 +298,6 @@ class TestPDB(object):
         child.read()
         self.flush(child)
 
-    # For some reason the interaction between doctest's and pytest's output
-    # capturing mechanisms are messing up the stdout on mac. (See #985).
-    # Should be solvable, but skipping until we have a chance to investigate.
-    @pytest.mark.xfail("sys.platform == 'darwin'", reason='See issue #985', run=False)
     def test_pdb_interaction_doctest(self, testdir):
         p1 = testdir.makepyfile("""
             import pytest