diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index a29cc9022..63aa51500 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ NEXT (2.6)
 - fix issue512: show "<notset>" for arguments which might not be set
   in monkeypatch plugin.  Improves output in documentation.
 
+- avoid importing "py.test" (an old alias module for "pytest")
 
 2.5.2
 -----------------------------------
diff --git a/_pytest/config.py b/_pytest/config.py
index 755fdeb23..51f178862 100644
--- a/_pytest/config.py
+++ b/_pytest/config.py
@@ -823,7 +823,8 @@ class Config(object):
             if default is not notset:
                 return default
             if skip:
-                py.test.skip("no %r option found" %(name,))
+                import pytest
+                pytest.skip("no %r option found" %(name,))
             raise ValueError("no option named %r" % (name,))
 
     def getvalue(self, name, path=None):
diff --git a/_pytest/core.py b/_pytest/core.py
index 50af3188d..f514eaf3b 100644
--- a/_pytest/core.py
+++ b/_pytest/core.py
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ class PluginManager(object):
 
     def skipifmissing(self, name):
         if not self.hasplugin(name):
-            py.test.skip("plugin %r is missing" % name)
+            import pytest
+            pytest.skip("plugin %r is missing" % name)
 
     def hasplugin(self, name):
         return bool(self.getplugin(name))
@@ -220,10 +221,9 @@ class PluginManager(object):
                 return self.import_plugin(modname[7:])
             raise
         except:
+            import pytest
             e = py.std.sys.exc_info()[1]
-            if not hasattr(py.test, 'skip'):
-                raise
-            elif not isinstance(e, py.test.skip.Exception):
+            if not hasattr(pytest, 'skip') or not isinstance(e, pytest.skip.Exception):
                 raise
             self._warnings.append("skipped plugin %r: %s" %((modname, e.msg)))
         else: