diff --git a/.hgignore b/.hgignore
index af8d636b3..b0e965ec5 100644
--- a/.hgignore
+++ b/.hgignore
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ syntax:glob
 *.html
 *.class
 *.orig
+*~
 
 build/
 dist/
diff --git a/py/_path/common.py b/py/_path/common.py
index 9352a4a11..15aa80f3c 100644
--- a/py/_path/common.py
+++ b/py/_path/common.py
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ newline will be removed from the end of each line. """
         #assert strrelpath[-1] == self.sep
         #assert strrelpath[-2] != self.sep
         strself = str(self)
-        if sys.platform == "win32":
+        if sys.platform == "win32" or getattr(os, '_name', None) == 'nt':
             if os.path.normcase(strself).startswith(
                os.path.normcase(strrelpath)):
                 return strself[len(strrelpath):]        
diff --git a/py/_plugin/pytest_pytester.py b/py/_plugin/pytest_pytester.py
index 1644a83d5..a87d4c574 100644
--- a/py/_plugin/pytest_pytester.py
+++ b/py/_plugin/pytest_pytester.py
@@ -315,8 +315,8 @@ class TmpTestdir:
         else:
             cmdlinename = scriptname.replace(".", "")
             assert hasattr(py.cmdline, cmdlinename), cmdlinename
-            source = ("import sys ; sys.path.insert(0, %r); "
-                      "import py ; py.cmdline.%s()" % 
+            source = ("import sys;sys.path.insert(0,%r);"
+                      "import py;py.cmdline.%s()" % 
                 (str(py._pydir.dirpath()), cmdlinename))
             return (sys.executable, "-c", source,)
 
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ class TmpTestdir:
 
     def _getsysprepend(self):
         if not self.request.config.getvalue("toolsonpath"):
-            s = "import sys ; sys.path.insert(0, %r) ; " % str(py._pydir.dirpath())
+            s = "import sys;sys.path.insert(0,%r);" % str(py._pydir.dirpath())
         else:
             s = ""
         return s
diff --git a/py/_plugin/pytest_skipping.py b/py/_plugin/pytest_skipping.py
index 25bf9d970..af2244862 100644
--- a/py/_plugin/pytest_skipping.py
+++ b/py/_plugin/pytest_skipping.py
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ def evalexpression(item, keyword):
             expr, result = None, True
             for expr in markholder.args:
                 if isinstance(expr, str):
-                    result = eval(expr, d)
+                    result = cached_eval(item.config, expr, d)
                 else:
                     result = expr
                 if not result:
@@ -204,6 +204,18 @@ def evalexpression(item, keyword):
             return expr, result
     return None, False
 
+def cached_eval(config, expr, d):
+    if not hasattr(config, '_evalcache'):
+        config._evalcache = {}
+    try:
+        return config._evalcache[expr]
+    except KeyError:
+        #import sys
+        #print >>sys.stderr, ("cache-miss: %r" % expr)
+        config._evalcache[expr] = x = eval(expr, d)
+        return x
+
+
 def folded_skips(skipped):
     d = {}
     for event in skipped:
diff --git a/testing/acceptance_test.py b/testing/acceptance_test.py
index e9a7584aa..9e056bf59 100644
--- a/testing/acceptance_test.py
+++ b/testing/acceptance_test.py
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class TestGeneralUsage:
         assert result.ret == 0
 
     def test_pydoc(self, testdir):
-        result = testdir.runpython_c("import py ; help(py.test)")
+        result = testdir.runpython_c("import py;help(py.test)")
         assert result.ret == 0
         s = result.stdout.str()
         assert 'MarkGenerator' in s
diff --git a/testing/path/test_local.py b/testing/path/test_local.py
index 50f212bc2..2eab94fca 100644
--- a/testing/path/test_local.py
+++ b/testing/path/test_local.py
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ from py.path import local
 from testing.path import common
 
 failsonjython = py.test.mark.xfail("sys.platform.startswith('java')")
+failsonjywin32 = py.test.mark.xfail("sys.platform.startswith('java') "
+        "and getattr(os, '_name', None) == 'nt'")
 win32only = py.test.mark.skipif(
         "not (sys.platform == 'win32' or getattr(os, '_name', None) == 'nt')")
-failsonwin32 = py.test.mark.skipif(
+skiponwin32 = py.test.mark.skipif(
         "sys.platform == 'win32' or getattr(os, '_name', None) == 'nt'")
 
 
@@ -90,6 +92,7 @@ class TestLocalPath(common.CommonFSTests):
         finally:
             f.close()
 
+    @failsonjywin32
     def test_setmtime(self):
         import tempfile
         import time
@@ -206,7 +209,7 @@ class TestExecutionOnWindows:
         assert py.path.local.sysfind('jaksdkasldqwe') is None
 
 class TestExecution:
-    pytestmark = failsonwin32
+    pytestmark = skiponwin32
 
     def test_sysfind(self):
         x = py.path.local.sysfind('test')
@@ -411,7 +414,7 @@ class TestWINLocalPath:
             old.chdir()    
 
 class TestPOSIXLocalPath:
-    pytestmark = failsonwin32
+    pytestmark = skiponwin32
 
     def test_hardlink(self, tmpdir):
         linkpath = tmpdir.join('test')