diff --git a/py/conftest.py b/py/conftest.py
index 229b0793e..601606c7e 100644
--- a/py/conftest.py
+++ b/py/conftest.py
@@ -15,15 +15,4 @@ exitfirst = False
 fulltrace = False
 showlocals = False
 nomagic = False
-
-import py
-Option = py.test.config.Option
-
-option = py.test.config.addoptions("execnet options",
-        Option('-S', '',
-               action="store", dest="sshtarget", default=None,
-               help=("target to run tests requiring ssh, e.g. "
-                     "user@codespeak.net")),
-    )
-
 dist_rsync_roots = ['.']
diff --git a/py/execnet/conftest.py b/py/execnet/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9ceddb7e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/py/execnet/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import py
+Option = py.test.config.Option
+
+option = py.test.config.addoptions("execnet options",
+        Option('-S', '',
+               action="store", dest="sshtarget", default=None,
+               help=("target to run tests requiring ssh, e.g. "
+                     "user@codespeak.net")),
+    )
+
diff --git a/py/execnet/testing/test_gateway.py b/py/execnet/testing/test_gateway.py
index 854d613b7..1031ea0d3 100644
--- a/py/execnet/testing/test_gateway.py
+++ b/py/execnet/testing/test_gateway.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ from __future__ import generators
 import os, sys, time, signal
 import py
 from py.__.execnet import gateway
-from py.__.conftest import option 
+from py.__.execnet.conftest import option 
 mypath = py.magic.autopath()
 
 from StringIO import StringIO
diff --git a/py/misc/conftest-socketgatewayrun.py b/py/misc/conftest-socketgatewayrun.py
index 10fe04485..04e634416 100644
--- a/py/misc/conftest-socketgatewayrun.py
+++ b/py/misc/conftest-socketgatewayrun.py
@@ -16,15 +16,6 @@ from py.__.test.terminal.remote import RemoteTerminalSession
 
 import os
 
-Option = py.test.config.Option
-
-option = py.test.config.addoptions("execnet options",
-        Option('-S', '',
-               action="store", dest="sshtarget", default=None,
-               help=("target to run tests requiring ssh, e.g. "
-                     "user@codespeak.net")),
-    )
-
 class MyRSync(py.execnet.RSync):
     def filter(self, path):
         if path.endswith('.pyc') or path.endswith('~'):