diff --git a/py/misc/conftest-socketgatewayrun.py b/py/misc/conftest-socketgatewayrun.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..31b7b3e13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/py/misc/conftest-socketgatewayrun.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+"""
+
+Put this file as 'conftest.py' somewhere upwards from py-trunk, 
+modify the "socketserveradr" below to point to a windows/linux
+host running "py/execnet/script/loop_socketserver.py" 
+and invoke e.g. from linux:
+
+    py.test --session=MySession some_path_to_what_you_want_to_test
+
+This should ad-hoc distribute the running of tests to
+the remote machine (including rsyncing your WC). 
+
+"""
+import py
+from py.__.test.terminal.remote import RemoteTerminalSession
+
+import os
+
+class MyRSync(py.execnet.RSync):
+    def filter(self, path):
+        if path.endswith('.pyc') or path.endswith('~'):
+            return False
+        dir, base = os.path.split(path)
+        # we may want to have revision info on the other side,
+        # so let's not exclude .svn directories
+        #if base == '.svn': 
+        #    return False
+        return True
+    
+class MySession(RemoteTerminalSession):
+    socketserveradr = ('10.9.4.148', 8888)
+
+    def _initslavegateway(self):
+        print "MASTER: initializing remote socket gateway"
+        gw = py.execnet.SocketGateway(*self.socketserveradr)
+        rsync = MyRSync(delete=True)
+        channel = gw.remote_exec("""
+            import os
+            path = os.path.join(os.environ['HOMEPATH'], 'pytestcache')
+            channel.send(path)
+        """)
+        remotetopdir = channel.receive()
+        rsync.add_target(gw, remotetopdir) 
+        sendpath = py.path.local(py.__file__).dirpath().dirpath()
+        rsync.send(sendpath)
+        channel = gw.remote_exec("""
+            import os, sys
+            path = %r # os.path.abspath
+            sys.path.insert(0, path)
+            os.chdir(path)
+            import py
+            channel.send((path, py.__file__))
+        """ % remotetopdir)
+        topdir, remotepypath = channel.receive()
+        assert topdir == remotetopdir, (topdir, remotetopdir)
+        assert remotepypath.startswith(topdir), (remotepypath, topdir)
+        #print "remote side has rsynced pythonpath ready: %r" %(topdir,)
+        return gw, topdir