diff --git a/src/_pytest/main.py b/src/_pytest/main.py
index 9599fa161..105891e46 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/main.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/main.py
@@ -482,6 +482,8 @@ class Session(nodes.FSCollector):
             self.trace.root.indent -= 1
 
     def _collect(self, arg):
+        from _pytest.python import Package
+
         names = self._parsearg(arg)
         argpath = names.pop(0)
         paths = []
@@ -503,7 +505,7 @@ class Session(nodes.FSCollector):
                             root = self._node_cache[pkginit]
                         else:
                             col = root._collectfile(pkginit)
-                            if col:
+                            if col and isinstance(col, Package):
                                 root = col[0]
                                 self._node_cache[root.fspath] = root
 
diff --git a/testing/example_scripts/fixtures/custom_item/conftest.py b/testing/example_scripts/fixtures/custom_item/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..25299d726
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/example_scripts/fixtures/custom_item/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import pytest
+
+
+class CustomItem(pytest.Item, pytest.File):
+    def runtest(self):
+        pass
+
+
+def pytest_collect_file(path, parent):
+    return CustomItem(path, parent)
diff --git a/testing/example_scripts/fixtures/custom_item/foo/__init__.py b/testing/example_scripts/fixtures/custom_item/foo/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/testing/example_scripts/fixtures/custom_item/foo/test_foo.py b/testing/example_scripts/fixtures/custom_item/foo/test_foo.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f17482385
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/example_scripts/fixtures/custom_item/foo/test_foo.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+def test():
+    pass
diff --git a/testing/python/fixture.py b/testing/python/fixture.py
index a3c6b95b0..bbfcf775b 100644
--- a/testing/python/fixture.py
+++ b/testing/python/fixture.py
@@ -1618,6 +1618,11 @@ class TestFixtureManagerParseFactories(object):
         reprec = testdir.inline_run()
         reprec.assertoutcome(passed=2)
 
+    def test_collect_custom_items(self, testdir):
+        testdir.copy_example("fixtures/custom_item")
+        result = testdir.runpytest("foo")
+        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines("*passed*")
+
 
 class TestAutouseDiscovery(object):
     @pytest.fixture
diff --git a/testing/test_collection.py b/testing/test_collection.py
index 6480cc85d..23d82cb14 100644
--- a/testing/test_collection.py
+++ b/testing/test_collection.py
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@ class Test_getinitialnodes(object):
         col = testdir.getnode(config, x)
         assert isinstance(col, pytest.Module)
         assert col.name == "x.py"
-        assert col.parent.parent.parent is None
+        assert col.parent.parent is None
         for col in col.listchain():
             assert col.config is config