diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index f3a326316..af5bbf7db 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 Changes between 2.3.4 and 2.3.5dev
 -----------------------------------
+- issue 251 - report a skip instead of ignoring classes with init
 
 - issue250 unicode/str mixes in parametrization names and values now works
 
diff --git a/_pytest/python.py b/_pytest/python.py
index a18b80bc1..22f61aec0 100644
--- a/_pytest/python.py
+++ b/_pytest/python.py
@@ -175,9 +175,8 @@ def pytest_pycollect_makeitem(__multicall__, collector, name, obj):
         #if hasattr(collector.obj, 'unittest'):
         #    return # we assume it's a mixin class for a TestCase derived one
         if collector.classnamefilter(name):
-            if not hasinit(obj):
-                Class = collector._getcustomclass("Class")
-                return Class(name, parent=collector)
+            Class = collector._getcustomclass("Class")
+            return Class(name, parent=collector)
     elif collector.funcnamefilter(name) and hasattr(obj, '__call__'):
         if is_generator(obj):
             return Generator(name, parent=collector)
@@ -394,6 +393,11 @@ class Module(pytest.File, PyCollector):
 class Class(PyCollector):
     """ Collector for test methods. """
     def collect(self):
+        if hasinit(self.obj):
+            pytest.skip("class %s.%s with __init__ won't get collected" % (
+                self.obj.__module__,
+                self.obj.__name__,
+            ))
         return [self._getcustomclass("Instance")(name="()", parent=self)]
 
     def setup(self):
diff --git a/testing/python/collect.py b/testing/python/collect.py
index 5f1de8830..906999f89 100644
--- a/testing/python/collect.py
+++ b/testing/python/collect.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class TestModule:
         pytest.raises(ImportError, "modcol.obj")
 
 class TestClass:
-    def test_class_with_init_not_collected(self, testdir):
+    def test_class_with_init_skip_collect(self, testdir):
         modcol = testdir.getmodulecol("""
             class TestClass1:
                 def __init__(self):
@@ -45,7 +45,10 @@ class TestClass:
                     pass
         """)
         l = modcol.collect()
-        assert len(l) == 0
+        assert len(l) == 2
+
+        for classcol in l:
+            pytest.raises(pytest.skip.Exception, classcol.collect)
 
     def test_class_subclassobject(self, testdir):
         testdir.getmodulecol("""