diff --git a/_pytest/main.py b/_pytest/main.py
index 95b2359bc..bf7e54a91 100644
--- a/_pytest/main.py
+++ b/_pytest/main.py
@@ -347,6 +347,18 @@ class Collector(Node):
     """ Collector instances create children through collect()
         and thus iteratively build a tree.
     """
+
+    _skip_exceptions = None
+    @property
+    def skip_exceptions(self):
+        if self._skip_exceptions is None:
+            return (py.test.skip.Exception,)
+        return self._skip_exceptions
+
+    @skip_exceptions.setter
+    def skip_exceptions(self, value):
+        self._skip_exceptions = value
+    
     class CollectError(Exception):
         """ an error during collection, contains a custom message. """
 
diff --git a/_pytest/nose.py b/_pytest/nose.py
index 3064af039..346a8dd3f 100644
--- a/_pytest/nose.py
+++ b/_pytest/nose.py
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ def pytest_runtest_teardown(item):
         #    del item.parent._nosegensetup
 
 def pytest_make_collect_report(collector):
+    SkipTest = py.std.unittest.SkipTest
+    collector.skip_exceptions += (SkipTest,)
     if isinstance(collector, pytest.Generator):
         call_optional(collector.obj, 'setup')
 
diff --git a/_pytest/runner.py b/_pytest/runner.py
index 24abfb76b..5988a3a86 100644
--- a/_pytest/runner.py
+++ b/_pytest/runner.py
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ def pytest_make_collect_report(collector):
     if not call.excinfo:
         outcome = "passed"
     else:
-        if call.excinfo.errisinstance(py.test.skip.Exception):
+        if call.excinfo.errisinstance(collector.skip_exceptions):
             outcome = "skipped"
             r = collector._repr_failure_py(call.excinfo, "line").reprcrash
             longrepr = (str(r.path), r.lineno, r.message)
diff --git a/testing/test_nose.py b/testing/test_nose.py
index 487b1bbb0..4b5fb88d2 100644
--- a/testing/test_nose.py
+++ b/testing/test_nose.py
@@ -305,3 +305,12 @@ def test_apiwrapper_problem_issue260(testdir):
     result.stdout.fnmatch_lines("*1 passed*")
 
 
+def test_SkipTest_during_collection(testdir):
+    testdir.makepyfile("""
+        import nose
+        raise nose.SkipTest("during collection")
+        def test_failing():
+            assert False
+        """)
+    result = testdir.runpytest()
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines("*1 skipped*")