diff --git a/py/test/collect.py b/py/test/collect.py
index 8f23d6857..961a058da 100644
--- a/py/test/collect.py
+++ b/py/test/collect.py
@@ -362,15 +362,10 @@ class Module(FSCollector, PyCollectorMixin):
         return res
     
     def startcapture(self): 
-        if not self._config.option.nocapture:
-            assert not hasattr(self, '_capture')
-            self._capture = py.io.StdCaptureFD() 
+        self._config._startcapture(self, path=self.fspath)
 
     def finishcapture(self): 
-        if hasattr(self, '_capture'): 
-            capture = self._capture 
-            del self._capture 
-            self._captured_out, self._captured_err = capture.reset()
+        self._config._finishcapture(self)
 
     def __repr__(self): 
         return "<%s %r>" % (self.__class__.__name__, self.name)
diff --git a/py/test/config.py b/py/test/config.py
index a0d757a64..cdcc51b9e 100644
--- a/py/test/config.py
+++ b/py/test/config.py
@@ -252,6 +252,24 @@ class Config(object):
                          %(chain[0], self.topdir))
         return relpath, tuple([x.name for x in chain[1:]])
 
+    def _startcapture(self, colitem, path=None):
+        if not self.option.nocapture:
+            assert not hasattr(colitem, '_capture')
+            iocapture = self.getvalue("conf_iocapture", path=path)
+            if iocapture == "fd": 
+                capture = py.io.StdCaptureFD()
+            elif iocapture == "sys":
+                capture = py.io.StdCapture()
+            else:
+                raise ValueError("unknown io capturing: " + iocapture)
+            colitem._capture = capture
+
+    def _finishcapture(self, colitem):
+        if hasattr(colitem, '_capture'):
+            capture = colitem._capture 
+            del colitem._capture 
+            colitem._captured_out, colitem._captured_err = capture.reset()
+
 # this is the one per-process instance of py.test configuration 
 config_per_process = Config()
 
diff --git a/py/test/defaultconftest.py b/py/test/defaultconftest.py
index 058c1b177..300585a91 100644
--- a/py/test/defaultconftest.py
+++ b/py/test/defaultconftest.py
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@ Generator = py.test.collect.Generator
 Function = py.test.Function
 Instance = py.test.collect.Instance
 
-additionalinfo = None
-
+conf_iocapture = "fd" # overridable from conftest.py 
 
 # ===================================================
 # Distributed testing specific options 
diff --git a/py/test/item.py b/py/test/item.py
index ed36c560b..1add3c54f 100644
--- a/py/test/item.py
+++ b/py/test/item.py
@@ -32,15 +32,10 @@ class SetupState(object):
 
 class Item(py.test.collect.Collector): 
     def startcapture(self): 
-        if not self._config.option.nocapture:
-            self._capture = py.io.StdCaptureFD() 
+        self._config._startcapture(self, path=self.fspath)
 
     def finishcapture(self): 
-        if hasattr(self, '_capture'): 
-            capture = self._capture 
-            del self._capture
-            self._captured_out, self._captured_err = capture.reset()
-            
+        self._config._finishcapture(self)
 
 class Function(Item): 
     """ a Function Item is responsible for setting up  
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_config.py b/py/test/testing/test_config.py
index 275f57503..e1e2db068 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_config.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_config.py
@@ -289,6 +289,30 @@ class TestSessionAndOptions:
         assert pl[0] == tmpdir
         assert pl[1] == somepath
 
+    def test_config_iocapturing(self):
+        self.tmpdir
+        config = py.test.config._reparse([self.tmpdir])
+        assert config.getvalue("conf_iocapture")
+        tmpdir = self.tmpdir.ensure("sub-with-conftest", dir=1)
+        tmpdir.join("conftest.py").write(py.code.Source("""
+            conf_iocapture = "sys"
+        """))
+        config = py.test.config._reparse([tmpdir])
+        assert config.getvalue("conf_iocapture") == "sys"
+        class dummy: pass
+        config._startcapture(dummy)
+        print 42
+        py.std.os.write(1, "23")
+        config._finishcapture(dummy)
+        assert dummy._captured_out.strip() == "42"
+        
+        config = py.test.config._reparse([tmpdir.dirpath()])
+        config._startcapture(dummy, path=tmpdir)
+        print 42
+        py.std.os.write(1, "23")
+        config._finishcapture(dummy)
+        assert dummy._captured_out.strip() == "42"
+
 class TestConfigColitems:
     def setup_class(cls):
         cls.tmproot = py.test.ensuretemp(cls.__name__)
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_session.py b/py/test/testing/test_session.py
index 5e3a39f81..013d185c9 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_session.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_session.py
@@ -194,10 +194,10 @@ class TestTerminalSession:
             import py
             class Function(py.test.Function): 
                 def startcapture(self): 
-                    self._mycapture = py.io.StdCaptureFD() 
+                    self._mycapture = None
                     
                 def finishcapture(self): 
-                    self._testmycapture = self._mycapture.reset()
+                    self._testmycapture = None
         """))
         session = self.mainsession(o) 
         l = session.getitemoutcomepairs(Passed)
@@ -205,9 +205,6 @@ class TestTerminalSession:
         item = l[0][0]
         assert hasattr(item, '_testmycapture')
         print item._testmycapture
-        out, err = item._testmycapture 
-        assert int(out.strip()) == 42
-        assert int(err.strip()) == 23 
 
         assert isinstance(item.parent, py.test.collect.Module)
         out, err = item.parent._getouterr()