diff --git a/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py b/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
index 88cbf14ba..29227cc6b 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ default_plugins = (
     "freeze_support",
     "setuponly",
     "setupplan",
+    "stepwise",
     "warnings",
     "logging",
 )
diff --git a/src/_pytest/stepwise.py b/src/_pytest/stepwise.py
index 1f0137a46..f408e1fa9 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/stepwise.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/stepwise.py
@@ -1,19 +1,18 @@
-from .compat import Cache, tryfirst
+from _pytest.cacheprovider import Cache
+import pytest
 
 
 def pytest_addoption(parser):
     group = parser.getgroup('general')
-    group.addoption('--sw', action='store_true', dest='stepwise',
-                    help='alias for --stepwise')
-    group.addoption('--stepwise', action='store_true', dest='stepwise',
+    group.addoption('--sw', '--stepwise', action='store_true', dest='stepwise',
                     help='exit on test fail and continue from last failing test next time')
-    group.addoption('--skip', action='store_true', dest='skip',
+    group.addoption('--stepwise-skip', action='store_true', dest='stepwise_skip',
                     help='ignore the first failing test but stop on the next failing test')
 
 
-@tryfirst
+@pytest.hookimpl(tryfirst=True)
 def pytest_configure(config):
-    config.cache = Cache(config)
+    config.cache = Cache.for_config(config)
     config.pluginmanager.register(StepwisePlugin(config), 'stepwiseplugin')
 
 
@@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ class StepwisePlugin:
 
         if self.active:
             self.lastfailed = config.cache.get('cache/stepwise', None)
-            self.skip = config.getvalue('skip')
+            self.skip = config.getvalue('stepwise_skip')
 
     def pytest_sessionstart(self, session):
         self.session = session
diff --git a/testing/test_stepwise.py b/testing/test_stepwise.py
index cb52e9ead..0e1e53226 100644
--- a/testing/test_stepwise.py
+++ b/testing/test_stepwise.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
 ''')
 
     # Create a simple test suite.
-    testdir.makepyfile(test_stepwise='''
+    testdir.makepyfile(test_a='''
 def test_success_before_fail():
     assert 1
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def test_success_after_last_fail():
     assert 1
 ''')
 
-    testdir.makepyfile(testfile_b='''
+    testdir.makepyfile(test_b='''
 def test_success():
     assert 1
 ''')
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ def test_success():
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def error_testdir(testdir):
-    testdir.makepyfile(test_stepwise='''
+    testdir.makepyfile(test_a='''
 def test_error(nonexisting_fixture):
     assert 1
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ def test_fail_and_continue_with_stepwise(stepwise_testdir):
 
 
 def test_run_with_skip_option(stepwise_testdir):
-    result = stepwise_testdir.runpytest('-v', '--strict', '--stepwise', '--skip',
+    result = stepwise_testdir.runpytest('-v', '--strict', '--stepwise', '--stepwise-skip',
                                         '--fail', '--fail-last')
     assert not result.stderr.str()
 
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ def test_fail_on_errors(error_testdir):
 
 def test_change_testfile(stepwise_testdir):
     result = stepwise_testdir.runpytest('-v', '--strict', '--stepwise', '--fail',
-                                        'test_stepwise.py')
+                                        'test_a.py')
     assert not result.stderr.str()
 
     stdout = result.stdout.str()
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ def test_change_testfile(stepwise_testdir):
     # Make sure the second test run starts from the beginning, since the
     # test to continue from does not exist in testfile_b.
     result = stepwise_testdir.runpytest('-v', '--strict', '--stepwise',
-                                        'testfile_b.py')
+                                        'test_b.py')
     assert not result.stderr.str()
 
     stdout = result.stdout.str()