diff --git a/py/test/outcome.py b/py/test/outcome.py
index e1aa30313..a62630c03 100644
--- a/py/test/outcome.py
+++ b/py/test/outcome.py
@@ -112,32 +112,6 @@ def raises(ExpectedException, *args, **kwargs):
     raise ExceptionFailure(msg="DID NOT RAISE", 
                            expr=args, expected=ExpectedException) 
 
-def deprecated_call(func, *args, **kwargs):
-    """ assert that calling func(*args, **kwargs)
-        triggers a DeprecationWarning. 
-    """ 
-    warningmodule = py.std.warnings
-    l = []
-    oldwarn_explicit = getattr(warningmodule, 'warn_explicit')
-    def warn_explicit(*args, **kwargs): 
-        l.append(args) 
-        oldwarn_explicit(*args, **kwargs)
-    oldwarn = getattr(warningmodule, 'warn')
-    def warn(*args, **kwargs): 
-        l.append(args) 
-        oldwarn(*args, **kwargs)
-        
-    warningmodule.warn_explicit = warn_explicit
-    warningmodule.warn = warn
-    try:
-        ret = func(*args, **kwargs)
-    finally:
-        warningmodule.warn_explicit = warn_explicit
-        warningmodule.warn = warn
-    if not l:
-        #print warningmodule
-        raise AssertionError("%r did not produce DeprecationWarning" %(func,))
-    return ret
 
 # exitcodes for the command line
 EXIT_OK = 0
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest_recwarn.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest_recwarn.py
index 400a6a87c..913cd7b40 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest_recwarn.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest_recwarn.py
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 """
-"recwarn" funcarg for asserting that warnings are shown to a user.  
+help performing checks for deprecation and other warnings. Provides: 
+
+    recwarn: function argument where one can call recwarn.pop() to get
+             the last warning that would have been shown. 
+
+    py.test.deprecated_call(func, *args, **kwargs): 
+            assert that a function call triggers a deprecation warning. 
 """
+
 import py
 import os
 
@@ -10,6 +17,37 @@ def pytest_funcarg__recwarn(request):
     request.addfinalizer(warnings.finalize)
     return warnings
 
+def pytest_namespace(config):
+    return {'deprecated_call': deprecated_call}
+
+def deprecated_call(func, *args, **kwargs):
+    """ assert that calling func(*args, **kwargs)
+        triggers a DeprecationWarning. 
+    """ 
+    warningmodule = py.std.warnings
+    l = []
+    oldwarn_explicit = getattr(warningmodule, 'warn_explicit')
+    def warn_explicit(*args, **kwargs): 
+        l.append(args) 
+        oldwarn_explicit(*args, **kwargs)
+    oldwarn = getattr(warningmodule, 'warn')
+    def warn(*args, **kwargs): 
+        l.append(args) 
+        oldwarn(*args, **kwargs)
+        
+    warningmodule.warn_explicit = warn_explicit
+    warningmodule.warn = warn
+    try:
+        ret = func(*args, **kwargs)
+    finally:
+        warningmodule.warn_explicit = warn_explicit
+        warningmodule.warn = warn
+    if not l:
+        #print warningmodule
+        raise AssertionError("%r did not produce DeprecationWarning" %(func,))
+    return ret
+
+
 class RecordedWarning:
     def __init__(self, message, category, filename, lineno, line):
         self.message = message
@@ -88,3 +126,46 @@ def test_recwarn_functional(testdir):
     res = reprec.countoutcomes()
     assert tuple(res) == (2, 0, 0), res
         
+#
+# ============ test py.test.deprecated_call() ==============
+#
+
+def dep(i):
+    if i == 0:
+        py.std.warnings.warn("is deprecated", DeprecationWarning)
+    return 42
+
+reg = {}
+def dep_explicit(i):
+    if i == 0:
+        py.std.warnings.warn_explicit("dep_explicit", category=DeprecationWarning, 
+                                      filename="hello", lineno=3)
+
+def test_deprecated_call_raises():
+    excinfo = py.test.raises(AssertionError, 
+                   "py.test.deprecated_call(dep, 3)")
+    assert str(excinfo).find("did not produce") != -1 
+
+def test_deprecated_call():
+    py.test.deprecated_call(dep, 0)
+
+def test_deprecated_call_ret():
+    ret = py.test.deprecated_call(dep, 0)
+    assert ret == 42
+
+def test_deprecated_call_preserves():
+    r = py.std.warnings.onceregistry.copy()
+    f = py.std.warnings.filters[:]
+    test_deprecated_call_raises()
+    test_deprecated_call()
+    assert r == py.std.warnings.onceregistry
+    assert f == py.std.warnings.filters
+
+def test_deprecated_explicit_call_raises():
+    py.test.raises(AssertionError, 
+                   "py.test.deprecated_call(dep_explicit, 3)")
+
+def test_deprecated_explicit_call():
+    py.test.deprecated_call(dep_explicit, 0)
+    py.test.deprecated_call(dep_explicit, 0)
+
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_outcome.py b/py/test/testing/test_outcome.py
index 3c0da6728..006629093 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_outcome.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_outcome.py
@@ -15,49 +15,6 @@ class TestRaises:
     def test_raises_function(self):
         py.test.raises(ValueError, int, 'hello')
 
-#
-# ============ test py.test.deprecated_call() ==============
-#
-
-def dep(i):
-    if i == 0:
-        py.std.warnings.warn("is deprecated", DeprecationWarning)
-    return 42
-
-reg = {}
-def dep_explicit(i):
-    if i == 0:
-        py.std.warnings.warn_explicit("dep_explicit", category=DeprecationWarning, 
-                                      filename="hello", lineno=3)
-
-def test_deprecated_call_raises():
-    excinfo = py.test.raises(AssertionError, 
-                   "py.test.deprecated_call(dep, 3)")
-    assert str(excinfo).find("did not produce") != -1 
-
-def test_deprecated_call():
-    py.test.deprecated_call(dep, 0)
-
-def test_deprecated_call_ret():
-    ret = py.test.deprecated_call(dep, 0)
-    assert ret == 42
-
-def test_deprecated_call_preserves():
-    r = py.std.warnings.onceregistry.copy()
-    f = py.std.warnings.filters[:]
-    test_deprecated_call_raises()
-    test_deprecated_call()
-    assert r == py.std.warnings.onceregistry
-    assert f == py.std.warnings.filters
-
-def test_deprecated_explicit_call_raises():
-    py.test.raises(AssertionError, 
-                   "py.test.deprecated_call(dep_explicit, 3)")
-
-def test_deprecated_explicit_call():
-    py.test.deprecated_call(dep_explicit, 0)
-    py.test.deprecated_call(dep_explicit, 0)
-
 def test_importorskip():
     from py.__.test.outcome import Skipped
     try: