diff --git a/py/test/config.py b/py/test/config.py
index 1359ad1d5..5664e318f 100644
--- a/py/test/config.py
+++ b/py/test/config.py
@@ -123,7 +123,9 @@ class Config(object):
         """ return an initialized session object. """
         cls = self._getsessionclass()
         session = cls(self)
-        #session.fixoptions()
+        # XXX: all sessions should have one
+        if hasattr(session, 'fixoptions'):
+            session.fixoptions()
         return session
 
     def _getsessionclass(self): 
diff --git a/py/test/rsession/rsession.py b/py/test/rsession/rsession.py
index ec2750504..f9e6a88b7 100644
--- a/py/test/rsession/rsession.py
+++ b/py/test/rsession/rsession.py
@@ -138,6 +138,22 @@ def parse_directories(sshhosts):
 class RSession(AbstractSession):
     """ Remote version of session
     """
+    def fixoptions(self):
+        config = self.config
+        try:
+            config.getvalue('disthosts')
+        except KeyError:
+            print "You're trying to run RSession without disthosts specified"
+            print "you need to specify it in your conftest.py (ie. ~/conftest.py)"
+            print "for example:"
+            print "   disthosts = ['localhost'] * 4 # for 3 processors"
+            print "      - or -"
+            print "   disthosts = ['you@some.remote.com'] # for remote testing"
+            print "   # with your remote ssh account"
+            print "http://codespeak.net/py/current/doc/test.html#automated-distributed-testing"
+            print "   for more info..."
+            raise SystemExit
+    
     def main(self, reporter=None):
         """ main loop for running tests. """
         args = self.config.args
diff --git a/py/test/rsession/testing/test_rsession.py b/py/test/rsession/testing/test_rsession.py
index 416a4c14d..c33ed1249 100644
--- a/py/test/rsession/testing/test_rsession.py
+++ b/py/test/rsession/testing/test_rsession.py
@@ -322,3 +322,8 @@ class TestInithosts(object):
         assert events[3].host.hostname == 'h2'
         assert events[3].host.relpath == 'home-h2'
         
+def test_rsession_no_disthost():
+    tmpdir = py.test.ensuretemp("rsession_no_disthost")
+    tmpdir.ensure("conftest.py")
+    config = py.test.config._reparse([str(tmpdir), '-d'])
+    py.test.raises(SystemExit, "config.initsession()")