diff --git a/py/_com.py b/py/_com.py
index bb709fe68..cb9b2fb1d 100644
--- a/py/_com.py
+++ b/py/_com.py
@@ -160,26 +160,32 @@ class PyPlugins:
 
 
 class PluginAPI: 
-    def __init__(self, apiclass, plugins):
+    def __init__(self, apiclass, plugins=None):
         self._apiclass = apiclass
+        if plugins is None:
+            plugins = pyplugins
         self._plugins = plugins
-        for name in vars(apiclass):
+        for name, method in vars(apiclass).items():
             if name[:2] != "__":
-                mm = CallMaker(plugins, name)
+                firstresult = getattr(method, 'firstresult', False)
+                mm = ApiCall(plugins, name, firstresult=firstresult)
                 setattr(self, name, mm)
     def __repr__(self):
         return "<PluginAPI %r %r>" %(self._apiclass, self._plugins)
 
-class CallMaker:
-    def __init__(self, plugins, name):
+class ApiCall:
+    def __init__(self, plugins, name, firstresult):
         self.plugins = plugins
         self.name = name 
+        self.firstresult = firstresult 
 
     def __repr__(self):
-        return "<MulticallMaker %r %s>" %(self.name, self.plugins)
+        mode = self.firstresult and "firstresult" or "each"
+        return "<ApiCall %r mode=%s %s>" %(self.name, mode, self.plugins)
 
     def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         mc = MultiCall(self.plugins.listattr(self.name), *args, **kwargs)
-        return mc.execute()
+        #print "making multicall", self
+        return mc.execute(firstresult=self.firstresult)
 
 pyplugins = PyPlugins()
diff --git a/py/conftest.py b/py/conftest.py
index f407769a4..8dc4f1272 100644
--- a/py/conftest.py
+++ b/py/conftest.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-pytest_plugins = 'pytest_doctest', 'pytest_pytester' # , 'pytest_restdoc'
+pytest_plugins = '_pytest doctest pytester'.split()
+
 rsyncdirs = ['../doc']
 rsyncignore = ['c-extension/greenlet/build']
 
diff --git a/py/execnet/gateway.py b/py/execnet/gateway.py
index b531893df..de5e354f3 100644
--- a/py/execnet/gateway.py
+++ b/py/execnet/gateway.py
@@ -52,6 +52,12 @@ class GatewayCleanup:
             gw.exit()
             #gw.join() # should work as well
 
+class ExecnetAPI:
+    def pyexecnet_gateway_init(self, gateway):
+        """ signal initialisation of new gateway. """ 
+    def pyexecnet_gateway_exit(self, gateway):
+        """ signal exitting of gateway. """ 
+        
 # ----------------------------------------------------------
 # Base Gateway (used for both remote and local side) 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------
@@ -70,6 +76,12 @@ class Gateway(object):
         self._io = io
         self._channelfactory = ChannelFactory(self, _startcount)
         self._cleanup.register(self) 
+        try:
+            from py._com import PluginAPI 
+        except ImportError:
+            self.api = ExecnetAPI()
+        else:
+            self.api = PluginAPI(ExecnetAPI)
 
     def _initreceive(self, requestqueue=False):
         if requestqueue: 
@@ -331,12 +343,7 @@ class Gateway(object):
         self._cleanup.unregister(self)
         self._stopexec()
         self._stopsend()
-        try:
-            py._com.pyplugins.notify("gateway_exit", self)
-        except NameError: 
-            # XXX on the remote side 'py' is not imported 
-            # and so we can't notify 
-            pass
+        self.api.pyexecnet_gateway_exit(gateway=self)
 
     def _remote_redirect(self, stdout=None, stderr=None): 
         """ return a handle representing a redirection of a remote 
diff --git a/py/execnet/register.py b/py/execnet/register.py
index cb082dc8c..365e20f68 100644
--- a/py/execnet/register.py
+++ b/py/execnet/register.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class InstallableGateway(gateway.Gateway):
         super(InstallableGateway, self).__init__(io=io, _startcount=1) 
         # XXX we dissallow execution form the other side
         self._initreceive(requestqueue=False) 
-        py._com.pyplugins.notify("gateway_init", self)
+        self.api.pyexecnet_gateway_init(gateway=self)
 
     def _remote_bootstrap_gateway(self, io, extra=''):
         """ return Gateway with a asynchronously remotely
diff --git a/py/execnet/testing/test_event.py b/py/execnet/testing/test_event.py
index 631efce2f..bc4b9fcc8 100644
--- a/py/execnet/testing/test_event.py
+++ b/py/execnet/testing/test_event.py
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 import py
 pytest_plugins = "pytester"
+from py.__.execnet.gateway import ExecnetAPI
 
 class TestExecnetEvents:
-    def test_popengateway(self, eventrecorder):
+    def test_popengateway_events(self, _pytest):
+        rec = _pytest.getcallrecorder(ExecnetAPI)
         gw = py.execnet.PopenGateway()
-        event = eventrecorder.popevent("gateway_init")
-        assert event.args[0] == gw 
+        call = rec.popcall("pyexecnet_gateway_init") 
+        assert call.gateway == gw
         gw.exit()
-        event = eventrecorder.popevent("gateway_exit")
-        assert event.args[0] == gw 
+        call = rec.popcall("pyexecnet_gateway_exit")
+        assert call.gateway == gw
diff --git a/py/misc/testing/test_com.py b/py/misc/testing/test_com.py
index 5d84fa81e..2c4eb1927 100644
--- a/py/misc/testing/test_com.py
+++ b/py/misc/testing/test_com.py
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ class TestPyPluginsEvents:
         assert l == [(13, ), {'x':15}]
 
 
-class TestMulticallMaker:
+class TestPluginAPI:
     def test_happypath(self):
         plugins = PyPlugins()
         class Api:
@@ -267,3 +267,22 @@ class TestMulticallMaker:
         l = mcm.hello(3)
         assert l == [4]
         assert not hasattr(mcm, 'world')
+
+    def test_firstresult(self):
+        plugins = PyPlugins()
+        class Api:
+            def hello(self, arg): pass
+            hello.firstresult = True
+
+        mcm = PluginAPI(apiclass=Api, plugins=plugins)
+        class Plugin:
+            def hello(self, arg):
+                return arg + 1
+        plugins.register(Plugin())
+        res = mcm.hello(3)
+        assert res == 4
+
+    def test_default_plugins(self):
+        class Api: pass 
+        mcm = PluginAPI(apiclass=Api)
+        assert mcm._plugins == py._com.pyplugins
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/api.py b/py/test/plugin/api.py
index a8d51a857..3ab83e6b1 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/api.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/api.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ class PluginHooks:
     # runtest related hooks 
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    def pytest_pyfunc_call(self, pyfuncitem, args, kwargs):
+    def pytest_pyfunc_call(self, call, pyfuncitem, args, kwargs):
         """ return True if we consumed/did the call to the python function item. """
 
     def pytest_item_makereport(self, item, excinfo, when, outerr):
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest__pytest.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest__pytest.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..764773788
--- /dev/null
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest__pytest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+import py
+
+class _pytestPlugin:
+    def pytest_funcarg___pytest(self, pyfuncitem):
+        return PytestArg(pyfuncitem)
+
+class PytestArg:
+    def __init__(self, pyfuncitem):
+        self.pyfuncitem = pyfuncitem 
+
+    def getcallrecorder(self, apiclass, pyplugins=None):
+        if pyplugins is None:
+            pyplugins = self.pyfuncitem.config.pytestplugins.pyplugins
+        callrecorder = CallRecorder(pyplugins)
+        callrecorder.start_recording(apiclass)
+        self.pyfuncitem.addfinalizer(callrecorder.finalize)
+        return callrecorder 
+
+
+class ParsedCall:
+    def __init__(self, name, locals):
+        assert '_name' not in locals 
+        self.__dict__.update(locals)
+        self._name = name 
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return "<ParsedCall %r>" %(self.__dict__,)
+
+class CallRecorder:
+    def __init__(self, pyplugins):
+        self._pyplugins = pyplugins
+        self.calls = []
+        self._recorders = {}
+        
+    def start_recording(self, apiclass):
+        assert apiclass not in self._recorders 
+        class RecordCalls: 
+            _recorder = self 
+        for name, method in vars(apiclass).items():
+            if name[0] != "_":
+                setattr(RecordCalls, name, self._getcallparser(method))
+        recorder = RecordCalls()
+        self._recorders[apiclass] = recorder
+        self._pyplugins.register(recorder)
+
+    def finalize(self):
+        for recorder in self._recorders.values():
+            self._pyplugins.unregister(recorder)
+
+    def _getcallparser(self, method):
+        name = method.__name__
+        args, varargs, varkw, default = py.std.inspect.getargspec(method)
+        assert args[0] == "self"
+        fspec = py.std.inspect.formatargspec(args, varargs, varkw, default)
+        # we use exec because we want to have early type
+        # errors on wrong input arguments, using
+        # *args/**kwargs delays this and gives errors
+        # elsewhere
+        exec py.code.compile("""
+            def %(name)s%(fspec)s: 
+                        self._recorder.calls.append(
+                            ParsedCall(%(name)r, locals()))
+        """ % locals())
+        return locals()[name]
+
+    def popcall(self, name):
+        for i, call in py.builtin.enumerate(self.calls):
+            if call._name == name:
+                del self.calls[i]
+                return call 
+        raise ValueError("could not find call %r in %r" %(name, self.calls))
+
+def test_generic(plugintester):
+    plugintester.apicheck(_pytestPlugin)
+
+def test_callrecorder_basic():
+    pyplugins = py._com.PyPlugins() 
+    rec = CallRecorder(pyplugins)
+    class ApiClass:
+        def xyz(self, arg):
+            pass
+    rec.start_recording(ApiClass)
+    pyplugins.call_each("xyz", 123)
+    call = rec.popcall("xyz")
+    assert call.arg == 123 
+    assert call._name == "xyz"
+    py.test.raises(ValueError, "rec.popcall('abc')")
+
+def test_functional(testdir, linecomp):
+    sorter = testdir.inline_runsource("""
+        import py
+        pytest_plugins="_pytest"
+        def test_func(_pytest):
+            class ApiClass:
+                def xyz(self, arg):  pass 
+            rec = _pytest.getcallrecorder(ApiClass)
+            class Plugin:
+                def xyz(self, arg):
+                    return arg + 1
+            rec._pyplugins.register(Plugin())
+            res = rec._pyplugins.call_firstresult("xyz", 41)
+            assert res == 42
+    """)
+    sorter.assertoutcome(passed=1)