diff --git a/py/test/cmdline.py b/py/test/cmdline.py
index a48bce0bb..4bebbdc3e 100644
--- a/py/test/cmdline.py
+++ b/py/test/cmdline.py
@@ -9,12 +9,16 @@ def main(args=None):
     if args is None:
         args = py.std.sys.argv[1:]
     config = py.test.config
-    config.parse(args) 
-    config.pytestplugins.do_configure(config)
-    session = config.initsession()
-    exitstatus = session.main()
-    config.pytestplugins.do_unconfigure(config)
-    raise SystemExit(exitstatus)
+    try:
+        config.parse(args) 
+        config.pytestplugins.do_configure(config)
+        session = config.initsession()
+        exitstatus = session.main()
+        config.pytestplugins.do_unconfigure(config)
+        raise SystemExit(exitstatus)
+    except config.Error, e:
+        py.std.sys.stderr.write("config ERROR: %s\n" %(e.args[0],))
+        raise SystemExit(3)
 
 def warn_about_missing_assertion():
     try:
diff --git a/py/test/config.py b/py/test/config.py
index 709482591..4718a24b4 100644
--- a/py/test/config.py
+++ b/py/test/config.py
@@ -22,9 +22,13 @@ class CmdOptions(object):
     def __repr__(self):
         return "<CmdOptions %r>" %(self.__dict__,)
 
+class Error(Exception):
+    """ Test Configuration Error. """
+
 class Config(object): 
     """ central bus for dealing with configuration/initialization data. """ 
     Option = py.compat.optparse.Option # deprecated
+    Error = Error
     _sessionclass = None
 
     def __init__(self, pytestplugins=None, topdir=None): 
@@ -124,7 +128,8 @@ class Config(object):
 
     def getfsnode(self, path):
         path = py.path.local(path)
-        assert path.check(), "%s: path does not exist" %(path,)
+        if not path.check():
+            raise self.Error("file not found: %s" %(path,))
         # we want our possibly custom collection tree to start at pkgroot 
         pkgpath = path.pypkgpath()
         if pkgpath is None:
diff --git a/py/test/testing/acceptance_test.py b/py/test/testing/acceptance_test.py
index fbb7d61ff..7b5f9018d 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/acceptance_test.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/acceptance_test.py
@@ -5,6 +5,18 @@ pytestpath = pydir.join("bin", "py.test")
 EXPECTTIMEOUT=10.0
 
 class TestPyTest:
+    def test_config_error(self, testdir):
+        testdir.makeconftest("""
+            class ConftestPlugin:
+                def pytest_configure(self, config):
+                    raise config.Error("hello")
+        """)
+        result = testdir.runpytest(testdir.tmpdir)
+        assert result.ret != 0
+        assert result.stderr.fnmatch_lines([
+            'config ERROR: hello'
+        ])
+                
     def test_assertion_magic(self, testdir):
         p = testdir.makepyfile("""
             def test_this():
@@ -17,7 +29,7 @@ class TestPyTest:
             "E       assert 0",
         ])
         assert result.ret == 1
-   
+
     def test_collectonly_simple(self, testdir):
         p = testdir.makepyfile("""
             def test_func1():