diff --git a/_pytest/config.py b/_pytest/config.py
index d0ec62096..bdfe99b99 100644
--- a/_pytest/config.py
+++ b/_pytest/config.py
@@ -100,8 +100,6 @@ def directory_arg(path, optname):
     return path
 
 
-_preinit = []
-
 default_plugins = (
     "mark main terminal runner python fixtures debugging unittest capture skipping "
     "tmpdir monkeypatch recwarn pastebin helpconfig nose assertion "
@@ -113,14 +111,7 @@ builtin_plugins = set(default_plugins)
 builtin_plugins.add("pytester")
 
 
-def _preloadplugins():
-    assert not _preinit
-    _preinit.append(get_config())
-
-
 def get_config():
-    if _preinit:
-        return _preinit.pop(0)
     # subsequent calls to main will create a fresh instance
     pluginmanager = PytestPluginManager()
     config = Config(pluginmanager)
diff --git a/changelog/2236.removal b/changelog/2236.removal
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..013327291
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/2236.removal
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- remove plugin preinit, we no longer need to do that because the namespace is initialized in the module now
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pytest.py b/pytest.py
index 1c914a6ed..2b681b64b 100644
--- a/pytest.py
+++ b/pytest.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ pytest: unit and functional testing with Python.
 # else we are imported
 
 from _pytest.config import (
-    main, UsageError, _preloadplugins, cmdline,
+    main, UsageError, cmdline,
     hookspec, hookimpl
 )
 from _pytest.fixtures import fixture, yield_fixture
@@ -74,5 +74,4 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 else:
 
     from _pytest.compat import _setup_collect_fakemodule
-    _preloadplugins()  # to populate pytest.* namespace so help(pytest) works
     _setup_collect_fakemodule()