diff --git a/py/test/config.py b/py/test/config.py
index ef59ef44b..6512f6b78 100644
--- a/py/test/config.py
+++ b/py/test/config.py
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ class Config(object):
 
     def _preparse(self, args):
         self._conftest.setinitial(args) 
+        self.pluginmanager.consider_preparse(args)
         self.pluginmanager.consider_env()
         self.pluginmanager.do_addoption(self._parser)
 
diff --git a/py/test/pluginmanager.py b/py/test/pluginmanager.py
index efdb9b225..c0185994b 100644
--- a/py/test/pluginmanager.py
+++ b/py/test/pluginmanager.py
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ class PluginManager(object):
         for spec in self._envlist("PYTEST_PLUGINS"):
             self.import_plugin(spec)
 
+    def consider_preparse(self, args):
+        for opt1,opt2 in zip(args, args[1:]):
+            if opt1 == "-p": 
+                self.import_plugin(opt2)
+
     def consider_conftest(self, conftestmodule):
         cls = getattr(conftestmodule, 'ConftestPlugin', None)
         if cls is not None and cls not in self.impname2plugin:
diff --git a/py/test/testing/acceptance_test.py b/py/test/testing/acceptance_test.py
index 8539f395a..8f107d877 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/acceptance_test.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/acceptance_test.py
@@ -17,6 +17,23 @@ class TestGeneralUsage:
             '*ERROR: hello'
         ])
 
+    def test_config_preparse_plugin_option(self, testdir):
+        testdir.makepyfile(pytest_xyz="""
+            class XyzPlugin:
+                def pytest_addoption(self, parser):
+                    parser.addoption("--xyz", dest="xyz", action="store")
+        """)
+        testdir.makepyfile(test_one="""
+            import py
+            def test_option():
+                assert py.test.config.option.xyz == "123"
+        """)
+        result = testdir.runpytest("-p", "xyz", "--xyz=123")
+        assert result.ret == 0
+        assert result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
+            '*1 passed*',
+        ])
+
     def test_basetemp(self, testdir):
         mytemp = testdir.tmpdir.mkdir("mytemp")
         p = testdir.makepyfile("""
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_pluginmanager.py b/py/test/testing/test_pluginmanager.py
index 6e349ff12..2b11e7ffb 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_pluginmanager.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_pluginmanager.py
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ class TestBootstrapping:
         monkeypatch.setitem(os.environ, 'PYTEST_PLUGINS', 'nonexistingmodule')
         py.test.raises(ImportError, "pluginmanager.consider_env()")
 
+    def test_preparse_args(self, monkeypatch):
+        pluginmanager = PluginManager()
+        py.test.raises(ImportError, """
+            pluginmanager.consider_preparse(["xyz", "-p", "hello123"])
+        """)
+
     def test_consider_env_plugin_instantiation(self, testdir, monkeypatch):
         pluginmanager = PluginManager()
         testdir.syspathinsert()