diff --git a/_pytest/main.py b/_pytest/main.py
index a8645f4f3..ac306a867 100644
--- a/_pytest/main.py
+++ b/_pytest/main.py
@@ -58,9 +58,12 @@ def wrap_session(config, doit):
     """Skeleton command line program"""
     session = Session(config)
     session.exitstatus = EXIT_OK
+    initstate = 0
     try:
         config.pluginmanager.do_configure(config)
+        initstate = 1
         config.hook.pytest_sessionstart(session=session)
+        initstate = 2
         doit(config, session)
     except pytest.UsageError:
         raise
@@ -76,9 +79,11 @@ def wrap_session(config, doit):
             sys.stderr.write("mainloop: caught Spurious SystemExit!\n")
     if not session.exitstatus and session._testsfailed:
         session.exitstatus = EXIT_TESTSFAILED
-    config.hook.pytest_sessionfinish(session=session,
-        exitstatus=session.exitstatus)
-    config.pluginmanager.do_unconfigure(config)
+    if initstate >= 2:
+        config.hook.pytest_sessionfinish(session=session,
+            exitstatus=session.exitstatus)
+    if initstate >= 1:
+        config.pluginmanager.do_unconfigure(config)
     return session.exitstatus
 
 def pytest_cmdline_main(config):
diff --git a/testing/acceptance_test.py b/testing/acceptance_test.py
index 703647087..1e12f1272 100644
--- a/testing/acceptance_test.py
+++ b/testing/acceptance_test.py
@@ -259,6 +259,19 @@ class TestGeneralUsage:
             if name.startswith("pytest_"):
                 assert value.__doc__, "no docstring for %s" % name
 
+    def test_initialization_error_issue49(self, testdir):
+        testdir.makeconftest("""
+            def pytest_configure():
+                x
+        """)
+        result = testdir.runpytest()
+        assert result.ret == 3 # internal error
+        result.stderr.fnmatch_lines([
+            "INTERNAL*pytest_configure*",
+            "INTERNAL*x*",
+        ])
+        assert 'sessionstarttime' not in result.stderr.str()
+
 class TestInvocationVariants:
     def test_earlyinit(self, testdir):
         p = testdir.makepyfile("""