diff --git a/py/execnet/testing/test_gateway.py b/py/execnet/testing/test_gateway.py
index a3f243715..1270a0dd4 100644
--- a/py/execnet/testing/test_gateway.py
+++ b/py/execnet/testing/test_gateway.py
@@ -564,17 +564,23 @@ class SocketGatewaySetup:
 ##    def teardown_class(cls):
 ##        cls.gw.exit()
 ##        cls.proxygw.exit()
+       
+def getsshhost():
+    sshhost = py.test.config.getvalueorskip("sshhost")
+    if sshhost.find(":") != -1:
+        sshhost = sshhost.split(":")[0]
+    ssh = py.path.local.sysfind("ssh")
+    if not ssh:
+        py.test.skip("command not found: ssh")
+    return sshhost
 
 class TestSocketGateway(SocketGatewaySetup, BasicRemoteExecution):
     pass
 
 class TestSshGateway(BasicRemoteExecution):
     def setup_class(cls): 
-        sshhost = py.test.config.getvalueorskip("sshhost")
-        if sshhost.find(":") != -1:
-            sshhost = sshhost.split(":")[0]
-        cls.sshhost = sshhost
-        cls.gw = py.execnet.SshGateway(sshhost)
+        cls.sshhost = getsshhost()
+        cls.gw = py.execnet.SshGateway(cls.sshhost)
 
     def test_sshconfig_functional(self):
         tmpdir = py.test.ensuretemp("test_sshconfig")
diff --git a/py/execnet/testing/test_gwspec.py b/py/execnet/testing/test_gwspec.py
index 3bcf5ff54..de1b7f2bf 100644
--- a/py/execnet/testing/test_gwspec.py
+++ b/py/execnet/testing/test_gwspec.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 """
 
 import py
+from test_gateway import getsshhost
 
 class TestGatewaySpec:
     """
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ class TestGatewaySpecAPI:
         gw.exit()
 
     def test_ssh(self):
-        sshhost = py.test.config.getvalueorskip("sshhost")
+        sshhost = getsshhost()
         spec = py.execnet.GatewaySpec("ssh:" + sshhost)
         gw = spec.makegateway()
         p = gw.remote_exec("import os ; channel.send(os.getcwd())").receive()
diff --git a/py/test/dsession/hostmanage.py b/py/test/dsession/hostmanage.py
index badf9f1cf..f8f579c4f 100644
--- a/py/test/dsession/hostmanage.py
+++ b/py/test/dsession/hostmanage.py
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ class HostManager(object):
             for root in self.roots:
                 self.gwmanager.rsync(root, **options)
         else: 
+            XXX # do we want to care for situations without explicit rsyncdirs? 
             # we transfer our topdir as the root
             self.gwmanager.rsync(self.config.topdir, **options)
             # and cd into it 
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest_execnetcleanup.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest_execnetcleanup.py
index 807e16e24..a40a1adc2 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest_execnetcleanup.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest_execnetcleanup.py
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ class ExecnetcleanupPlugin:
         for gw in self._gateways:
             gw.exit()
             l.append(gw)
-        for gw in l:
-            gw.join()
+        #for gw in l:
+        #    gw.join()
    
 def test_generic(plugintester):
     plugintester.apicheck(ExecnetcleanupPlugin)
diff --git a/py/test/pycollect.py b/py/test/pycollect.py
index e92979864..28b6d0177 100644
--- a/py/test/pycollect.py
+++ b/py/test/pycollect.py
@@ -160,11 +160,6 @@ class PyCollectorMixin(PyobjMixin, py.test.collect.Collector):
                 return self.Function(name, parent=self)
 
 class Module(py.test.collect.File, PyCollectorMixin):
-    def collect(self):
-        if self.fspath.ext == ".py" and getattr(self.obj, 'disabled', 0):
-            return []
-        return super(Module, self).collect()
-
     def _getobj(self):
         return self._memoizedcall('_obj', self._importtestmodule)
 
@@ -176,6 +171,8 @@ class Module(py.test.collect.File, PyCollectorMixin):
         return mod
 
     def setup(self): 
+        if getattr(self.obj, 'disabled', 0):
+            py.test.skip("%r is disabled" %(self.obj,))
         if not self.config.option.nomagic:
             #print "*" * 20, "INVOKE assertion", self
             py.magic.invoke(assertion=1)
@@ -195,14 +192,14 @@ class Module(py.test.collect.File, PyCollectorMixin):
 class Class(PyCollectorMixin, py.test.collect.Collector): 
 
     def collect(self):
-        if getattr(self.obj, 'disabled', 0):
-            return []
         l = self._deprecated_collect()
         if l is not None:
             return l
         return [self.Instance(name="()", parent=self)]
 
     def setup(self): 
+        if getattr(self.obj, 'disabled', 0):
+            py.test.skip("%r is disabled" %(self.obj,))
         setup_class = getattr(self.obj, 'setup_class', None)
         if setup_class is not None: 
             setup_class = getattr(setup_class, 'im_func', setup_class) 
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_pycollect.py b/py/test/testing/test_pycollect.py
index 7297aeba7..b5d9033dd 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_pycollect.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_pycollect.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import py
 
+from py.__.test.outcome import Skipped
+
 class TestModule:
     def test_module_file_not_found(self, testdir):
         tmpdir = testdir.tmpdir
@@ -38,15 +40,6 @@ class TestModule:
         x = l.pop()
         assert x is None
 
-    def test_disabled_module(self, testdir):
-        modcol = testdir.getmodulecol("""
-            disabled = True
-            def setup_module(mod):
-                raise ValueError
-        """)
-        assert not modcol.collect() 
-        assert not modcol.run() 
-
     def test_module_participates_as_plugin(self, testdir):
         modcol = testdir.getmodulecol("")
         modcol.setup()
@@ -58,6 +51,18 @@ class TestModule:
         modcol = testdir.getmodulecol("pytest_plugins='xasdlkj',")
         py.test.raises(ImportError, "modcol.obj")
 
+    def test_disabled_module(self, testdir):
+        modcol = testdir.getmodulecol("""
+            disabled = True
+            def setup_module(mod):
+                raise ValueError
+            def test_method():
+                pass
+        """)
+        l = modcol.collect() 
+        assert len(l) == 1
+        py.test.raises(Skipped, "modcol.setup()")
+
 class TestClass:
     def test_disabled_class(self, testdir):
         modcol = testdir.getmodulecol("""
@@ -70,7 +75,9 @@ class TestClass:
         assert len(l) == 1
         modcol = l[0]
         assert isinstance(modcol, py.test.collect.Class)
-        assert not modcol.collect() 
+        l = modcol.collect() 
+        assert len(l) == 1
+        py.test.raises(Skipped, "modcol.setup()")
 
 class TestGenerator:
     def test_generative_functions(self, testdir):