diff --git a/rhodecode/api/tests/test_update_repo.py b/rhodecode/api/tests/test_update_repo.py
--- a/rhodecode/api/tests/test_update_repo.py
+++ b/rhodecode/api/tests/test_update_repo.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ from rhodecode.tests import TEST_USER_AD
 from rhodecode.api.tests.utils import (
     build_data, api_call, assert_error, assert_ok, crash, jsonify)
 from rhodecode.tests.fixture import Fixture
-from rhodecode.tests.plugin import plain_http_host_only_stub
+from rhodecode.tests.fixture_mods.fixture_utils import plain_http_host_only_stub
 
 fixture = Fixture()
 
diff --git a/rhodecode/tests/conftest.py b/rhodecode/tests/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rhodecode/tests/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,199 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+# Copyright (C) 2010-2020 RhodeCode GmbH
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License, version 3
+# (only), as published by the Free Software Foundation.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+# This program is dual-licensed. If you wish to learn more about the
+# RhodeCode Enterprise Edition, including its added features, Support services,
+# and proprietary license terms, please see https://rhodecode.com/licenses/
+
+import pytest
+from rhodecode.lib import ext_json
+
+
+pytest_plugins = [
+    "rhodecode.tests.fixture_mods.fixture_pyramid",
+    "rhodecode.tests.fixture_mods.fixture_utils",
+]
+
+
+def pytest_configure(config):
+    from rhodecode.config import patches
+
+
+def pytest_addoption(parser):
+
+    def _parse_json(value):
+        return ext_json.str_json(value) if value else None
+
+    def _split_comma(value):
+        return value.split(',')
+
+    parser.addoption(
+        '--keep-tmp-path', action='store_true',
+        help="Keep the test temporary directories")
+    parser.addoption(
+        '--backends', action='store', type=_split_comma,
+        default=['git', 'hg', 'svn'],
+        help="Select which backends to test for backend specific tests.")
+    parser.addoption(
+        '--dbs', action='store', type=_split_comma,
+        default=['sqlite'],
+        help="Select which database to test for database specific tests. "
+             "Possible options are sqlite,postgres,mysql")
+    parser.addoption(
+        '--appenlight', '--ae', action='store_true',
+        help="Track statistics in appenlight.")
+    parser.addoption(
+        '--appenlight-api-key', '--ae-key',
+        help="API key for Appenlight.")
+    parser.addoption(
+        '--appenlight-url', '--ae-url',
+        default="https://ae.rhodecode.com",
+        help="Appenlight service URL, defaults to https://ae.rhodecode.com")
+    parser.addoption(
+        '--sqlite-connection-string', action='store',
+        default='', help="Connection string for the dbs tests with SQLite")
+    parser.addoption(
+        '--postgres-connection-string', action='store',
+        default='', help="Connection string for the dbs tests with Postgres")
+    parser.addoption(
+        '--mysql-connection-string', action='store',
+        default='', help="Connection string for the dbs tests with MySQL")
+    parser.addoption(
+        '--repeat', type=int, default=100,
+        help="Number of repetitions in performance tests.")
+
+    parser.addoption(
+        '--test-loglevel', dest='test_loglevel',
+        help="Set default Logging level for tests, critical(default), error, warn , info, debug")
+    group = parser.getgroup('pylons')
+    group.addoption(
+        '--with-pylons', dest='pyramid_config',
+        help="Set up a Pylons environment with the specified config file.")
+    group.addoption(
+        '--ini-config-override', action='store', type=_parse_json,
+        default=None, dest='pyramid_config_override', help=(
+            "Overrides the .ini file settings. Should be specified in JSON"
+            " format, e.g. '{\"section\": {\"parameter\": \"value\", ...}}'"
+        )
+    )
+    parser.addini(
+        'pyramid_config',
+        "Set up a Pyramid environment with the specified config file.")
+
+    vcsgroup = parser.getgroup('vcs')
+    vcsgroup.addoption(
+        '--without-vcsserver', dest='with_vcsserver', action='store_false',
+        help="Do not start the VCSServer in a background process.")
+    vcsgroup.addoption(
+        '--with-vcsserver-http', dest='vcsserver_config_http',
+        help="Start the HTTP VCSServer with the specified config file.")
+    vcsgroup.addoption(
+        '--vcsserver-protocol', dest='vcsserver_protocol',
+        help="Start the VCSServer with HTTP protocol support.")
+    vcsgroup.addoption(
+        '--vcsserver-config-override', action='store', type=_parse_json,
+        default=None, dest='vcsserver_config_override', help=(
+            "Overrides the .ini file settings for the VCSServer. "
+            "Should be specified in JSON "
+            "format, e.g. '{\"section\": {\"parameter\": \"value\", ...}}'"
+        )
+    )
+    vcsgroup.addoption(
+        '--vcsserver-port', action='store', type=int,
+        default=None, help=(
+            "Allows to set the port of the vcsserver. Useful when testing "
+            "against an already running server and random ports cause "
+            "trouble."))
+    parser.addini(
+        'vcsserver_config_http',
+        "Start the HTTP VCSServer with the specified config file.")
+    parser.addini(
+        'vcsserver_protocol',
+        "Start the VCSServer with HTTP protocol support.")
+
+
+@pytest.hookimpl(tryfirst=True, hookwrapper=True)
+def pytest_runtest_makereport(item, call):
+    """
+    Adding the remote traceback if the exception has this information.
+
+    VCSServer attaches this information as the attribute `_vcs_server_traceback`
+    to the exception instance.
+    """
+    outcome = yield
+    report = outcome.get_result()
+    if call.excinfo:
+        exc = call.excinfo.value
+        vcsserver_traceback = getattr(exc, '_vcs_server_traceback', None)
+
+        if vcsserver_traceback:
+            section = 'VCSServer remote traceback ' + report.when
+            report.sections.append((section, vcsserver_traceback))
+
+
+def pytest_collection_modifyitems(session, config, items):
+    # nottest marked, compare nose, used for transition from nose to pytest
+    remaining = [
+        i for i in items if getattr(i.obj, '__test__', True)]
+    items[:] = remaining
+
+    # NOTE(marcink): custom test ordering, db tests and vcstests are slowes and should
+    # be executed at the end for faster test feedback
+    def sorter(item):
+        pos = 0
+        key = item._nodeid
+        if key.startswith('rhodecode/tests/database'):
+            pos = 1
+        elif key.startswith('rhodecode/tests/vcs_operations'):
+            pos = 2
+
+        return pos
+
+    items.sort(key=sorter)
+
+
+def get_backends_from_metafunc(metafunc):
+    requested_backends = set(metafunc.config.getoption('--backends'))
+    backend_mark = metafunc.definition.get_closest_marker('backends')
+    if backend_mark:
+        # Supported backends by this test function, created from
+        # pytest.mark.backends
+        backends = backend_mark.args
+    elif hasattr(metafunc.cls, 'backend_alias'):
+        # Support class attribute "backend_alias", this is mainly
+        # for legacy reasons for tests not yet using pytest.mark.backends
+        backends = [metafunc.cls.backend_alias]
+    else:
+        backends = metafunc.config.getoption('--backends')
+    return requested_backends.intersection(backends)
+
+
+def pytest_generate_tests(metafunc):
+
+    # Support test generation based on --backend parameter
+    if 'backend_alias' in metafunc.fixturenames:
+        backends = get_backends_from_metafunc(metafunc)
+        scope = None
+        if not backends:
+            pytest.skip("Not enabled for any of selected backends")
+
+        metafunc.parametrize('backend_alias', backends, scope=scope)
+
+    backend_mark = metafunc.definition.get_closest_marker('backends')
+    if backend_mark:
+        backends = get_backends_from_metafunc(metafunc)
+        if not backends:
+            pytest.skip("Not enabled for any of selected backends")
diff --git a/rhodecode/tests/fixture_mods/__init__.py b/rhodecode/tests/fixture_mods/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
diff --git a/rhodecode/tests/pylons_plugin.py b/rhodecode/tests/fixture_mods/fixture_pyramid.py
rename from rhodecode/tests/pylons_plugin.py
rename to rhodecode/tests/fixture_mods/fixture_pyramid.py
--- a/rhodecode/tests/pylons_plugin.py
+++ b/rhodecode/tests/fixture_mods/fixture_pyramid.py
@@ -18,10 +18,6 @@
 # RhodeCode Enterprise Edition, including its added features, Support services,
 # and proprietary license terms, please see https://rhodecode.com/licenses/
 
-import json
-import platform
-import socket
-import random
 import pytest
 
 from rhodecode.lib.pyramid_utils import get_app_config
@@ -29,61 +25,6 @@ from rhodecode.tests.fixture import Test
 from rhodecode.tests.server_utils import RcVCSServer
 
 
-def _parse_json(value):
-    return json.loads(value) if value else None
-
-
-def pytest_addoption(parser):
-    parser.addoption(
-        '--test-loglevel', dest='test_loglevel',
-        help="Set default Logging level for tests, critical(default), error, warn , info, debug")
-    group = parser.getgroup('pylons')
-    group.addoption(
-        '--with-pylons', dest='pyramid_config',
-        help="Set up a Pylons environment with the specified config file.")
-    group.addoption(
-        '--ini-config-override', action='store', type=_parse_json,
-        default=None, dest='pyramid_config_override', help=(
-            "Overrides the .ini file settings. Should be specified in JSON"
-            " format, e.g. '{\"section\": {\"parameter\": \"value\", ...}}'"
-        )
-    )
-    parser.addini(
-        'pyramid_config',
-        "Set up a Pyramid environment with the specified config file.")
-
-    vcsgroup = parser.getgroup('vcs')
-    vcsgroup.addoption(
-        '--without-vcsserver', dest='with_vcsserver', action='store_false',
-        help="Do not start the VCSServer in a background process.")
-    vcsgroup.addoption(
-        '--with-vcsserver-http', dest='vcsserver_config_http',
-        help="Start the HTTP VCSServer with the specified config file.")
-    vcsgroup.addoption(
-        '--vcsserver-protocol', dest='vcsserver_protocol',
-        help="Start the VCSServer with HTTP protocol support.")
-    vcsgroup.addoption(
-        '--vcsserver-config-override', action='store', type=_parse_json,
-        default=None, dest='vcsserver_config_override', help=(
-            "Overrides the .ini file settings for the VCSServer. "
-            "Should be specified in JSON "
-            "format, e.g. '{\"section\": {\"parameter\": \"value\", ...}}'"
-        )
-    )
-    vcsgroup.addoption(
-        '--vcsserver-port', action='store', type=int,
-        default=None, help=(
-            "Allows to set the port of the vcsserver. Useful when testing "
-            "against an already running server and random ports cause "
-            "trouble."))
-    parser.addini(
-        'vcsserver_config_http',
-        "Start the HTTP VCSServer with the specified config file.")
-    parser.addini(
-        'vcsserver_protocol',
-        "Start the VCSServer with HTTP protocol support.")
-
-
 @pytest.fixture(scope='session')
 def vcsserver(request, vcsserver_port, vcsserver_factory):
     """
@@ -146,10 +87,6 @@ def vcsserver_factory(tmpdir_factory):
     return factory
 
 
-def is_cygwin():
-    return 'cygwin' in platform.system().lower()
-
-
 def _use_log_level(config):
     level = config.getoption('test_loglevel') or 'critical'
     return level.upper()
diff --git a/rhodecode/tests/plugin.py b/rhodecode/tests/fixture_mods/fixture_utils.py
rename from rhodecode/tests/plugin.py
rename to rhodecode/tests/fixture_mods/fixture_utils.py
--- a/rhodecode/tests/plugin.py
+++ b/rhodecode/tests/fixture_mods/fixture_utils.py
@@ -74,107 +74,6 @@ def cmp(a, b):
     # backport cmp from python2 so we can still use it in the custom code in this module
     return (a > b) - (a < b)
 
-
-def _split_comma(value):
-    return value.split(',')
-
-
-def pytest_addoption(parser):
-    parser.addoption(
-        '--keep-tmp-path', action='store_true',
-        help="Keep the test temporary directories")
-    parser.addoption(
-        '--backends', action='store', type=_split_comma,
-        default=['git', 'hg', 'svn'],
-        help="Select which backends to test for backend specific tests.")
-    parser.addoption(
-        '--dbs', action='store', type=_split_comma,
-        default=['sqlite'],
-        help="Select which database to test for database specific tests. "
-             "Possible options are sqlite,postgres,mysql")
-    parser.addoption(
-        '--appenlight', '--ae', action='store_true',
-        help="Track statistics in appenlight.")
-    parser.addoption(
-        '--appenlight-api-key', '--ae-key',
-        help="API key for Appenlight.")
-    parser.addoption(
-        '--appenlight-url', '--ae-url',
-        default="https://ae.rhodecode.com",
-        help="Appenlight service URL, defaults to https://ae.rhodecode.com")
-    parser.addoption(
-        '--sqlite-connection-string', action='store',
-        default='', help="Connection string for the dbs tests with SQLite")
-    parser.addoption(
-        '--postgres-connection-string', action='store',
-        default='', help="Connection string for the dbs tests with Postgres")
-    parser.addoption(
-        '--mysql-connection-string', action='store',
-        default='', help="Connection string for the dbs tests with MySQL")
-    parser.addoption(
-        '--repeat', type=int, default=100,
-        help="Number of repetitions in performance tests.")
-
-
-def pytest_configure(config):
-    from rhodecode.config import patches
-
-
-def pytest_collection_modifyitems(session, config, items):
-    # nottest marked, compare nose, used for transition from nose to pytest
-    remaining = [
-        i for i in items if getattr(i.obj, '__test__', True)]
-    items[:] = remaining
-
-    # NOTE(marcink): custom test ordering, db tests and vcstests are slowes and should
-    # be executed at the end for faster test feedback
-    def sorter(item):
-        pos = 0
-        key = item._nodeid
-        if key.startswith('rhodecode/tests/database'):
-            pos = 1
-        elif key.startswith('rhodecode/tests/vcs_operations'):
-            pos = 2
-
-        return pos
-
-    items.sort(key=sorter)
-
-
-def pytest_generate_tests(metafunc):
-
-    # Support test generation based on --backend parameter
-    if 'backend_alias' in metafunc.fixturenames:
-        backends = get_backends_from_metafunc(metafunc)
-        scope = None
-        if not backends:
-            pytest.skip("Not enabled for any of selected backends")
-
-        metafunc.parametrize('backend_alias', backends, scope=scope)
-
-    backend_mark = metafunc.definition.get_closest_marker('backends')
-    if backend_mark:
-        backends = get_backends_from_metafunc(metafunc)
-        if not backends:
-            pytest.skip("Not enabled for any of selected backends")
-
-
-def get_backends_from_metafunc(metafunc):
-    requested_backends = set(metafunc.config.getoption('--backends'))
-    backend_mark = metafunc.definition.get_closest_marker('backends')
-    if backend_mark:
-        # Supported backends by this test function, created from
-        # pytest.mark.backends
-        backends = backend_mark.args
-    elif hasattr(metafunc.cls, 'backend_alias'):
-        # Support class attribute "backend_alias", this is mainly
-        # for legacy reasons for tests not yet using pytest.mark.backends
-        backends = [metafunc.cls.backend_alias]
-    else:
-        backends = metafunc.config.getoption('--backends')
-    return requested_backends.intersection(backends)
-
-
 @pytest.fixture(scope='session', autouse=True)
 def activate_example_rcextensions(request):
     """
@@ -1400,30 +1299,6 @@ class UserUtility(object):
             self.fixture.destroy_user(user_id)
 
 
-# TODO: Think about moving this into a pytest-pyro package and make it a
-# pytest plugin
-@pytest.hookimpl(tryfirst=True, hookwrapper=True)
-def pytest_runtest_makereport(item, call):
-    """
-    Adding the remote traceback if the exception has this information.
-
-    VCSServer attaches this information as the attribute `_vcs_server_traceback`
-    to the exception instance.
-    """
-    outcome = yield
-    report = outcome.get_result()
-    if call.excinfo:
-        _add_vcsserver_remote_traceback(report, call.excinfo.value)
-
-
-def _add_vcsserver_remote_traceback(report, exc):
-    vcsserver_traceback = getattr(exc, '_vcs_server_traceback', None)
-
-    if vcsserver_traceback:
-        section = 'VCSServer remote traceback ' + report.when
-        report.sections.append((section, vcsserver_traceback))
-
-
 @pytest.fixture(scope='session')
 def testrun():
     return {
@@ -1722,6 +1597,7 @@ def StubIntegrationType():
     integration_type_registry.register_integration_type(_StubIntegrationType)
     return _StubIntegrationType
 
+
 @pytest.fixture()
 def stub_integration_settings():
     return {
diff --git a/rhodecode/tests/utils.py b/rhodecode/tests/utils.py
--- a/rhodecode/tests/utils.py
+++ b/rhodecode/tests/utils.py
@@ -34,7 +34,12 @@ from webtest.app import TestResponse, Te
 from webtest.compat import print_stderr
 
 import pytest
-import rc_testdata
+
+try:
+    import rc_testdata
+except ImportError:
+    raise ImportError('Failed to import rc_testdata, '
+                      'please make sure this package is installed from requirements_test.txt')
 
 from rhodecode.model.db import User, Repository
 from rhodecode.model.meta import Session
@@ -424,13 +429,13 @@ def commit_change(
             message=message,
             nodes=nodes,
             parent_commit=_commit,
-            author='{} <admin@rhodecode.com>'.format(TEST_USER_ADMIN_LOGIN),
+            author=f'{TEST_USER_ADMIN_LOGIN} <admin@rhodecode.com>',
         )
     else:
         commit = ScmModel().commit_change(
             repo=repo.scm_instance(), repo_name=repo.repo_name,
             commit=parent, user=TEST_USER_ADMIN_LOGIN,
-            author='{} <admin@rhodecode.com>'.format(TEST_USER_ADMIN_LOGIN),
+            author=f'{TEST_USER_ADMIN_LOGIN} <admin@rhodecode.com>',
             message=message,
             content=content,
             f_path=filename
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -189,10 +189,6 @@ setup(
         'pyramid.pshell_runner': [
             'ipython = rhodecode.lib.pyramid_shell:ipython_shell_runner',
         ],
-        'pytest11': [
-            'pylons=rhodecode.tests.pylons_plugin',
-            'enterprise=rhodecode.tests.plugin',
-        ],
         'console_scripts': [
             'rc-setup-app=rhodecode.lib.rc_commands.setup_rc:main',
             'rc-upgrade-db=rhodecode.lib.rc_commands.upgrade_db:main',
diff --git a/test_special_dict.py b/test_special_dict.py
deleted file mode 100644
--- a/test_special_dict.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,72 +0,0 @@
-import collections
-
-
-class PermOriginDict(dict):
-    """
-    A special dict used for tracking permissions along with their origins.
-
-    `__setitem__` has been overridden to expect a tuple(perm, origin)
-    `__getitem__` will return only the perm
-    `.perm_origin_stack` will return the stack of (perm, origin) set per key
-
-    >>> perms = PermOriginDict()
-    >>> perms['resource'] = 'read', 'default', 1
-    >>> perms['resource']
-    'read'
-    >>> perms['resource'] = 'write', 'admin', 2
-    >>> perms['resource']
-    'write'
-    >>> perms.perm_origin_stack
-    {'resource': [('read', 'default', 1), ('write', 'admin', 2)]}
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
-        dict.__init__(self, *args, **kw)
-        super(PermOriginDict, self).__setattr__('perm_origin_stack', collections.OrderedDict())
-
-    def __setitem__(self, key, perm_origin_obj_id):
-        print(f"setting: {perm_origin_obj_id}")
-        if isinstance(perm_origin_obj_id, tuple):
-            (perm, origin, obj_id) = perm_origin_obj_id
-            self.perm_origin_stack.setdefault(key, []).append((perm, origin, obj_id))
-        else:
-            perm = perm_origin_obj_id
-        dict.__setitem__(self, key, perm)
-
-    # def __getstate__(self):
-    #     dict_state = self.__dict__.copy()
-    #     perm_origin_stack = self.perm_origin_stack.__dict__.copy()
-    #     print(dict_state, perm_origin_stack)
-    #     return dict_state, perm_origin_stack
-    #
-    # def __setstate__(self, state):
-    #     print('setstate called')
-    #     print(f'setstate os {state}')
-    #     self.perm_origin_stack = collections.OrderedDict()
-
-
-dd = PermOriginDict()
-
-dd['key1'] = 'perm1', 'from_where1', 121
-dd['key2'] = 'perm2', 'from_where2', 122
-dd['key3'] = 'perm3', 'from_where3', 123
-dd['key3'] = 'perm4', 'from_where4', 125
-
-
-print(list(dd.keys()))
-print(f"key:{dd['key1']}")
-print(dd.perm_origin_stack)
-
-print ('-- before pickle --')
-
-import pickle
-
-data = pickle.dumps(dd, protocol=pickle.HIGHEST_PROTOCOL)
-print(data)
-
-new_dd = pickle.loads(data)
-
-print ('-- after pickle --')
-print(list(dd.keys()))
-print(f"key:{dd['key1']}")
-print(dd.perm_origin_stack)