diff --git a/python/src/deltachat/account.py b/python/src/deltachat/account.py
index 4d74f513..92aa59a0 100644
--- a/python/src/deltachat/account.py
+++ b/python/src/deltachat/account.py
@@ -35,14 +35,14 @@ class EventHandler:
 
 
 class Account:
-    def __init__(self, db_path, logcallback=eventprinter, eventhandler=None):
+    def __init__(self, db_path, logcallback=None, eventhandler=None):
         self.dc_context = ctx = capi.lib.dc_context_new(
                                   capi.lib.py_dc_callback,
                                   capi.ffi.NULL, capi.ffi.NULL)
         if hasattr(db_path, "encode"):
             db_path = db_path.encode("utf8")
         capi.lib.dc_open(ctx, db_path, capi.ffi.NULL)
-        self._logcallback = logcallback or (lambda *args: None)
+        self._logcallback = logcallback or eventprinter
         if eventhandler is None:
             eventhandler = EventHandler(self.dc_context)
         self._eventhandler = eventhandler
diff --git a/python/tests/conftest.py b/python/tests/conftest.py
index 9b4929a4..90286ae0 100644
--- a/python/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/python/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,19 +1,45 @@
 import pytest
+from deltachat import Account
 
 
 def pytest_addoption(parser):
-    parser.addoption("--user", action="store", default=None,
-                     help="user and domain of test account: example user@example.org")
-    parser.addoption("--password", action="store", default=None)
+    parser.addoption(
+        "--liveconfig", action="store", default=None,
+        help="a file with >=2 lines where each line contains NAME=VALUE config settings for one account"
+    )
+
+
+_dummy = object()
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-def userpassword(pytestconfig):
-    user = pytestconfig.getoption("--user")
-    passwd = pytestconfig.getoption("--password")
-    if user and passwd:
-        return user, passwd
-    pytest.skip("specify a test account with --user and --password options")
+def acfactory(pytestconfig, tmpdir, request):
+    fn = pytestconfig.getoption("--liveconfig")
+    if not fn:
+        pytest.skip("specify a --liveconfig file to run tests with real accounts")
+
+    class AccountMaker:
+        def __init__(self):
+            self.configlist = []
+            for line in open(fn):
+                if line.strip():
+                    d = {}
+                    for part in line.split():
+                        name, value = part.split("=")
+                        d[name] = value
+                    self.configlist.append(d)
+            self.count = 0
+
+        def get_live_account(self, logcallback=None):
+            configdict = self.configlist.pop(0)
+            tmpdb = tmpdir.join("testdb%d" % self.count)
+            ac = Account(tmpdb.strpath, logcallback=logcallback)
+            ac.set_config(**configdict)
+            ac.start()
+            request.addfinalizer(ac.shutdown)
+            return ac
+
+    return AccountMaker()
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
diff --git a/python/tests/test_account.py b/python/tests/test_account.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f73014e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/tests/test_account.py
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+from __future__ import print_function
+import re
+
+try:
+    from queue import Queue
+except ImportError:
+    from Queue import Queue
+
+
+class TestLive:
+    def test_basic_configure_login_ok(self, acfactory):
+        q = Queue()
+        acfactory.get_live_account(logcallback=q.put)
+        imap_ok = smtp_ok = False
+        while not imap_ok or not smtp_ok:
+            evt_name, data1, data2 = q.get(timeout=5.0)
+            print(evt_name, data1, data2)
+            if evt_name == "DC_EVENT_ERROR":
+                assert 0
+            if evt_name == "DC_EVENT_INFO":
+                if re.match("imap-login.*ok.", data2.lower()):
+                    imap_ok = True
+                if re.match("smtp-login.*ok.", data2.lower()):
+                    smtp_ok = True
+
+    def test_message_send_receive(self, acfactory):
+        pass
diff --git a/python/tests/test_lowlevel.py b/python/tests/test_lowlevel.py
index 6875ccc9..5e505e40 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_lowlevel.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_lowlevel.py
@@ -1,12 +1,5 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
-import deltachat
-import re
 from deltachat import capi
-try:
-    from queue import Queue
-except ImportError:
-    from Queue import Queue
-
 
 
 def test_empty_context():
@@ -16,23 +9,3 @@ def test_empty_context():
 
 def test_event_defines():
     assert capi.lib.DC_EVENT_INFO == 100
-
-
-class TestLive:
-    def test_basic_configure_login_ok(self, request, tmp_db_path, userpassword):
-        q = Queue()
-        dc = deltachat.Account(tmp_db_path, logcallback=q.put)
-        dc.set_config(addr=userpassword[0], mail_pw=userpassword[1])
-        dc.start()
-        request.addfinalizer(dc.shutdown)
-        imap_ok = smtp_ok = False
-        while not imap_ok or not smtp_ok:
-            evt_name, data1, data2 = q.get(timeout=5.0)
-            print(evt_name, data1, data2)
-            if evt_name == "DC_EVENT_ERROR":
-                assert 0
-            if evt_name == "DC_EVENT_INFO":
-                if re.match("imap-login.*ok.", data2.lower()):
-                    imap_ok = True
-                if re.match("smtp-login.*ok.", data2.lower()):
-                    smtp_ok = True
diff --git a/python/tox.ini b/python/tox.ini
index 15a4cec9..275b401e 100644
--- a/python/tox.ini
+++ b/python/tox.ini
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ envlist =
 [testenv]
 commands = pytest {posargs:tests}
 usedevelop = True
-deps = pytest
+deps = 
+    pytest
+    pdbpp
 
 [testenv:linting]
 skipsdist = True