diff --git a/src/_pytest/compat.py b/src/_pytest/compat.py
index 1845d9d91ef..0688c2c0ecb 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/compat.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/compat.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from types import ModuleType  # noqa: F401 (used in type string)
     from typing import Type  # noqa: F401 (used in type string)
 
 
@@ -336,28 +337,28 @@ def safe_isclass(obj: object) -> bool:
         return False
 
 
-COLLECT_FAKEMODULE_ATTRIBUTES = (
-    "Collector",
-    "Module",
-    "Function",
-    "Instance",
-    "Session",
-    "Item",
-    "Class",
-    "File",
-    "_fillfuncargs",
-)
-
-
-def _setup_collect_fakemodule() -> None:
+def _setup_collect_fakemodule() -> "ModuleType":
+    """Setup pytest.collect fake module for backward compatibility."""
     from types import ModuleType
-    import pytest
+    import _pytest.nodes
+
+    collect_fakemodule_attributes = (
+        ("Collector", _pytest.nodes.Collector),
+        ("Module", _pytest.python.Module),
+        ("Function", _pytest.python.Function),
+        ("Instance", _pytest.python.Instance),
+        ("Session", _pytest.main.Session),
+        ("Item", _pytest.nodes.Item),
+        ("Class", _pytest.python.Class),
+        ("File", _pytest.nodes.File),
+        ("_fillfuncargs", _pytest.fixtures.fillfixtures),
+    )
 
-    # Types ignored because the module is created dynamically.
-    pytest.collect = ModuleType("pytest.collect")  # type: ignore
-    pytest.collect.__all__ = []  # type: ignore  # used for setns
-    for attr_name in COLLECT_FAKEMODULE_ATTRIBUTES:
-        setattr(pytest.collect, attr_name, getattr(pytest, attr_name))  # type: ignore
+    mod = ModuleType("pytest.collect")
+    mod.__all__ = []  # type: ignore  # used for setns (obsolete?)
+    for attr_name, value in collect_fakemodule_attributes:
+        setattr(mod, attr_name, value)
+    return mod
 
 
 class CaptureIO(io.TextIOWrapper):
diff --git a/src/pytest/__init__.py b/src/pytest/__init__.py
index 33bc3d0fbe5..6ea2cf4cf45 100644
--- a/src/pytest/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pytest/__init__.py
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
 """
 pytest: unit and functional testing with Python.
 """
+import sys
+
 from _pytest import __version__
 from _pytest.assertion import register_assert_rewrite
-from _pytest.compat import _setup_collect_fakemodule
 from _pytest.config import cmdline
 from _pytest.config import ExitCode
 from _pytest.config import hookimpl
@@ -46,7 +47,6 @@
 from _pytest.warning_types import PytestUnknownMarkWarning
 from _pytest.warning_types import PytestWarning
 
-
 set_trace = __pytestPDB.set_trace
 
 __all__ = [
@@ -95,5 +95,18 @@
 ]
 
 
-_setup_collect_fakemodule()
-del _setup_collect_fakemodule
+if sys.version_info >= (3, 7):
+
+    def __getattr__(name):
+        if name == "collect":
+            from _pytest.compat import _setup_collect_fakemodule
+
+            return _setup_collect_fakemodule()
+        raise AttributeError(name)
+
+
+else:
+    from _pytest.compat import _setup_collect_fakemodule
+
+    collect = _setup_collect_fakemodule()
+    del _setup_collect_fakemodule
diff --git a/testing/conftest.py b/testing/conftest.py
index 90cdcb869fd..f03835e19b2 100644
--- a/testing/conftest.py
+++ b/testing/conftest.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import os
 import re
 import sys
 from typing import List
@@ -136,6 +137,27 @@ def testdir(testdir: Testdir) -> Testdir:
     return testdir
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def symlink_or_skip():
+    """Return a function that creates a symlink or raises ``Skip``.
+
+    On Windows `os.symlink` is available, but normal users require special
+    admin privileges to create symlinks.
+    """
+
+    def wrap_os_symlink(src, dst, *args, **kwargs):
+        if os.path.islink(dst):
+            return
+
+        try:
+            os.symlink(src, dst, *args, **kwargs)
+        except OSError as e:
+            pytest.skip("os.symlink({!r}) failed: {!r}".format((src, dst), e))
+        assert os.path.islink(dst)
+
+    return wrap_os_symlink
+
+
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
 def color_mapping():
     """Returns a utility class which can replace keys in strings in the form "{NAME}"
diff --git a/testing/test_meta.py b/testing/test_meta.py
index ffc8fd38aba..6dbc47ddc41 100644
--- a/testing/test_meta.py
+++ b/testing/test_meta.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 import _pytest
 import pytest
+from _pytest.pytester import Testdir
 
 
 def _modules():
@@ -33,3 +34,39 @@ def test_no_warnings(module):
         "-c", "import {}".format(module),
     ))
     # fmt: on
+
+
+def test_pytest_collect_attribute(_sys_snapshot):
+    from types import ModuleType
+
+    del sys.modules["pytest"]
+
+    import pytest
+
+    assert isinstance(pytest.collect, ModuleType)
+    assert pytest.collect.Item is pytest.Item
+
+    with pytest.raises(ImportError):
+        import pytest.collect
+
+    if sys.version_info >= (3, 7):
+        with pytest.raises(AttributeError, match=r"^doesnotexist$"):
+            pytest.doesnotexist
+    else:
+        with pytest.raises(AttributeError, match=r"doesnotexist"):
+            pytest.doesnotexist
+
+
+def test_pytest_circular_import(testdir: Testdir, symlink_or_skip) -> None:
+    """Importing pytest should not import pytest itself."""
+    import pytest
+    import os.path
+
+    symlink_or_skip(os.path.dirname(pytest.__file__), "another")
+
+    del sys.modules["pytest"]
+
+    testdir.syspathinsert()
+    import another  # noqa: F401
+
+    assert "pytest" not in sys.modules