diff --git a/python/src/deltachat/__init__.py b/python/src/deltachat/__init__.py
index 52ca63fc7..0633f8c1f 100644
--- a/python/src/deltachat/__init__.py
+++ b/python/src/deltachat/__init__.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import sys
 
 from . import capi, const, hookspec # noqa
 from .capi import ffi  # noqa
-from .account import Account  # noqa
+from .account import Account, get_core_info  # noqa
 from .message import Message  # noqa
 from .contact import Contact  # noqa
 from .chat import Chat        # noqa
diff --git a/python/src/deltachat/account.py b/python/src/deltachat/account.py
index 77962f9dc..f4366aaea 100644
--- a/python/src/deltachat/account.py
+++ b/python/src/deltachat/account.py
@@ -22,6 +22,29 @@ class MissingCredentials(ValueError):
     """ Account is missing `addr` and `mail_pw` config values. """
 
 
+def get_core_info():
+    """ get some system info. """
+    from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
+
+    with NamedTemporaryFile() as path:
+        path.close()
+        return get_dc_info_as_dict(ffi.gc(
+            lib.dc_context_new(as_dc_charpointer(""), as_dc_charpointer(path.name), ffi.NULL),
+            lib.dc_context_unref,
+        ))
+
+
+def get_dc_info_as_dict(dc_context):
+    lines = from_dc_charpointer(lib.dc_get_info(dc_context))
+    info_dict = {}
+    for line in lines.split("\n"):
+        if not line.strip():
+            continue
+        key, value = line.split("=", 1)
+        info_dict[key.lower()] = value
+    return info_dict
+
+
 class Account(object):
     """ Each account is tied to a sqlite database file which is fully managed
     by the underlying deltachat core library.  All public Account methods are
@@ -84,14 +107,7 @@ class Account(object):
 
     def get_info(self) -> Dict[str, str]:
         """ return dictionary of built config parameters. """
-        lines = from_dc_charpointer(lib.dc_get_info(self._dc_context))
-        d = {}
-        for line in lines.split("\n"):
-            if not line.strip():
-                continue
-            key, value = line.split("=", 1)
-            d[key.lower()] = value
-        return d
+        return get_dc_info_as_dict(self._dc_context)
 
     def dump_account_info(self, logfile):
         def log(*args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/python/src/deltachat/testplugin.py b/python/src/deltachat/testplugin.py
index a7a710f92..417b5c487 100644
--- a/python/src/deltachat/testplugin.py
+++ b/python/src/deltachat/testplugin.py
@@ -8,14 +8,13 @@ import threading
 import fnmatch
 import time
 import weakref
-import tempfile
 from queue import Queue
 from typing import List, Callable
 
 import pytest
 import requests
 
-from . import Account, const, account_hookimpl
+from . import Account, const, account_hookimpl, get_core_info
 from .events import FFIEventLogger, FFIEventTracker
 from _pytest._code import Source
 
@@ -108,20 +107,12 @@ def pytest_configure(config):
 
 
 def pytest_report_header(config, startdir):
-    summary = []
-
-    t = tempfile.mktemp()
-    try:
-        ac = Account(t)
-        info = ac.get_info()
-        ac.shutdown()
-    finally:
-        os.remove(t)
-    summary.extend(['Deltachat core={} sqlite={} journal_mode={}'.format(
-         info['deltachat_core_version'],
-         info['sqlite_version'],
-         info['journal_mode'],
-     )])
+    info = get_core_info()
+    summary = ['Deltachat core={} sqlite={} journal_mode={}'.format(
+        info['deltachat_core_version'],
+        info['sqlite_version'],
+        info['journal_mode'],
+    )]
 
     cfg = config.option.liveconfig
     if cfg: