diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index d12c29b..85302a2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
-1.13.2
--------
+1.13.2.dev
+----------
+
+- fix README display on pypi
 
-- fix readme display on pypi
 - fix #22: xdist now works if the internal tmpdir plugin is disabled.
+  Thanks Bruno Oliveira for the PR.
+
+- fix #32: xdist now works if looponfail or boxed are disabled.
+  Thanks Bruno Oliveira for the PR.
 
 
 1.13.1
diff --git a/testing/acceptance_test.py b/testing/acceptance_test.py
index 93479a1..c074674 100644
--- a/testing/acceptance_test.py
+++ b/testing/acceptance_test.py
@@ -535,6 +535,19 @@ def test_tmpdir_disabled(testdir):
     result.stdout.fnmatch_lines("*1 passed*")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('plugin', ['xdist.looponfail', 'xdist.boxed'])
+def test_sub_plugins_disabled(testdir, plugin):
+    """Test that xdist doesn't break if we disable any of its sub-plugins. (#32)
+    """
+    p1 = testdir.makepyfile("""
+        def test_ok():
+            pass
+    """)
+    result = testdir.runpytest(p1, "-n1", '-p', 'no:%s' % plugin)
+    assert result.ret == 0
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines("*1 passed*")
+
+
 class TestNodeFailure:
     def test_load_single(self, testdir):
         f = testdir.makepyfile("""
diff --git a/xdist/looponfail.py b/xdist/looponfail.py
index 99604bb..6f76b43 100644
--- a/xdist/looponfail.py
+++ b/xdist/looponfail.py
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
 def pytest_cmdline_main(config):
 
     if config.getoption("looponfail"):
+        usepdb = config.getoption('usepdb')  # a core option
+        if usepdb:
+            raise pytest.UsageError(
+                "--pdb incompatible with --looponfail.")
         looponfail_main(config)
         return 2  # looponfail only can get stop with ctrl-C anyway
 
diff --git a/xdist/plugin.py b/xdist/plugin.py
index dc3635e..69c3a9b 100644
--- a/xdist/plugin.py
+++ b/xdist/plugin.py
@@ -94,12 +94,8 @@ def pytest_cmdline_main(config):
         config.option.dist = "load"
     val = config.getvalue
     if not val("collectonly"):
-        usepdb = config.option.usepdb  # a core option
-        if val("looponfail"):
-            if usepdb:
-                raise pytest.UsageError(
-                    "--pdb incompatible with --looponfail.")
-        elif val("dist") != "no":
+        usepdb = config.getoption('usepdb')  # a core option
+        if val("dist") != "no":
             if usepdb:
                 raise pytest.UsageError(
                     "--pdb incompatible with distributing tests.")