diff --git a/pyqtgraph/graphicsItems/ArrowItem.py b/pyqtgraph/graphicsItems/ArrowItem.py
index e0628d08..a7cc831c 100644
--- a/pyqtgraph/graphicsItems/ArrowItem.py
+++ b/pyqtgraph/graphicsItems/ArrowItem.py
@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@ class ArrowItem(QtGui.QGraphicsPathItem):
     """
     
     
-    def __init__(self, **opts):
+    def __init__(self, parent=None, **opts):
         """
         Arrows can be initialized with any keyword arguments accepted by 
         the setStyle() method.
         """
         self.opts = {}
-        QtGui.QGraphicsPathItem.__init__(self, opts.get('parent', None))
+        QtGui.QGraphicsPathItem.__init__(self, parent)
 
         if 'size' in opts:
             opts['headLen'] = opts['size']
diff --git a/pyqtgraph/graphicsItems/tests/test_ArrowItem.py b/pyqtgraph/graphicsItems/tests/test_ArrowItem.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f85e637c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyqtgraph/graphicsItems/tests/test_ArrowItem.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import pyqtgraph as pg
+
+app = pg.mkQApp()
+
+
+def test_ArrowItem_parent():
+    parent = pg.GraphicsObject()
+    a = pg.ArrowItem(parent=parent, pos=(10, 10))
+    assert a.parentItem() is parent
+    assert a.pos() == pg.Point(10, 10)