diff --git a/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/etc/get_custom_schema.sql b/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/etc/get_custom_schema.sql
index f48fd8113d4..9cc6c72bb4e 100644
--- a/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/etc/get_custom_schema.sql
+++ b/core/dbt/include/global_project/macros/etc/get_custom_schema.sql
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     Renders a schema name given a custom schema name. If the custom
     schema name is none, then the resulting schema is just the "schema"
     value in the specified target. If a schema override is specified, then
-    the resulting schema is the default schema concatenated with the 
+    the resulting schema is the default schema concatenated with the
     custom schema.
 
     This macro can be overriden in projects to define different semantics
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@
 
     Arguments:
     custom_schema_name: The custom schema name specified for a model, or none
+    node: The node the schema is being generated for
 
 #}
-{% macro generate_schema_name(custom_schema_name=none) -%}
+{% macro generate_schema_name(custom_schema_name, node) -%}
 
     {%- set default_schema = target.schema -%}
     {%- if custom_schema_name is none -%}
@@ -36,9 +37,10 @@
 
     Arguments:
     custom_schema_name: The custom schema name specified for a model, or none
+    node: The node the schema is being generated for
 
 #}
-{% macro generate_schema_name_for_env(custom_schema_name=none) -%}
+{% macro generate_schema_name_for_env(custom_schema_name, node) -%}
 
     {%- set default_schema = target.schema -%}
     {%- if target.name == 'prod' and custom_schema_name is not none -%}
diff --git a/core/dbt/parser/base.py b/core/dbt/parser/base.py
index e823d2a4c6e..992fe476c31 100644
--- a/core/dbt/parser/base.py
+++ b/core/dbt/parser/base.py
@@ -82,8 +82,9 @@ def get_schema_func(self):
                 'generate_schema_name',
                 GLOBAL_PROJECT_NAME
             )
+        # this is only true in tests!
         if get_schema_macro is None:
-            def get_schema(_):
+            def get_schema(custom_schema_name=None, node=None):
                 return self.default_schema
         else:
             root_context = dbt.context.parser.generate_macro(
@@ -117,8 +118,10 @@ def get_alias_func(self):
                 'generate_alias_name',
                 GLOBAL_PROJECT_NAME
             )
+
+        # the generate_alias_name macro might not exist
         if get_alias_macro is None:
-            def get_alias(custom_alias_name=None, node=None):
+            def get_alias(custom_alias_name, node):
                 if custom_alias_name is None:
                     return node.name
                 else:
@@ -206,7 +209,7 @@ def _update_parsed_node_info(self, parsed_node, config):
         # definition, not the current package
         schema_override = config.config.get('schema')
         get_schema = self.get_schema_func()
-        parsed_node.schema = get_schema(schema_override).strip()
+        parsed_node.schema = get_schema(schema_override, parsed_node).strip()
 
         alias_override = config.config.get('alias')
         get_alias = self.get_alias_func()
diff --git a/test/integration/043_custom_aliases_test/macros/macros.sql b/test/integration/043_custom_aliases_test/macros/macros.sql
index 4bc6a3990e0..17fa7f1ca5e 100644
--- a/test/integration/043_custom_aliases_test/macros/macros.sql
+++ b/test/integration/043_custom_aliases_test/macros/macros.sql
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-{% macro generate_alias_name(node, custom_alias_name=none) -%}
+{% macro generate_alias_name(custom_alias_name, node) -%}
     {%- if custom_alias_name is none -%}
         {{ node.name }}
     {%- else -%}