diff --git a/django_nose/plugin.py b/django_nose/plugin.py
index 4505ef2..1535228 100644
--- a/django_nose/plugin.py
+++ b/django_nose/plugin.py
@@ -312,7 +312,11 @@ def _bundle_fixtures(self, fftc_tests):
 
         return tests
 
-    def prepareTest(self, test):
+    def prepareTestRunner(self, runner):
+        """Get a runner that reorders tests before running them"""
+        return _DatabaseSetupTestRunner(self, runner)
+
+    def group_by_database_setup(self, test):
         """Reorder the tests."""
         test_groups = self._group_test_cases_by_type(test)
         suites = []
@@ -339,6 +343,23 @@ def prepareTest(self, test):
         return suites[0] if len(suites) == 1 else ContextSuite(suites)
 
 
+class _DatabaseSetupTestRunner(object):
+    """A test runner that groups tests by database setup
+
+    This is a helper class that reorders tests for efficient database
+    setup. It modifies the test suite before any other plugins have a
+    chance to wrap it in the `prepareTest` hook.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, plugin, real_runner):
+        self.plugin = plugin
+        self.runner = real_runner
+
+    def run(self, test):
+        test = self.plugin.group_by_database_setup(test)
+        return self.runner.run(test)
+
+
 def get_test_context(context_path, tests, runner):
     """Make a test context.
 
diff --git a/django_nose/runner.py b/django_nose/runner.py
index e316c6b..e6adee2 100644
--- a/django_nose/runner.py
+++ b/django_nose/runner.py
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@
 
 import nose.core
 
-from django_nose.plugin import DjangoSetUpPlugin, ResultPlugin
 from django_nose.plugin import DatabaseSetUpPlugin
+from django_nose.plugin import DjangoSetUpPlugin, ResultPlugin
 from django_nose.utils import uses_mysql
 
 try:
@@ -285,13 +285,15 @@ class BasicNoseRunner(BaseRunner):
     def run_suite(self, nose_argv):
         """Run the test suite."""
         result_plugin = ResultPlugin()
-        plugins_to_add = [DjangoSetUpPlugin(self), result_plugin]
+        plugins_to_add = [
+            DjangoSetUpPlugin(self),
+            DatabaseSetUpPlugin(self),
+            result_plugin,
+        ]
 
         for plugin in _get_plugins_from_settings():
             plugins_to_add.append(plugin)
 
-        plugins_to_add.append(DatabaseSetUpPlugin(self))
-
         try:
             django.setup()
         except AttributeError: