diff --git a/rest_framework/test.py b/rest_framework/test.py
index ded9d5fe9..e17c19a43 100644
--- a/rest_framework/test.py
+++ b/rest_framework/test.py
@@ -121,6 +121,11 @@ if requests is not None:
             return super(DjangoTestSession, self).request(method, url, *args, **kwargs)
 
 
+def get_requests_client():
+    assert requests is not None, 'requests must be installed'
+    return DjangoTestSession()
+
+
 class APIRequestFactory(DjangoRequestFactory):
     renderer_classes_list = api_settings.TEST_REQUEST_RENDERER_CLASSES
     default_format = api_settings.TEST_REQUEST_DEFAULT_FORMAT
@@ -321,13 +326,6 @@ class APITransactionTestCase(testcases.TransactionTestCase):
 class APITestCase(testcases.TestCase):
     client_class = APIClient
 
-    @property
-    def requests(self):
-        if not hasattr(self, '_requests'):
-            assert requests is not None, 'requests must be installed'
-            self._requests = DjangoTestSession()
-        return self._requests
-
 
 class APISimpleTestCase(testcases.SimpleTestCase):
     client_class = APIClient
diff --git a/tests/test_requests_client.py b/tests/test_requests_client.py
index aa99a71da..37bde1092 100644
--- a/tests/test_requests_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_requests_client.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from django.views.decorators.csrf import csrf_protect, ensure_csrf_cookie
 
 from rest_framework.compat import is_authenticated, requests
 from rest_framework.response import Response
-from rest_framework.test import APITestCase
+from rest_framework.test import APITestCase, get_requests_client
 from rest_framework.views import APIView
 
 
@@ -103,7 +103,8 @@ urlpatterns = [
 @override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_requests_client')
 class RequestsClientTests(APITestCase):
     def test_get_request(self):
-        response = self.requests.get('/')
+        client = get_requests_client()
+        response = client.get('/')
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
         expected = {
@@ -113,7 +114,8 @@ class RequestsClientTests(APITestCase):
         assert response.json() == expected
 
     def test_get_request_query_params_in_url(self):
-        response = self.requests.get('/?key=value')
+        client = get_requests_client()
+        response = client.get('/?key=value')
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
         expected = {
@@ -123,7 +125,8 @@ class RequestsClientTests(APITestCase):
         assert response.json() == expected
 
     def test_get_request_query_params_by_kwarg(self):
-        response = self.requests.get('/', params={'key': 'value'})
+        client = get_requests_client()
+        response = client.get('/', params={'key': 'value'})
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
         expected = {
@@ -133,14 +136,16 @@ class RequestsClientTests(APITestCase):
         assert response.json() == expected
 
     def test_get_with_headers(self):
-        response = self.requests.get('/headers/', headers={'User-Agent': 'example'})
+        client = get_requests_client()
+        response = client.get('/headers/', headers={'User-Agent': 'example'})
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
         headers = response.json()['headers']
         assert headers['USER-AGENT'] == 'example'
 
     def test_post_form_request(self):
-        response = self.requests.post('/', data={'key': 'value'})
+        client = get_requests_client()
+        response = client.post('/', data={'key': 'value'})
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
         expected = {
@@ -153,7 +158,8 @@ class RequestsClientTests(APITestCase):
         assert response.json() == expected
 
     def test_post_json_request(self):
-        response = self.requests.post('/', json={'key': 'value'})
+        client = get_requests_client()
+        response = client.post('/', json={'key': 'value'})
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
         expected = {
@@ -166,10 +172,11 @@ class RequestsClientTests(APITestCase):
         assert response.json() == expected
 
     def test_post_multipart_request(self):
+        client = get_requests_client()
         files = {
             'file': ('report.csv', 'some,data,to,send\nanother,row,to,send\n')
         }
-        response = self.requests.post('/', files=files)
+        response = client.post('/', files=files)
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
         expected = {
@@ -182,19 +189,20 @@ class RequestsClientTests(APITestCase):
         assert response.json() == expected
 
     def test_session(self):
-        response = self.requests.get('/session/')
+        client = get_requests_client()
+        response = client.get('/session/')
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
         expected = {}
         assert response.json() == expected
 
-        response = self.requests.post('/session/', json={'example': 'abc'})
+        response = client.post('/session/', json={'example': 'abc'})
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
         expected = {'example': 'abc'}
         assert response.json() == expected
 
-        response = self.requests.get('/session/')
+        response = client.get('/session/')
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
         expected = {'example': 'abc'}
@@ -202,7 +210,8 @@ class RequestsClientTests(APITestCase):
 
     def test_auth(self):
         # Confirm session is not authenticated
-        response = self.requests.get('/auth/')
+        client = get_requests_client()
+        response = client.get('/auth/')
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
         expected = {
@@ -217,7 +226,7 @@ class RequestsClientTests(APITestCase):
         user.save()
 
         # Perform a login
-        response = self.requests.post('/auth/', json={
+        response = client.post('/auth/', json={
             'username': 'tom',
             'password': 'password'
         }, headers={'X-CSRFToken': csrftoken})
@@ -229,7 +238,7 @@ class RequestsClientTests(APITestCase):
         assert response.json() == expected
 
         # Confirm session is authenticated
-        response = self.requests.get('/auth/')
+        response = client.get('/auth/')
         assert response.status_code == 200
         assert response.headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
         expected = {