diff --git a/runtests.py b/runtests.py
index a8f818ad7..d0e22a967 100755
--- a/runtests.py
+++ b/runtests.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #! /usr/bin/env python
 from __future__ import print_function
 
-import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
 
@@ -82,20 +81,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         run_flake8 = False
         run_isort = False
 
-    try:
-        # Remove the package root directory from `sys.path`, ensuring that rest_framework
-        # is imported from the installed site packages. Used for testing the distribution
-        sys.argv.remove('--no-pkgroot')
-    except ValueError:
-        pass
-    else:
-        sys.path.pop(0)
-
-        # import rest_framework before pytest re-adds the package root directory.
-        import rest_framework
-        package_dir = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), 'rest_framework')
-        assert not rest_framework.__file__.startswith(package_dir)
-
     if len(sys.argv) > 1:
         pytest_args = sys.argv[1:]
         first_arg = pytest_args[0]
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 69abe44c8..125168fef 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,7 +1,17 @@
+import os
+import sys
+
 import django
 
 
-def pytest_configure():
+def pytest_addoption(parser):
+    parser.addoption('--no-pkgroot', action='store_true', default=False,
+                     help='Remove package root directory from sys.path, ensuring that '
+                          'rest_framework is imported from the installed site-packages. '
+                          'Used for testing the distribution.')
+
+
+def pytest_configure(config):
     from django.conf import settings
 
     settings.configure(
@@ -64,4 +74,12 @@ def pytest_configure():
             'guardian',
         )
 
+    if config.getoption('--no-pkgroot'):
+        sys.path.pop(0)
+
+        # import rest_framework before pytest re-adds the package root directory.
+        import rest_framework
+        package_dir = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), 'rest_framework')
+        assert not rest_framework.__file__.startswith(package_dir)
+
     django.setup()