diff --git a/lib/Cake/TestSuite/CakeTestCase.php b/lib/Cake/TestSuite/CakeTestCase.php
index beabf30b8..77810821f 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/TestSuite/CakeTestCase.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/TestSuite/CakeTestCase.php
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ abstract class CakeTestCase extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase {
 			$this->fixtureManager->unload($this);
 			unset($this->fixtureManager);
 			unset($this->fixtures);
+			unset($this->db);
 		}
 
 		for ($i = ob_get_level(); $i < $level; ++$i) {
@@ -166,7 +167,6 @@ abstract class CakeTestCase extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase {
 		if (isset($_GET['debug']) && $_GET['debug']) {
 			ob_flush();
 		}
-		unset($this->db);
 		unset($this->_configure);
 		unset($this->_pathRestore);
 	}