diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/tests/__init__.py b/django/contrib/gis/tests/__init__.py
index 1703f3f1b3..e69de29bb2 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/tests/__init__.py
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-def geo_apps():
-    """
-    Returns a list of GeoDjango test applications that reside in
-    `django.contrib.gis.tests` that can be used with the current
-    database and the spatial libraries that are installed.
-    """
-    from django.db import connection
-    from django.contrib.gis.geos import GEOS_PREPARE
-    from django.contrib.gis.gdal import HAS_GDAL
-
-    apps = ['geoapp', 'relatedapp']
-
-    # No distance queries on MySQL.
-    if not connection.ops.mysql:
-        apps.append('distapp')
-
-    # Test geography support with PostGIS 1.5+.
-    if connection.ops.postgis and connection.ops.geography:
-        apps.append('geogapp')
-
-    # The following GeoDjango test apps depend on GDAL support.
-    if HAS_GDAL:
-        # Geographic admin, LayerMapping, and ogrinspect test apps
-        # all require GDAL.
-        apps.extend(['geoadmin', 'layermap', 'inspectapp'])
-
-        # 3D apps use LayerMapping, which uses GDAL and require GEOS 3.1+.
-        if connection.ops.postgis and GEOS_PREPARE:
-            apps.append('geo3d')
-    return [('django.contrib.gis.tests', app) for app in apps]
diff --git a/tests/runtests.py b/tests/runtests.py
index b604155190..6cf89c709e 100755
--- a/tests/runtests.py
+++ b/tests/runtests.py
@@ -12,16 +12,19 @@ from django.utils._os import upath
 from django.utils import six
 
 CONTRIB_MODULE_PATH = 'django.contrib'
+CONTRIB_GIS_TESTS_PATH = 'django.contrib.gis.tests'
 
 TEST_TEMPLATE_DIR = 'templates'
 
 RUNTESTS_DIR = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(upath(__file__)))
 CONTRIB_DIR = os.path.dirname(upath(contrib.__file__))
+CONTRIB_GIS_TESTS_DIR = os.path.join(CONTRIB_DIR, 'gis', 'tests')
 
 TEMP_DIR = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix='django_')
 os.environ['DJANGO_TEST_TEMP_DIR'] = TEMP_DIR
 
 SUBDIRS_TO_SKIP = [
+    'data',
     'templates',
     'test_discovery_sample',
     'test_discovery_sample2',
@@ -52,7 +55,8 @@ def get_test_modules():
     modules = []
     for modpath, dirpath in (
         (None, RUNTESTS_DIR),
-        (CONTRIB_MODULE_PATH, CONTRIB_DIR)):
+        (CONTRIB_MODULE_PATH, CONTRIB_DIR),
+        (CONTRIB_GIS_TESTS_PATH, CONTRIB_GIS_TESTS_DIR)):
         for f in os.listdir(dirpath):
             if ('.' in f or
                 # Python 3 byte code dirs (PEP 3147)
@@ -64,6 +68,7 @@ def get_test_modules():
             modules.append((modpath, f))
     return modules
 
+
 def get_installed():
     from django.db.models.loading import get_apps
     return [app.__name__.rsplit('.', 1)[0] for app in get_apps()]
@@ -125,14 +130,6 @@ def setup(verbosity, test_labels):
             bits = bits[:1]
         test_labels_set.add('.'.join(bits))
 
-    # If GeoDjango, then we'll want to add in the test applications
-    # that are a part of its test suite.
-    from django.contrib.gis.tests.utils import HAS_SPATIAL_DB
-    if HAS_SPATIAL_DB:
-        from django.contrib.gis.tests import geo_apps
-        test_modules.extend(geo_apps())
-        settings.INSTALLED_APPS.extend(['django.contrib.gis', 'django.contrib.sitemaps'])
-
     for modpath, module_name in test_modules:
         if modpath:
             module_label = '.'.join([modpath, module_name])