diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/test.py b/django/core/management/commands/test.py
index 3a19a4fcf8..8ebf3daea6 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/test.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/test.py
@@ -14,18 +14,11 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
 
     def handle(self, *test_labels, **options):
         from django.conf import settings
+        from django.test.utils import get_runner
 
         verbosity = int(options.get('verbosity', 1))
         interactive = options.get('interactive', True)
-
-        test_path = settings.TEST_RUNNER.split('.')
-        # Allow for Python 2.5 relative paths
-        if len(test_path) > 1:
-            test_module_name = '.'.join(test_path[:-1])
-        else:
-            test_module_name = '.'
-        test_module = __import__(test_module_name, {}, {}, test_path[-1])
-        test_runner = getattr(test_module, test_path[-1])
+        test_runner = get_runner(settings)
 
         failures = test_runner(test_labels, verbosity=verbosity, interactive=interactive)
         if failures:
diff --git a/django/test/utils.py b/django/test/utils.py
index 69bd25bc12..29babec3ff 100644
--- a/django/test/utils.py
+++ b/django/test/utils.py
@@ -65,3 +65,14 @@ def teardown_test_environment():
 
     del mail.outbox
 
+
+def get_runner(settings):
+    test_path = settings.TEST_RUNNER.split('.')
+    # Allow for Python 2.5 relative paths
+    if len(test_path) > 1:
+        test_module_name = '.'.join(test_path[:-1])
+    else:
+        test_module_name = '.'
+    test_module = __import__(test_module_name, {}, {}, test_path[-1])
+    test_runner = getattr(test_module, test_path[-1])
+    return test_runner
diff --git a/tests/runtests.py b/tests/runtests.py
index cc9594b5fe..bd7f59bdf0 100755
--- a/tests/runtests.py
+++ b/tests/runtests.py
@@ -149,8 +149,12 @@ def django_tests(verbosity, interactive, test_labels):
                 pass
 
     # Run the test suite, including the extra validation tests.
-    from django.test.simple import run_tests
-    failures = run_tests(test_labels, verbosity=verbosity, interactive=interactive, extra_tests=extra_tests)
+    from django.test.utils import get_runner
+    if not hasattr(settings, 'TEST_RUNNER'):
+        settings.TEST_RUNNER = 'django.test.simple.run_tests'
+    test_runner = get_runner(settings)
+
+    failures = test_runner(test_labels, verbosity=verbosity, interactive=interactive, extra_tests=extra_tests)
     if failures:
         sys.exit(failures)