diff --git a/django/core/management/__init__.py b/django/core/management/__init__.py
index a49ffdd3b8d..7b667e7c8f0 100644
--- a/django/core/management/__init__.py
+++ b/django/core/management/__init__.py
@@ -306,19 +306,10 @@ class ManagementUtility(object):
         except CommandError:
             pass  # Ignore any option errors at this point.
 
-        no_settings_commands = [
-            'help', 'version', '--help', '--version', '-h',
-            'startapp', 'startproject', 'compilemessages',
-        ]
-
         try:
             settings.INSTALLED_APPS
         except ImproperlyConfigured as exc:
             self.settings_exception = exc
-            # A handful of built-in management commands work without settings.
-            # Load the default settings -- where INSTALLED_APPS is empty.
-            if subcommand in no_settings_commands:
-                settings.configure()
 
         if settings.configured:
             # Start the auto-reloading dev server even if the code is broken.
diff --git a/django/core/management/base.py b/django/core/management/base.py
index 3726d421506..6aaf2fc4bb9 100644
--- a/django/core/management/base.py
+++ b/django/core/management/base.py
@@ -303,7 +303,12 @@ class BaseCommand(object):
                 self.stderr.write('%s: %s' % (e.__class__.__name__, e))
             sys.exit(1)
         finally:
-            connections.close_all()
+            try:
+                connections.close_all()
+            except ImproperlyConfigured:
+                # Ignore if connections aren't setup at this point (e.g. no
+                # configured settings).
+                pass
 
     def execute(self, *args, **options):
         """
diff --git a/django/core/management/templates.py b/django/core/management/templates.py
index fd957fbabf9..466ea935d8d 100644
--- a/django/core/management/templates.py
+++ b/django/core/management/templates.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import tempfile
 from os import path
 
 import django
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand, CommandError
 from django.core.management.utils import handle_extensions
 from django.template import Context, Engine
@@ -119,9 +120,9 @@ class TemplateCommand(BaseCommand):
         }), autoescape=False)
 
         # Setup a stub settings environment for template rendering
-        from django.conf import settings
         if not settings.configured:
             settings.configure()
+            django.setup()
 
         template_dir = self.handle_template(options['template'],
                                             base_subdir)