diff --git a/runshell.py b/runshell.py
index 26aa650..63de92e 100755
--- a/runshell.py
+++ b/runshell.py
@@ -1,28 +1,12 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
+import os
 import sys
-from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.management import execute_from_command_line
 
-if not settings.configured:
-    settings.configure(
-        DATABASES={
-            'default': {
-                'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
-                'NAME': ':memory:',
-            },
-        },
-        INSTALLED_APPS=(
-            'django_filters',
-            'tests',
-        ),
-        ROOT_URLCONF=None,
-        USE_TZ=True,
-        SECRET_KEY='foobar'
-    )
-
 
 def runshell():
-    execute_from_command_line(sys.argv[:1] + ['syncdb', '--noinput', '-v', '0'])
+    os.environ.setdefault("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "tests.settings")
+    execute_from_command_line(sys.argv[:1] + ['migrate', '--noinput', '-v', '0'])
     argv = sys.argv[:1] + ['shell'] + sys.argv[1:]
     execute_from_command_line(argv)
 
diff --git a/runtests.py b/runtests.py
index dfb3e21..0de8c77 100755
--- a/runtests.py
+++ b/runtests.py
@@ -1,41 +1,11 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
+import os
 import sys
-from django import VERSION
-from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.management import execute_from_command_line
 
-if not settings.configured:
-    test_runners_args = {}
-    if VERSION < (1, 6):
-        test_runners_args = {
-            'TEST_RUNNER': 'discover_runner.DiscoverRunner',
-        }
-    settings.configure(
-        DATABASES={
-            'default': {
-                'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
-                'NAME': ':memory:',
-            },
-        },
-        INSTALLED_APPS=(
-            'django.contrib.contenttypes',
-            'django.contrib.auth',
-            'django_filters',
-            'tests',
-        ),
-        ROOT_URLCONF=None,
-        USE_TZ=True,
-        SECRET_KEY='foobar',
-        SILENCED_SYSTEM_CHECKS=['1_7.W001'],
-        TEMPLATES=[{
-            'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
-            'APP_DIRS': True,
-        }],
-        **test_runners_args
-    )
-
 
 def runtests():
+    os.environ.setdefault("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "tests.settings")
     argv = sys.argv[:1] + ['test'] + sys.argv[1:]
     execute_from_command_line(argv)
 
diff --git a/tests/settings.py b/tests/settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6f7e1c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+DATABASES = {
+    'default': {
+        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
+        'NAME': ':memory:',
+    },
+}
+
+INSTALLED_APPS = (
+    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
+    'django.contrib.auth',
+    'django_filters',
+    'tests',
+)
+
+ROOT_URLCONF = 'tests.urls'
+
+USE_TZ = True
+
+SECRET_KEY = 'foobar'
+
+TEMPLATES = [{
+    'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
+    'APP_DIRS': True,
+}]
+
+
+SILENCED_SYSTEM_CHECKS = [
+    '1_7.W001',  # Unset MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES warning
+]