diff --git a/tests/test_framework/phpbb_functional_test_case.php b/tests/test_framework/phpbb_functional_test_case.php
index 6536ad8807..9097854bd4 100644
--- a/tests/test_framework/phpbb_functional_test_case.php
+++ b/tests/test_framework/phpbb_functional_test_case.php
@@ -34,13 +34,36 @@ class phpbb_functional_test_case extends phpbb_test_case
 	static protected $config = array();
 	static protected $already_installed = false;
 
-	public function setUp()
+	static public function setUpBeforeClass()
 	{
+		parent::setUpBeforeClass();
+
+		self::$config = phpbb_test_case_helpers::get_test_config();
+
+		// Important: this is used both for installation and by
+		// test cases for querying the tables.
+		// Therefore table prefix must be set before a board is
+		// installed, and also before each test case is run.
+		self::$config['table_prefix'] = 'phpbb_';
+
 		if (!isset(self::$config['phpbb_functional_url']))
 		{
-			$this->markTestSkipped('phpbb_functional_url was not set in test_config and wasn\'t set as PHPBB_FUNCTIONAL_URL environment variable either.');
+			self::markTestSkipped('phpbb_functional_url was not set in test_config and wasn\'t set as PHPBB_FUNCTIONAL_URL environment variable either.');
 		}
 
+		if (!self::$already_installed)
+		{
+			self::install_board();
+			self::$already_installed = true;
+		}
+	}
+
+	public function setUp()
+	{
+		parent::setUp();
+
+		$this->bootstrap();
+
 		$this->cookieJar = new CookieJar;
 		$this->client = new Goutte\Client(array(), null, $this->cookieJar);
 		// Reset the curl handle because it is 0 at this point and not a valid
@@ -73,13 +96,6 @@ class phpbb_functional_test_case extends phpbb_test_case
 		$this->backupStaticAttributesBlacklist += array(
 			'phpbb_functional_test_case' => array('config', 'already_installed'),
 		);
-
-		if (!static::$already_installed)
-		{
-			$this->install_board();
-			$this->bootstrap();
-			static::$already_installed = true;
-		}
 	}
 
 	protected function get_db()
@@ -137,19 +153,11 @@ class phpbb_functional_test_case extends phpbb_test_case
 		return $this->extension_manager;
 	}
 
-	protected function install_board()
+	static protected function install_board()
 	{
 		global $phpbb_root_path, $phpEx;
 
-		self::$config = phpbb_test_case_helpers::get_test_config();
-
-		if (!isset(self::$config['phpbb_functional_url']))
-		{
-			return;
-		}
-
-		self::$config['table_prefix'] = 'phpbb_';
-		$this->recreate_database(self::$config);
+		self::recreate_database(self::$config);
 
 		if (file_exists($phpbb_root_path . "config.$phpEx"))
 		{
@@ -194,19 +202,20 @@ class phpbb_functional_test_case extends phpbb_test_case
 		));
 		// end data
 
-		$content = $this->do_request('install');
-		$this->assertContains('Welcome to Installation', $content);
+		$content = self::do_request('install');
+		self::assertNotSame(false, $content);
+		self::assertContains('Welcome to Installation', $content);
 
-		$this->do_request('create_table', $data);
+		self::do_request('create_table', $data);
 
-		$this->do_request('config_file', $data);
+		self::do_request('config_file', $data);
 		file_put_contents($phpbb_root_path . "config.$phpEx", phpbb_create_config_file_data($data, self::$config['dbms'], true, true));
 
-		$this->do_request('final', $data);
+		self::do_request('final', $data);
 		copy($phpbb_root_path . "config.$phpEx", $phpbb_root_path . "config_test.$phpEx");
 	}
 
-	private function do_request($sub, $post_data = null)
+	static private function do_request($sub, $post_data = null)
 	{
 		$context = null;
 
@@ -225,7 +234,7 @@ class phpbb_functional_test_case extends phpbb_test_case
 		return file_get_contents(self::$config['phpbb_functional_url'] . 'install/index.php?mode=install&sub=' . $sub, false, $context);
 	}
 
-	private function recreate_database($config)
+	static private function recreate_database($config)
 	{
 		$db_conn_mgr = new phpbb_database_test_connection_manager($config);
 		$db_conn_mgr->recreate_db();