diff --git a/test/lib/puppettest/runnable_test.rb b/test/lib/puppettest/runnable_test.rb
index 6dab1b743..977dba47a 100644
--- a/test/lib/puppettest/runnable_test.rb
+++ b/test/lib/puppettest/runnable_test.rb
@@ -1,35 +1,35 @@
 # Manage whether a test is runnable.
 module PuppetTest
     module RunnableTest
         # Confine this test based on specified criteria.  The keys of the
         # hash should be the message to use if the test is not suitable,
         # and the values should be either 'true' or 'false'; true values
         # mean the test is suitable.
         def confine(hash)
             @confines ||= {}
             hash.each do |message, result|
                 @confines[message] = result
             end
         end
 
         attr_reader :messages
 
         # Evaluate all of our tests to see if any of them are false
         # and thus whether this test is considered not runnable.
         def runnable?
+            @messages ||= []
             if superclass.respond_to?(:runnable?) and ! superclass.runnable?
                 return false
             end
-            @messages ||= []
             return false unless @messages.empty?
             return true unless defined? @confines
             @confines.find_all do |message, result|
                 ! result
             end.each do |message, result|
                 @messages << message
             end
 
             return @messages.empty?
         end
     end
 end