Fix --help/--version when a conftest imports Django models

docs/changelog.rst

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Bugfixes
 ^^^^^^^^
 
 * Fixed type hints of assert methods to match actual signature (`PR #1271 <https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest-django/pull/1271>`__)
+* Fixed ``--help``/``--version`` failing with ``AppRegistryNotReady`` (surfaced as a ``could not load initial conftests`` warning) when a ``conftest.py`` imports Django models at the top level. Django is now set up before the initial conftests are loaded for these options (`#1152 <https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest-django/issues/1152>`__).
 * Handled Django 6.2's ``ImproperlyConfigured`` (in addition to ``ImportError``) when the configured ``DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE`` cannot be imported, so pytest-django still shows its guidance message.
 
 v4.12.0 (2026-02-14)

pytest_django/plugin.py

@@ -312,8 +312,11 @@ def pytest_load_initial_conftests(
 
     options = parser.parse_known_args(args)
 
-    if options.version or options.help:
-        return
+    # With `--help`/`--version`, pytest still imports the initial conftests (it
+    # just doesn't run tests), so Django is set up for them below as well —
+    # otherwise a conftest with top-level model imports fails with
+    # AppRegistryNotReady (issue #1152).
+    is_help_or_version = bool(options.version or options.help)
 
     django_find_project = _get_boolean_value(
         early_config.getini("django_find_project"), "django_find_project"
@@ -363,16 +366,25 @@ def _get_option_with_source(
 
             configurations.importer.install()
 
-        # Forcefully load Django settings, throws ImportError or
-        # ImproperlyConfigured if settings cannot be loaded.
-        from django.conf import settings as dj_settings
-
-        with _handle_import_error(_django_project_scan_outcome):
-            dj_settings.DATABASES  # noqa: B018
-
     early_config.stash[blocking_manager_key] = DjangoDbBlocker(_ispytest=True)
 
-    _setup_django(early_config)
+    try:
+        if ds:
+            # Forcefully load Django settings, throws ImportError or
+            # ImproperlyConfigured if settings cannot be loaded.
+            from django.conf import settings as dj_settings
+
+            with _handle_import_error(_django_project_scan_outcome):
+                dj_settings.DATABASES  # noqa: B018
+
+        # Populates the app registry, which fails on a broken INSTALLED_APPS.
+        _setup_django(early_config)
+    except Exception:
+        # `--help`/`--version` only print information and never run tests, so a
+        # broken Django configuration is tolerated here (issue #235); anything
+        # genuinely wrong still surfaces on a real test run.
+        if not is_help_or_version:
+            raise
 
 
 @pytest.hookimpl(trylast=True)

tests/test_initialization.py

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 from textwrap import dedent
 
+import pytest
+
 from .helpers import DjangoPytester
 
 
@@ -60,3 +62,40 @@ def test_ds():
         ]
     )
     assert result.ret == 0
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("option", ["--help", "--version"])
+def test_django_setup_with_help_and_version(
+    django_pytester: DjangoPytester,
+    option: str,
+) -> None:
+    """Django must be set up before conftest files are imported, even for
+    ``--help``/``--version``, so a top-level Django model import in a
+    ``conftest.py`` does not fail with ``AppRegistryNotReady``.
+
+    Regression test for https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest-django/issues/1152
+    """
+    django_pytester.makeconftest(
+        """
+        import sys
+
+        from tpkg.app.models import Item  # noqa: F401
+
+        # Only reached if the model import above succeeds (i.e. Django is set
+        # up). With --version, pytest records but never prints the conftest
+        # load failure, so we assert on this positive marker instead.
+        print("conftest-imported-models", file=sys.stderr)
+    """
+    )
+
+    # A single `--version`/`-V` is short-circuited before pytest loads any
+    # conftests (pytest #13574), so it wouldn't exercise this path; passing
+    # it twice forces full startup, which imports the initial conftests.
+    args = [option, option] if option == "--version" else [option]
+    result = django_pytester.runpytest_subprocess(*args)
+
+    output = result.stdout.str() + result.stderr.str()
+    assert result.ret == 0
+    assert "conftest-imported-models" in output
+    assert "AppRegistryNotReady" not in output
+    assert "could not load initial conftests" not in output