diff --git a/features/support/env.rb b/features/support/env.rb
index 20cb4a1..11776e0 100644
--- a/features/support/env.rb
+++ b/features/support/env.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@
 
 # Sets up the Rails environment for Cucumber
 ENV["RAILS_ENV"] ||= "cucumber"
+
+# Start/stop Solr
+if not $cucumber_env_loaded
+	abort unless system 'rake solr:start'
+  at_exit { system 'rake solr:stop' }
+  $cucumber_env_loaded = true
+end
+
 require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../../config/environment')
 require 'cucumber/rails/world'
 
diff --git a/test/test_helper.rb b/test/test_helper.rb
index 5b9b0f4..ac34778 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.rb
+++ b/test/test_helper.rb
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 ENV["RAILS_ENV"] = "test"
 
 # Start/stop Solr
-if not $loaded
+if not $test_helper_loaded
 	abort unless system 'rake solr:start'
   at_exit { system 'rake solr:stop' }
-  $loaded = true
+  $test_helper_loaded = true
 end
 
 require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/../config/environment")
--
libgit2 0.21.2