diff --git a/ckan/tests/test_plugins.py b/ckan/tests/test_plugins.py
index f8a5d9929b0..c77ea8d3197 100644
--- a/ckan/tests/test_plugins.py
+++ b/ckan/tests/test_plugins.py
@@ -118,22 +118,23 @@ def test_plugin_loading_order(self):
 
         expected_order = _make_calls(plugins.get_plugin('mapper_plugin'),
                                      plugins.get_plugin('mapper_plugin2'))
-        assert observerplugin.before_load.calls[:-2] == expected_order
+
+        assert observerplugin.before_load.calls[:2] == expected_order
         expected_order = _make_calls(plugins.get_plugin('test_observer_plugin'),
                                      plugins.get_plugin('mapper_plugin'),
                                      plugins.get_plugin('mapper_plugin2'))
-        assert observerplugin.after_load.calls[:-2] == expected_order
+        assert observerplugin.after_load.calls[:3] == expected_order
 
         config['ckan.plugins'] = 'test_observer_plugin mapper_plugin2 mapper_plugin'
         plugins.load_all(config)
 
         expected_order = _make_calls(plugins.get_plugin('mapper_plugin2'),
                                      plugins.get_plugin('mapper_plugin'))
-        assert observerplugin.before_load.calls[:-2] == expected_order
+        assert observerplugin.before_load.calls[:2] == expected_order
         expected_order = _make_calls(plugins.get_plugin('test_observer_plugin'),
                                      plugins.get_plugin('mapper_plugin2'),
                                      plugins.get_plugin('mapper_plugin'))
-        assert observerplugin.after_load.calls[:-2] == expected_order
+        assert observerplugin.after_load.calls[:3] == expected_order
         # cleanup
         config['ckan.plugins'] = config_plugins
         plugins.load_all(config)