diff --git a/reframe/core/pipeline.py b/reframe/core/pipeline.py
index 0f865f9128..fd143a2d28 100644
--- a/reframe/core/pipeline.py
+++ b/reframe/core/pipeline.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 import reframe.utility.os_ext as os_ext
 from reframe.core.buildsystems import BuildSystem, BuildSystemField
 from reframe.core.deferrable import deferrable, _DeferredExpression, evaluate
-from reframe.core.environments import Environment
+from reframe.core.environments import Environment, EnvironmentSnapshot
 from reframe.core.exceptions import (BuildError, PipelineError, SanityError,
                                      user_deprecation_warning)
 from reframe.core.launchers.registry import getlauncher
@@ -775,12 +775,16 @@ def _setup_environ(self, environ):
         for k, v in self.variables.items():
             self._current_environ.set_variable(k, v)
 
+        # Temporarily load the test's environment to record the actual module
+        # load/unload sequence
+        environ_save = EnvironmentSnapshot()
         # First load the local environment of the partition
         self.logger.debug('loading environment for the current partition')
         self._current_partition.local_env.load()
 
         self.logger.debug("loading test's environment")
         self._current_environ.load()
+        environ_save.load()
 
     def _setup_paths(self):
         """Setup the check's dynamic paths."""
diff --git a/unittests/test_pipeline.py b/unittests/test_pipeline.py
index 5024795d62..d0160f6c45 100644
--- a/unittests/test_pipeline.py
+++ b/unittests/test_pipeline.py
@@ -69,11 +69,9 @@ def test_environ_setup(self):
         test.local = True
 
         test.setup(self.partition, self.progenv)
-        for m in test.modules:
-            self.assertTrue(rt.runtime().modules_system.is_module_loaded(m))
 
-        for k, v in test.variables.items():
-            self.assertEqual(os.environ[k], v)
+        for k in test.variables.keys():
+            self.assertNotIn(k, os.environ)
 
         # Manually unload the environment
         self.progenv.unload()