diff --git a/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb b/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb
index 6afda7e3f3..a20577bfa5 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb
@@ -183,20 +183,6 @@ def pattern= value
       # @param [Symbol] color one of the following: [:black, :white, :red, :green, :yellow, :blue, :magenta, :cyan]
       add_setting :detail_color
 
-      # @macro define_reader
-      # Seed for random ordering (default: generated randomly each run).
-      #
-      # When you run specs with `--order random`, RSpec generates a random seed
-      # for the randomization and prints it to the `output_stream` (assuming
-      # you're using RSpec's built-in formatters). If you discover an ordering
-      # dependency (i.e. examples fail intermittently depending on order), set
-      # this (on Configuration or on the command line with `--seed`) to run
-      # using the same seed while you debug the issue.
-      #
-      # We recommend, actually, that you use the command line approach so you
-      # don't accidentally leave the seed encoded.
-      define_reader :seed
-
       # @macro add_setting
       # When a block passed to pending fails (as expected), display the failure
       # without reporting it as a failure (default: false).
@@ -219,10 +205,8 @@ def treat_symbols_as_metadata_keys_with_true_values=(value)
       add_setting :expecting_with_rspec
       # @private
       attr_accessor :filter_manager
-
-      attr_reader :backtrace_cleaner
-
-      attr_reader :group_ordering_registry, :example_ordering_registry
+      # @private
+      attr_reader :backtrace_cleaner, :ordering_manager
 
       def initialize
         @expectation_frameworks = []
@@ -235,16 +219,13 @@ def initialize
         @failure_exit_code = 1
         @spec_files_loaded = false
 
-        @group_ordering_registry = Ordering::Registry.new(self)
-        @example_ordering_registry = Ordering::Registry.new(self)
-
         @backtrace_cleaner = BacktraceCleaner.new
 
         @default_path = 'spec'
         @deprecation_stream = $stderr
         @filter_manager = FilterManager.new
+        @ordering_manager = Ordering::ConfigurationManager.new
         @preferred_options = {}
-        @seed = srand % 0xFFFF
         @failure_color = :red
         @success_color = :green
         @pending_color = :yellow
@@ -260,11 +241,7 @@ def initialize
       #
       # Used to set higher priority option values from the command line.
       def force(hash)
-        if hash.has_key?(:seed)
-          hash[:order], hash[:seed] = order_and_seed_from_seed(hash[:seed])
-        elsif hash.has_key?(:order)
-          set_order_and_seed(hash)
-        end
+        ordering_manager.force(hash)
         @preferred_options.merge!(hash)
         self.warnings = value_for :warnings, nil
       end
@@ -330,11 +307,6 @@ def mock_framework=(framework)
         mock_with framework
       end
 
-      def seed_used?
-        example_ordering_registry.used_random_seed? ||
-        group_ordering_registry.used_random_seed?
-      end
-
       # The patterns to always include to backtraces.
       #
       # Defaults to [Regexp.new Dir.getwd] if the current working directory
@@ -915,20 +887,43 @@ def format_docstrings_block
         @format_docstrings_block ||= DEFAULT_FORMATTER
       end
 
-      # @api
+      # @private
+      def self.delegate_to_ordering_manager(*methods)
+        methods.each do |method|
+          define_method method do |*args, &block|
+            ordering_manager.__send__(method, *args, &block)
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+      # @macro delegate_to_ordering_manager
       #
       # Sets the seed value and sets the default global ordering to random.
-      def seed=(seed)
-        order_and_seed_from_seed(seed)
-      end
+      delegate_to_ordering_manager :seed=
 
-      # @api
+      # @macro delegate_to_ordering_manager
+      # Seed for random ordering (default: generated randomly each run).
+      #
+      # When you run specs with `--order random`, RSpec generates a random seed
+      # for the randomization and prints it to the `output_stream` (assuming
+      # you're using RSpec's built-in formatters). If you discover an ordering
+      # dependency (i.e. examples fail intermittently depending on order), set
+      # this (on Configuration or on the command line with `--seed`) to run
+      # using the same seed while you debug the issue.
+      #
+      # We recommend, actually, that you use the command line approach so you
+      # don't accidentally leave the seed encoded.
+      delegate_to_ordering_manager :seed
+
+      # @private
+      delegate_to_ordering_manager :seed_used?, :group_ordering_registry, :example_ordering_registry
+
+      # @macro delegate_to_ordering_manager
       #
       # Sets the default global order and, if order is `'rand:<seed>'`, also sets the seed.
-      def order=(type)
-        order_and_seed_from_order(type)
-      end
+      delegate_to_ordering_manager :order=
 
+      # @macro delegate_to_ordering_manager
       # Sets a strategy by which to order examples.
       #
       # @example
@@ -942,12 +937,9 @@ def order=(type)
       # @see #order_groups_and_examples
       # @see #order=
       # @see #seed=
-      def order_examples(ordering=nil, &block)
-        unless @preferred_options.has_key?(:order)
-          @example_ordering_registry.set_global_order(ordering, &block)
-        end
-      end
+      delegate_to_ordering_manager :order_examples
 
+      # @macro delegate_to_ordering_manager
       # Sets a strategy by which to order groups.
       #
       # @example
@@ -961,12 +953,9 @@ def order_examples(ordering=nil, &block)
       # @see #order_groups_and_examples
       # @see #order=
       # @see #seed=
-      def order_groups(ordering=nil, &block)
-        unless @preferred_options.has_key?(:order)
-          @group_ordering_registry.set_global_order(ordering, &block)
-        end
-      end
+      delegate_to_ordering_manager :order_groups
 
+      # @macro delegate_to_ordering_manager
       # Sets a strategy by which to order groups and examples.
       #
       # @example
@@ -980,10 +969,7 @@ def order_groups(ordering=nil, &block)
       # @see #order_examples
       # @see #order=
       # @see #seed=
-      def order_groups_and_examples(ordering=nil, &block)
-        order_groups(ordering, &block)
-        order_examples(ordering, &block)
-      end
+      delegate_to_ordering_manager :order_groups_and_examples
 
       # Set Ruby warnings on or off
       def warnings= value
@@ -1095,33 +1081,6 @@ def file_at(path)
         FileUtils.mkdir_p(File.dirname(path))
         File.new(path, 'w')
       end
-
-      def order_and_seed_from_seed(value)
-        order_groups_and_examples(:random)
-
-        order, @seed = 'rand', value.to_i
-        [order, @seed]
-      end
-
-      def set_order_and_seed(hash)
-        hash[:order], seed = order_and_seed_from_order(hash[:order])
-        hash[:seed] = seed if seed
-      end
-
-      def order_and_seed_from_order(type)
-        order, seed = type.to_s.split(':')
-        @seed = seed = seed.to_i if seed
-
-        ordering_name = if order.include?('rand')
-          :random
-        elsif order == 'default'
-          :default
-        end
-
-        order_groups_and_examples(ordering_name) if ordering_name
-
-        return order, seed
-      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/rspec/core/ordering.rb b/lib/rspec/core/ordering.rb
index b6797e44a9..8e24dc537b 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/core/ordering.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/core/ordering.rb
@@ -75,6 +75,68 @@ def used_random_seed?
           @strategies[:random].used?
         end
       end
+
+      class ConfigurationManager
+        attr_reader :seed, :group_ordering_registry, :example_ordering_registry
+
+        def initialize
+          @group_ordering_registry   = Registry.new(self)
+          @example_ordering_registry = Registry.new(self)
+          @seed = srand % 0xFFFF
+          @seed_forced = false
+          @order_forced = false
+        end
+
+        def seed_used?
+          @example_ordering_registry.used_random_seed? ||
+          @group_ordering_registry.used_random_seed?
+        end
+
+        def seed=(seed)
+          return if @seed_forced
+          order_groups_and_examples(:random)
+          @seed = seed.to_i
+        end
+
+        def order=(type)
+          order, seed = type.to_s.split(':')
+          @seed = seed = seed.to_i if seed
+
+          ordering_name = if order.include?('rand')
+            :random
+          elsif order == 'default'
+            :default
+          end
+
+          order_groups_and_examples(ordering_name) if ordering_name
+        end
+
+        def force(hash)
+          if hash.has_key?(:seed)
+            self.seed = hash[:seed]
+            @seed_forced  = true
+            @order_forced = true
+          elsif hash.has_key?(:order)
+            self.order = hash[:order]
+            @order_forced = true
+          end
+        end
+
+        def order_examples(ordering=nil, &block)
+          return if @order_forced
+          @example_ordering_registry.set_global_order(ordering, &block)
+        end
+
+        def order_groups(ordering=nil, &block)
+          return if @order_forced
+          @group_ordering_registry.set_global_order(ordering, &block)
+        end
+
+        def order_groups_and_examples(ordering=nil, &block)
+          order_groups(ordering, &block)
+          order_examples(ordering, &block)
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 end