diff --git a/datasette/cli.py b/datasette/cli.py
index 5c81489e..2c70cde4 100644
--- a/datasette/cli.py
+++ b/datasette/cli.py
@@ -416,12 +416,6 @@ def serve(
 
     ds = Datasette(files, **kwargs)
 
-    if get:
-        client = TestClient(ds.app())
-        response = client.get(get)
-        click.echo(response.text)
-        return
-
     if return_instance:
         # Private utility mechanism for writing unit tests
         return ds
@@ -432,6 +426,12 @@ def serve(
     # Run async sanity checks - but only if we're not under pytest
     asyncio.get_event_loop().run_until_complete(check_databases(ds))
 
+    if get:
+        client = TestClient(ds.app())
+        response = client.get(get)
+        click.echo(response.text)
+        return
+
     # Start the server
     if root:
         print("http://{}:{}/-/auth-token?token={}".format(host, port, ds._root_token))
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 320aa45b..db9eb0c8 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -25,9 +25,11 @@ def pytest_unconfigure(config):
 
 
 def pytest_collection_modifyitems(items):
-    # Ensure test_black.py and test_inspect.py run first before any asyncio code kicks in
+    # Ensure test_cli.py and test_black.py and test_inspect.py run first before any asyncio code kicks in
+    move_to_front(items, "test_cli")
     move_to_front(items, "test_black")
     move_to_front(items, "test_inspect_cli")
+    move_to_front(items, "test_serve_with_get")
     move_to_front(items, "test_inspect_cli_writes_to_file")
     move_to_front(items, "test_spatialite_error_if_attempt_to_open_spatialite")
     move_to_front(items, "test_package")
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 4dda4a71..38bb8834 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -50,20 +50,6 @@ def test_serve_with_inspect_file_prepopulates_table_counts_cache():
         assert {"hithere": 44} == db.cached_table_counts
 
 
-def test_serve_with_get():
-    runner = CliRunner()
-    result = runner.invoke(
-        cli,
-        ["serve", "--memory", "--get", "/:memory:.json?sql=select+sqlite_version()"],
-    )
-    assert 0 == result.exit_code, result.output
-    assert {
-        "database": ":memory:",
-        "truncated": False,
-        "columns": ["sqlite_version()"],
-    }.items() <= json.loads(result.output).items()
-
-
 def test_spatialite_error_if_attempt_to_open_spatialite():
     runner = CliRunner()
     result = runner.invoke(
diff --git a/tests/test_cli_serve_get.py b/tests/test_cli_serve_get.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..20934ab8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_cli_serve_get.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+from datasette.cli import cli, serve
+from datasette.plugins import pm
+from click.testing import CliRunner
+import textwrap
+import json
+
+
+def test_serve_with_get(tmp_path_factory):
+    plugins_dir = tmp_path_factory.mktemp("plugins_for_serve_with_get")
+    (plugins_dir / "init_for_serve_with_get.py").write_text(
+        textwrap.dedent(
+            """
+        from datasette import hookimpl
+
+        @hookimpl
+        def startup(datasette):
+            open("{}", "w").write("hello")
+    """.format(
+                str(plugins_dir / "hello.txt")
+            ),
+        ),
+        "utf-8",
+    )
+    runner = CliRunner()
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        cli,
+        [
+            "serve",
+            "--memory",
+            "--plugins-dir",
+            str(plugins_dir),
+            "--get",
+            "/:memory:.json?sql=select+sqlite_version()",
+        ],
+    )
+    assert 0 == result.exit_code, result.output
+    assert {
+        "database": ":memory:",
+        "truncated": False,
+        "columns": ["sqlite_version()"],
+    }.items() <= json.loads(result.output).items()
+    # The plugin should have created hello.txt
+    assert (plugins_dir / "hello.txt").read_text() == "hello"
+
+    # Annoyingly that new test plugin stays resident - we need
+    # to manually unregister it to avoid conflict with other tests
+    to_unregister = [
+        p for p in pm.get_plugins() if p.__name__ == "init_for_serve_with_get.py"
+    ][0]
+    pm.unregister(to_unregister)