diff --git a/src/xdist/plugin.py b/src/xdist/plugin.py
index 4a0488e7..8ffeda30 100644
--- a/src/xdist/plugin.py
+++ b/src/xdist/plugin.py
@@ -164,20 +164,6 @@ def pytest_addhooks(pluginmanager):
 
 @pytest.mark.trylast
 def pytest_configure(config):
-    if config.getoption("dist") != "no" and not config.getvalue("collectonly"):
-        from xdist.dsession import DSession
-
-        session = DSession(config)
-        config.pluginmanager.register(session, "dsession")
-        tr = config.pluginmanager.getplugin("terminalreporter")
-        if tr:
-            tr.showfspath = False
-    if config.getoption("boxed"):
-        config.option.forked = True
-
-
-@pytest.mark.tryfirst
-def pytest_cmdline_main(config):
     usepdb = config.getoption("usepdb", False)  # a core option
     if isinstance(config.option.numprocesses, AutoInt):
         config.option.numprocesses = 0 if usepdb else int(config.option.numprocesses)
@@ -199,6 +185,17 @@ def pytest_cmdline_main(config):
                     "--pdb is incompatible with distributing tests; try using -n0 or -nauto."
                 )  # noqa: E501
 
+    if config.getoption("dist") != "no" and not config.getvalue("collectonly"):
+        from xdist.dsession import DSession
+
+        session = DSession(config)
+        config.pluginmanager.register(session, "dsession")
+        tr = config.pluginmanager.getplugin("terminalreporter")
+        if tr:
+            tr.showfspath = False
+    if config.getoption("boxed"):
+        config.option.forked = True
+
 
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # fixtures
diff --git a/testing/test_plugin.py b/testing/test_plugin.py
index dc0fc518..e7316333 100644
--- a/testing/test_plugin.py
+++ b/testing/test_plugin.py
@@ -14,29 +14,28 @@ def test_dist_incompatibility_messages(testdir):
     assert "incompatible" in result.stderr.str()
 
 
-def test_dist_options(testdir):
-    from xdist.plugin import pytest_cmdline_main as check_options
+def test_pdb_can_be_used_before_configure(testdir):
+    result = testdir.runpytest("--pdb", "-n", "2", "--version")
+    assert result.ret == 0
+    assert "pytest version" in result.stderr.str()
+
 
+def test_dist_options(testdir):
     config = testdir.parseconfigure("-n 2")
-    check_options(config)
     assert config.option.dist == "load"
     assert config.option.tx == ["popen"] * 2
     config = testdir.parseconfigure("--numprocesses", "2")
-    check_options(config)
     assert config.option.dist == "load"
     assert config.option.tx == ["popen"] * 2
     config = testdir.parseconfigure("--numprocesses", "3", "--maxprocesses", "2")
-    check_options(config)
     assert config.option.dist == "load"
     assert config.option.tx == ["popen"] * 2
     config = testdir.parseconfigure("-d")
-    check_options(config)
     assert config.option.dist == "load"
 
 
 def test_auto_detect_cpus(testdir, monkeypatch):
     import os
-    from xdist.plugin import pytest_cmdline_main as check_options
 
     if hasattr(os, "sched_getaffinity"):
         monkeypatch.setattr(os, "sched_getaffinity", lambda _pid: set(range(99)))
@@ -54,7 +53,6 @@ def test_auto_detect_cpus(testdir, monkeypatch):
     assert config.getoption("numprocesses") == 99
 
     config = testdir.parseconfigure("-nauto", "--pdb")
-    check_options(config)
     assert config.getoption("usepdb")
     assert config.getoption("numprocesses") == 0
 
@@ -65,33 +63,21 @@ def test_auto_detect_cpus(testdir, monkeypatch):
 
 
 def test_boxed_with_collect_only(testdir):
-    from xdist.plugin import pytest_cmdline_main as check_options
-
     config = testdir.parseconfigure("-n1", "--boxed")
-    check_options(config)
     assert config.option.forked
 
     config = testdir.parseconfigure("-n1", "--collect-only")
-    check_options(config)
     assert not config.option.forked
 
     config = testdir.parseconfigure("-n1", "--boxed", "--collect-only")
-    check_options(config)
     assert config.option.forked
 
 
 def test_dsession_with_collect_only(testdir):
-    from xdist.plugin import pytest_cmdline_main as check_options
-    from xdist.plugin import pytest_configure as configure
-
     config = testdir.parseconfigure("-n1")
-    check_options(config)
-    configure(config)
     assert config.pluginmanager.hasplugin("dsession")
 
     config = testdir.parseconfigure("-n1", "--collect-only")
-    check_options(config)
-    configure(config)
     assert not config.pluginmanager.hasplugin("dsession")